Books › Musical Courier 1907-06-12: Vol 54 Iss 24, 1907 › scan 16
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Musical Courier 1907-06-12: Vol 54 Iss 24, 1907
45 lines. Read by computer on 25 September 2026. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1LONDON
335 WEYMOUTH STREET, W., LONDON, May 29, 1907.
5It was in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Christian, the Princesses Victoria and Louise of Schleswig-Holstein and a very crowded house that Madame Melba made her reappearance last Tuesday evening at Covent Garden, when she sang the part of Mimi in "La Boheme." Such a warm welcome as she received must have been very pleasing, and her singing was characterized by all the charm for which she is so famous. Countless calls after each act testified to the enjoyment of the audience and their pleasure at again seeing and hearing the great singer.
7Wednesday evening was devoted to the second performance of "Meistersinger," when the royal box was again occupied, this time by the King, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, Princess Patricia of Connaught, the Duchess of Albany and the Princess of Bentheim-Steinfurt. There was again a large audience present. Hempel, Tolli, Jorn, Geis, Beckstein and Van Rooy made up the same cast as at the previous performance.
9"Madam Butterfly" on Thursday, "Lohengrin" on Friday, "Traviata" on Saturday (the latter opera drawing one of the largest audiences of the season), and "La Boheme" on Monday fill out the fourth week of the present season.
11During the past winter David Bispham has been in London, and as usual with this well known singer, found his time fully occupied. At the time of the preparation and production of "The Vicar of Wakefield" he sang at many private musicales, for his services are always in demand by the leading hostesses of London. His own recitals have been among the most prominent and interesting of the musical events, his programs containing the best classical German and modern songs, interpreted in a masterful way, of interest alike to the student and the expert musician. In the larger orchestral concerts in which Bispham has taken part he has sung excerpts from the Wagner operas, as well as the best of the big standard baritone arias and songs. Among his engagements have been several concerts at Queen's Hall, the Sunday concerts, Albert Hall orchestral concerts, many chamber concerts, and also many other concerts and recitals in London, one of the most important ones being that of the Twelve o'Clocks, where he sang the "Dichterliebe." He was also a soloist at one of the concerts of the Royal Amateur Orchestral Society and at Liza Lehmann's concert recently, when "The Vicar of Wakefield" was sung in concert form. Bispham was one of the first who was asked to join the Van Dyk German opera season, which he did as soon as it was possible for him to find the time, and he was heard in his fine reading of Hunding and in his equally well known interpretation of the role of Wolfram. Had it not been for the unfortunate ending of that season, Bispham would have sung Kurwenal and Beckmesser, two parts in which he has achieved fame. He was invited to sing in the English performance of the "Ring" under Dr. Richter, but many previous engagements obliged him to decline. In the past few months Bispham also has sung at two of the famous classical song recitals at Baliol College, Oxford. In spite of his popularity here this season, Bispham will spend the coming winter in America, where engagements already are booking for him.
13Francis Macmillen made his first appearance of the present season on Monday evening, at Queen's Hall, when an immense audience greeted him after his absence in America. His program began with Tartini's "Devil's Trill," contained a concerto by Sinding, five short pieces by Sinding, Brahms-Joachim, Dvorak, Schubert and Alberto Randegger, Jr., and ended with a concerto by Ernst. In addition, there were numerous encores, and several duets sung by the Misses Carbone, who assisted. Macmillen's great powers of execution seem to have developed into even broader lines than formerly and his playing was heartily applauded. He may be said to have had an ovation, for it was difficult to induce the audience to leave the hall. His second recital is to take place at Queen's Hall on the afternoon of June 12, when he will be assisted by Madame Van Dyk. Mr. Hageman proved to be a sympathetic accompanist.
15The recital by Sergei Kussewitzky attracted a large audience on Wednesday afternoon of last week, when this great player of the double bass made his first London appearance. His program contained two concertos—one by Handel, the other by Kussewitzky—and in the group of four solos that he played afterward there was another of his compositions, a humoresque, with pieces by Gliere, Laska and Bottesini. There was but one opinion from those who listened to Kussewitzky's playing, and it was of the most enthusiastic kind. His success was phenomenal. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Godowsky, De Pachmann, Theodore Spiering, Myrtle Elvyn—all interested listeners. The accompaniments were played by Fritz Lindemann, who also played some solos by Bach, Scarlatti and Schumann.
17A feature of the concert at Queen's Hall last week by the London Symphony Orchestra was the playing of Godowsky, who performed the piano part of the G major concerto, by Beethoven. Orchestral numbers by Brahms, Bach, Debussy and Tschaikowsky were also included in the program.
19MELBA AS MIMI IN "LA BOHEME."
21Two pupils of Sir George Power—Miss Palgrave-Turner and Hubert Bromilow—were heard in a song recital that proved of special interest, not only for the selections sung but also from the manner in which they were done. Miss Palgrave-Turner's voice is a mezzo soprano of rich quality, which was displayed to advantage in her songs. Arthur Newstead was the piano soloist and O'Connor Morris played the accompaniments.
23In her recital last week Olga Moskova Hildebrandt introduced an innovation—that of accompanying her songs with gestures, to give expression.
25The "Empire Day" concert was a great success, with all parts of the empire represented by leading singers now living in London or present at the moment. It was said that one of the most interesting features of the program was the art of Edith Miller, who sang four French-Canadian songs.
