Scan 37
Musical Courier 1906-12-19: Vol 53 Iss 1395, 1906
43 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE FAR NORTHWEST.
2SPOKANE, Wash., December 16, 1906.
4Hallene Hall and the Ensemble Club, of Spokane, gave a testimonial recital for the Edward MacDowell Fund, in Masonic Temple, last Tuesday evening, when more than 400 persons were in attendance. The program included a number of MacDowell's compositions, and among those participating were Mrs. Herbert Lee, Mrs. Adra Sherer Guerin, Margaret Crane, Gertrude Huntington, Hazel Lease, Catherine Goble, Mrs. Frederick Boldrick, Caroline Richards, Margaret O'Shea, Aime Kanaert, Albert Moreau, Hans Dressel, M. Krantz, N. Brown, M. Fisk, M. Arant and M. Taylor. Miss Hall was a student under MacDowell.
6The Royal Roumanian Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jonize Senescu, has been re-engaged for a series of evening recitals at the Silver Grill, in Spokane, the engagement continuing until April 10. The orchestra has been before the public since 1890, when it appeared in the exposition at Prague, Bohemia, going afterward to Berlin and others centers in Germany and Russia. M. Senescu is a gold medallist of the Berliner Gewerbeaustellung and the art exhibition of Stuttgart. The pianist is Ernestine Senescu, who studied under Prosniz and Fuchs, obtaining a diploma in the Conservatory of Music, Vienna, in 1898.
8Col. John A. Firch, millionaire mine owner of Spokane, has organized a double quartet of the best available singers in the city, as follows: John A. Firch and T. O. Ivy, first tenors; A. C. Pease and F. H. Walker, second tenors; H. E. Goigt and H. J. Jones, first bass; T. A. Baxter and Chester Hendryx, second bass.
10Genevieve Craven, of Spokane, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, became the bride of Ernest Mauvais, at San José, Cal., two weeks ago. They were married at the home of the bridegroom's mother, Mrs. Romeo Mauvais.
12Inez Harer, contralto, who studied under H. Augustus Smith and Genevieve Clark Wilson, in Chicago, has come to Spokane, and is directing a choir of twenty-five voices in the First Presbyterian Church.
14The Mendelssohn Club, of Spokane, directed by Francis Walker, gave a recital in All Saints' Parish House, November 27, for the charitable institute. Among the soloists being Mrs. Carl Grissen, violinist, and Arthur Frazer, pianist.
16Clara Englehorn, of Spokane, who studied four years under William Nelson Burritt, in Chicago, is planning a costume recital for the middle of the winter under the auspices of the Wagner Club. The program will be in three parts—the Colonial, the Ante-Bellum and present day, and the costuming will be in keeping with the period from which the songs are taken.
18MACMILLEN'S BOSTON SUCCESS.
20The success of Francis Macmillen in Boston, where he gave a recital December 12, was no less marked than it was at his New York debut. The critics were warm in their praises, as the following excerpts from the Boston papers show:
22There is no doubt concerning Mr. Macmillen's artistic and popular success in Brussels, Paris, London and other cities, and this success seems now to have been in a measure legitimate. He is a violinist of engaging parts and indisputable talent. It is evident that he has studied faithfully and intelligently under excellent teachers. His technic is well developed; he plays already with the ease and confidence of a virtuoso.—Philip Hale, The Boston Herald.
24The Pole, the Bohemian, the Frenchman have of late monopolized the field of violin virtuosity; here at last comes an American, and it is good to find that he also is an artist who can stand up among the best of the recent recruits and have no reason to be ashamed. Mr. Macmillen is a pale, studious looking young man, with an attractive face, a slim, graceful figure and an air of the most serious consideration for the work he has in hand. The "mannerisms" that New York expected to find so displeasing are not in evidence. The boy's bearing and manners are pleasing, and there is not the slightest trace of affectation about him. As a player he has indisputably great gifts, gifts that will make him the American virtuoso without question. His tone is big and expressively eloquent; he colors his playing in a broad and impressionistic style, and he is, above all, virile and free from sentimentality.—The Boston Journal.
