Books › Musical Courier 1908-04-01: Vol 56 Iss 14, 1908 › scan 27
Scan 27
Musical Courier 1908-04-01: Vol 56 Iss 14, 1908
28 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHICAGO, Ill., March 28, 1908.
3The twenty-fifth program of the Theodore Thomas Orchestra contained the overture to "Oberon," by Weber; symphonic suite, "Cyrano de Bergerac," by Joseph Förster; symphonic poem, "Cleopatra," by Chadwick; selections from "The Damnation of Faust," by Berlioz, and two numbers for piano and orchestra, the Mendelssohn concerto in G minor, op. 25, No. 1, and the Chopin andante spianato and polonaise, with orchestration by Conductor Stock. The soloist was Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler, and never before has Mrs. Zeisler appeared to better advantage than on this occasion, when she elected to be heard in two such well known compositions. The Mendelssohn G minor concerto particularly proved to be a very happy choice for Mrs. Zeisler, the piquant charm of the work, its great brilliancy and delicate shading receiving superb delineation, all the poetry, charm and grace of the work being delightfully etherealized. In the Chopin andante spianato and polonaise the finely emotionalized temperament of the artist, thoroughly schooled and under absolute control, finding material for congenial coalition, became a radiating, a communicating force, and the audience, proving its utter susceptibility, applauded the artist at the close of the work as no other artist appearing with the orchestra has been applauded in Chicago this season. It was a veritable ovation for this brilliant pianist. The orchestral program contained two novelties in the form of the "Cleopatra" symphonic poem, one of George W. Chadwick's latest compositions, and the symphonic suite in five movements by Joseph Förster, the Bohemian composer. The Chadwick work shows plainly the poetic, romantic vein of this distinguished American writer, and impressed not alone for the charming moods suggested, but also through the colorful orchestration and exceedingly fine workmanship one always finds in Chadwick's compositions. The Förster work is of the very modern in orchestral effects, but not offering perhaps as much contrast in a suite of five movements as one might desire; it was, however, very worthy of an appearance, and received much applause.
5Olga Samaroff will be the soloist with the Chicago String Quartet on Saturday morning, April 18, at the last subscription concert of the season. Madame Samaroff will play in the Schumann quintet in E flat, op. 44.
7Schumann-Heink gave her farewell song recital at Orchestra Hall on March 28, assisted by Hugo Heermann, violinist, and Bruno Steindel, cellist. An interesting program of nine numbers was sung besides the Schumann "Frauenliebe und Leben" song cycle of eight songs. A particularly pleasing number was the song, "A Memory," by Felix Borowsky, which had to be repeated, so insistently was the applause; it was the only encore responded to by Madame Schumann-Heink. Felix Borowsky, who is one of Chicago's most talented musicians, has written many effective compositions, instrumental and vocal, which have been well received by both musicians and the musical world in general.
9The Illinois State Teachers' Association will hold its annual meeting at Lincoln, Ill., on June 16 to 19, inclusive.
11The Musical Art Society, Clarence Dickinson, conductor, gave the second concert of its second season at Orchestra Hall on March 24. The program was of the same order and classic style, and was interpreted in the same pure, refined manner that has distinguished all the concerts given these two seasons by this organization and that has obtained for it the excellent reputation it now enjoys. Two modern works appeared on the program, "By the Waters of Babylon," by Martin Loeffler, for women's voices, accompanied by two flutes, cello, organ and harp, and an eight part chorus, "Gebet auf den Wassern," by Koessler. The Loeffler work was perhaps not as enjoyable from the melodic point of view as the Koessler work, but as there is no resemblance whatever in content or musical thought between the two, they should not be compared at all. The Koessler composition received more adequate interpretation from the singers, which made it much more understandable on a first hearing. There is some excellent material in the Musical Art Society, but there are some few voices that must be most woefully placed, for the strident, unmusical sounds uttered by some of the members when the stress of the moment called for added effort or greater concentration marred the tonal quality of the whole ensemble; especially was this noticeable in Grell's "Quoniam" from "Missa Solemnis," for sixteen voices; in the spreading out of the voices over the stage for this arrangement of the various parts it did not need a referee of extravagant ability to single out the delinquents. These voices should be immediately dismissed; the expediency of retaining them on account of their experience should not prevail to the deficit of tonal beauty and detraction of enjoyment that should be afforded, considering the excellent work of the conductor and the good timbre of most of the individual voices. Many of the regular members were absent on account of illness and professional engagements. The list of singers now enrolled as members is as follows: Sopranos: Esther St. John Browning, Minnie Bergman, Mrs. A. F. Callahan, Harriet A. Case, Emma Drought, Mrs. Frank C. Farnum, Edith Monica Graham, Mrs. Frederick I. Kent, Ruby C. Ledward, Ragna Linne, Grace Nelson, Sibyl Samis, Ada Markland Sheffield, Lucille Stevenson Tewksbury, Gertrude Judd Smith, Mary Peck Thompson, Edna M. Trego, Clara Trimble. Contraltos: Mrs. Willard S. Bracken, Byrde Fisher, Jessie Lynde Hopkins, Jennie F. W. Johnson, Frances Carey Libbe, Anna Jones Rankin, Pauline Rommeiss, Elaine de Sellem, Mrs. H. L. Stern, Mrs. Clayton F. Summy, Annie Rommeiss Thacker, Mrs. Frederick W. Upham, Dorothy Groves Wood. Tenors: Kennard Barradell, Charles C. Bell, George Ashley Brewster, Chauncey Earle Bryant, Lester Bartlett Jones, Arthur Jones, John B. Miller, Lewis W. Peterson, Charles Sindlinger, H. Augustine Smith, George L. Tenney, Elmer Tracy, Edwin Walker. Basses: Chris. Anderson, William Beard, Arthur Bissell, W. S. Bracken, Albert E. de Riemer, Marion Green, David Hantsch Grosch, George Nelson Holt, Herbert Miller, Hugh Schussler, William Carver Williams.