27At her orchestral concert on Saturday evening Mathilde Verne was heard in Schumann's piano concerto and afterward played his "Carneval." At this concert was also performed for the first time a song cycle by Arthur Somervell, entitled "James Lee's Wife," written for Marie Brema to whom it is dedicated. There are five songs in the cycle, the text consisting of poems by Robert Browning.
29The recital by Edith von Voigtlander was one of the events last week that brought a large audience to hear this thirteen year old girl play, it being her first public appearance in London, although she had been heard at a private reception given for her at the Hotel Ritz, by Leslie Hibberd. This gifted child is a native of Weimar, where she began her studies, but went to Berlin at the recommendation of Joachim, and has since been under the instruction of Issay Barmas for the past three years. She has played with success in many of the large cities of Germany and recently appeared at Ostend, where her playing caused a sensation, so that she was immediately engaged for four concerts in June. She did the entire program last Thursday evening—Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Chopin-Wilhelmj, Brahms-Joachim, Zarzycki, Saint-Saëns and Bazzini being the composers represented. The young artist will be heard in another recital during the season.
31German, French, Italian and English songs made up the program of Madame Kirkby-Lunn at her song recital on Saturday. There were some twenty or more songs, the only encore being given after "Maman, dites-moi," by Weckerlein, sung by request. There was much applause, particularly after the Brahms' "Rothe Rosen" and Sullivan's "Willow Song." Hamilton Harty, Percy Pitt and Georg Henschel were the other English composers represented.
33Queen's Hall was so full on Saturday afternoon, when Mr. Backhaus gave his recital, that no other testimony was needed of the popularity of this young pianist, whose playing at any concert always evokes enthusiasm. On Saturday the important numbers of the program were the Beethoven sonata in C minor and Brahms' "Variations on a Theme by Paganini." This latter number, splendidly played, was easily the most prominent feature of the afternoon. Backhaus' playing of the twelve Chopin etudes was also of great musical interest, and the young pianist has certainly never done better work than at this latest recital.
35At her second recital Marie Novello added to the favorable impression that she made when she played last month. Miss Novello has studied not only with Leschetizky, but also with Madame Novello-Davies, and brings a fine equipment to her art. She possesses a good technic and style. Last Saturday evening her playing of Mendelssohn's concerto in G minor was greatly admired and enjoyed. Madame Davies accompanied her on a second piano. Afterward Miss Novello played Beethoven's sonata in G, receiving much applause from the audience. There were some songs by Marion Lloyd.
37The musical and dramatic matinee that is to be given by Kitty Cheatham at Aeolian Hall has been set down for the 11th of June. The program is divided into three parts, with the names of many well known American and English composers from which the selections are taken. So many of the numbers are in manuscript, and so many have been written especially for Miss Cheatham, that the program becomes unique, a program impossible for any one else to produce, and therefore of greater interest. Since she arrived in London Miss Cheatham has been more than busy with engagements, for she found a large number already arranged when she came, and it has been a constant rush ever since. Her charming work is in great demand for private drawing rooms, and her large personal acquaintance in London gives her little leisure.
39A young American violinist, Albany Ritchie, made his first appearance in London on Monday evening at a recital, when he was assisted by Vladimir Cernikoff at the piano. Ritchie played the "Scottish Fantasie" by Max Bruch, a caprice for violin by Guiraud and Saint-Saëns' concerto in B minor. Cernikoff played a group of solos by Tschaikowsky, Sinding, Debussy, Saint-Saëns and Rubinstein. Mr. Ritchie is a pupil of Ysaye and Sevcik and has appeared with success on the Continent.
41Other musical events of the week have been:
42A first vocal recital by Lola Rally; a vocal recital by Delmar Williamson, assisted by Amy Simpson, Kathleen Broadwood, Florence Freeman, Amy Maynard, Ernest Pike, Charlton Keith and Grace May; a song and harp recital by Nora Meredith and Kathleen Purcell, with Dettmar Dressel and Gladys Roberts to assist; a vocal recital by Hedwig von Sanden, from Berlin; violin recital by Adolf Rebner; the second piano recital by Alice Ripper; third piano recital at the Guildhall School of Music; a concert by Edgar T. Evetts' pupils, Hilda Clatworthy, Ethel Maitland, Kitty Hughes, Josephine Peake, Violet Morgan, May Jelpke, Edith Fenn, George Neville, Herbert Whitmee, assisted by Harold Bonarius and a choir; a violin recital by Nico Pollelsdorff, with Eleanor Davis at the piano and Walter Wiltshire at the organ; a song and violin recital by Ethel Marsh and Ernest Groom, assisted by Marian Jay and Valerie Knoll; a recital by Una Hadwen, assisted by Frederic Keel and Miss Janotha; a violin and vocal recital by Beatrice Formby and Muriel Dawbarn; a concert by Rodolfa Lhombino, a Norwegian singer, and the Cherniavsky brothers; Fanny Puzzi's annual concert, when she was assisted by Ben Davies, Madame Crossley, Amy Castles, Madame Conti, Arthur Winckworth, Signor Biletta, Mr. Lambelet, De Manby Sergison, Mr. Ganz, Mr. Bisaccia and Mr. Vannucini; a viola and piano recital by Lionel Tertis and York Bowen, with Marcus Thomson as vocalist; an inaugural concert by a new regimental band, and a piano recital by Elinor Hodges.
44A. T. KING.
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