26It is given to few young men of Mr. Macmillen's years to conquer the difficulties of the Paganini concerto with the ease and aplomb which he showed in this, the best number of a finely, played program. He has not, perhaps, the most robust physique in the world, but the "nerve" which is the prime essential of a true artist is there, and enabled him to give a great performance of this great work which fairly swept away his audience. Also, there are few artists that have the versatility of temperament to turn from the fiery pyrotechnics of Paganini to the pure lyric grace of the Mozart rondo which followed. After that came the Bach chaconne, played with the grasp and authority of a master. In each of the following numbers Mr. Macmillen showed himself in thorough sympathy with the spirit and style of whatever he played, and in the Goldmark "Aria" especially, drew prodigious tone from his G string.—Olin, Boston Post.
28The program presented almost every style of violin work, from the simple expressiveness of Goldmark to the technical display of Paganini, and the double and triple stopping of Bach. Of course the great chaconne by the last named composer was the crucial test of the list. Every great violinist makes this chaconne his visiting card and proves his rank by the power of these thorny variations for violin entirely alone. Mr. Macmillen won a thorough success with this work, which he played in a manner that could not have been more perfect. Every note was clear, even in the most difficult passages and the quality of tone, the freedom of bowing, the brightness of the spiccato effects were all alike commendable. As an encore (as if to show that he was not exhausted), Mr. Macmillen gave a frightfully brilliant Paganini etude with variations, which introduced about every violin effect known, except double harmonics, and played it with tremendous dash.—Louis C. Elson, Daily Advertiser.
30Here was a violinist of American birth who could hold his own with the best in the world for his years, and easily the best product of recent times, if not of all the time in America. His bowing, his tone, his finger work, left practically nothing to be desired. Truly, this latest violinist is a wonder. No infant prodigy, but the real artist to his finger tips.—The Boston Traveler.
32There is charm in his face and bearing. It is good to see a lute violinist again and to fancy the light of imagination in his deep bright eyes and the sensitiveness of it in his mobile mouth and chin. None may say how much the personal charm, the romantic fascination of the younger Paderewski, as we first knew him, prepared the way for the fuller understanding and appreciation of his powers of mind and imagination with which we now receive him. Such glamor is in Mr. Macmillen. In all that he does technically there are the freedom, the ardor, the unhesitating surety of the youth. He still loves the brilliancies and the intricacies of technical achievement, the zest of the pursuit, the joy of the accomplishment of them. There is still the passion in his double stopping that is in a boy's strokes at tennis. The boy wins and Mr. Macmillen wins, and we middle aged bystanders cannot help feeling the pleasure of the victory.—Boston Transcript.
34Kelley Cole in Florida.
36On December 2 Kelley Cole gave a successful recital in Jacksonville, Fla. The favor with which he was received is shown by the following notice from the Times-Union of that city:
38Kelley Cole! What a genuine treat this artist gave the splendid audience assembled. Never has the Windsor auditorium had a larger and more representative audience than last night. Those who were there anticipated a great deal, but few were prepared for such a musical treat as was given. Mr. Cole is undoubtedly one of the world's greatest singers. Not only does he possess a beautiful voice, but his artistic interpretation of each and every number is indeed remarkable. One could listen to such singing for many hours and enjoy every moment. The magnetic personality of Mr. Cole completely captivated the audience, and this is also true of his charming wife, who presided at the piano. Mrs. Cole's accompaniments were perfect, and it is to be regretted that this artist was not heard in solo work, which no doubt would have proved interesting.
40Mr. Steinway on Way to Europe.
42Charles H. Steinway, president of Steinway & Sons, sailed for Europe Saturday of last week on the Kron Prinz Wilhelm. He will spend the Christmas in Switzerland with his family.
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