13Marion Green, who is one of the very popular baritone singers of the West, has filled some excellent engagements this season and has many further concert, recital and oratorio engagements booked for April and May, among which are a recital for the Woman's Club, at Grand Rapids; a Chicago recital; concert at Saginaw, Mich.; concert at Berlin, Wis.; soloist with Lake Wood Chorus Society, at Cleveland, Ohio; "Stabat Mater" (Rossini) engagement at Alton, Ill.; "Seven Last Words of Christ" engagement in Chicago; two days' engagement in Winnipeg, Man., Canada; recital at Minneapolis, Minn.; soloist with Clinton Chorus, at South Clinton, Ia.; Oak Park, oratorio engagement; "The Creation," at Plymouth, Ind.; two performances of "Elijah at Oak Park; recital for St. Cecilia Club, at Aurora; "Elijah," at Kenton, Ohio; also a recital, "Golden Legend," at Ravenswood; and four days' engagement at Oxford, Ohio.
15Johanna Gadski will sing at Orchestra Hall next Saturday afternoon, April 4, at 3 o'clock, for the last time this season.
17Josef Hofmann, pianist, and Fritz Kreisler, violinist, will give a joint recital Sunday afternoon, April 5, at Orchestra Hall. The program will be: "Kreutzer Sonata," by Beethoven; violin concerto, G minor, No. 1, by Bruch; sonata, B flat minor, op. 35, by Chopin; four violin numbers, prelude and allegro by Pugnani; "Chanson Louis XIII and Pavane," by Couperin; "Two Old Viennese Valses," by Lanner, and "Humoresque," by Dvorák, and "Gnomenreigen," and Liszt's sixth rhapsody.
19Emilio de Gogorza will give his first song recital in Chicago Sunday afternoon, April 12, at the Studebaker Theater.
21Marcella Sembrich will give a farewell song recital Easter Sunday afternoon, April 19, at Orchestra Hall.
23Bertram G. Nelson, of the University of Chicago, and of the American Conservatory, will give a reading before the pupils of the conservatory Saturday, April 4. On the same afternoon at the regular weekly recital the advanced pupils in piano playing of Heniot Levy will be heard in recital.
25Mary Wood Chase announces six piano recitals to be given at Cable Hall by her pupils in advanced, intermediate and preparatory classes, assisted by the faculty of the Mary Wood Chase studios. The first recital will be given on Saturday morning, April 4, by Gertrude Gane, of the faculty and directress of music at the Girton School, Winnetka. The second recital will be given on Saturday morning, April 8, by Ralph Lawton, assistant teacher to Miss Chase at the State University of Iowa School of Music. The third recital will be given on Friday afternoon, May 1, by Marie Pierik, Ruth Burton and Gertrude White, assistant teachers. The fourth recital will be on Friday afternoon, May 15, by Clara Kramer and Eric de Lamarter, assistant teachers. The fifth, on Friday afternoon, by the following named assistant teachers of Miss Chase: Margaret Tiffany, Louise Richardson, Anna Sweeney, Alice Remley and Ruth Martin; and the closing recital by pupils of the assistant teachers.
27The Gottschalk Lyric School gave a pupils' recital at Kimball Hall on March 26, when the following pupils were heard in a program that showed the most careful training and preparation: Voice pupils—Catherine McCaffrey, Genevieve L. Burke, Samuel Manheim, Gustafine Dornbaum, Lucy Hartman, Laura Bruce Carrier, Georgia Bard, Joseph B. Litkowski, Mary I. Camp, Lotta Edwards, Irene Dee and Ada P. MacMillan; piano pupils—Florence Simon, Ruth Peiser, Hortense Weil, Martha Camann, Bertha Mae Everhard, Estelle Walker, Agnes Cross and Ethel R. Miller. A Quartet, composed of
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