Scan 8
Musical Courier 1913-11-12: Vol 67 Iss 20, 1913
111 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 9. See the scan on archive.org.
1HERBERT WITHERSPOON'S RECITAL.
3Metropolitan Opera Basso Gives Fine Example of Intelligent, Scholarly Interpretation and Fine Phrasing—Varied and Interesting Program Presented.
5In this pre-opera season at the Metropolitan, several of our kings and queens of opera doff their royal robes, and in the habiliments of mere man essay their vocal art in the field of concert and recital.
7When Herbert Witherspoon stepped out upon the Aeolian Hall stage last Thursday afternoon, November 6, a large and expectant audience felt instinctively the musical treat about to be offered, for this popular basso of the Metropolitan Opera Company is decidedly not unknown to the New York musical public.
9There is an ease, an abandon in Mr. Witherspoon's presentations—a certain feeling of at-home-ness, which instantly communicates itself to his audience, no matter in what language he sings, nor what the mood of the selection required. In his ability to make the rapid changes from the staidly serious to the subtly facetious, with apparently no effort, this artist excels as a 'Stimming' creator. And no better proof of this could be given than in the arrangement and delivery of Mr. Witherspoon's unusual and interesting program.
11Clear, distinct enunciation, which in no way infringes upon the beauty of tonal quality, is likewise no small feature in this artist's success.
13Part I of the program, as will be seen below, contained selections from three languages.
15Part II included representative German numbers, varying in style from the Schubert beautiful "Nachtstück" and Löwe's "Die Oasis" to Schumann's "Der Contrabandist" and Brahms' "Tambourliedchen."
17In Part III the curtain rose, as it were, upon an entirely different scene, when French compositions were in the fore. This opened with the cheery harvest song, "Chanson du Blé" (Massé), and contained a melodious "Rondel de l'Adieu," by Floridia, composed for Mr. Witherspoon; a "Chanson Orientale" (Glazounow), with its truly Oriental atmosphere, and George's "Chanson Espagnole," which the audience insisted upon hearing again.
19Old French, Old Irish and Old English songs were represented in part IV by "Le Beau Sejour," "Le Repos," "The Kerry Cow," with arrangement by C. Villiers Stanford; a delightful old Irish ballad, "Would God I Were the Tender Apple Blossom," and the Old English "The Twelve Days of Christmas," which required much skilful lingual manipulation.
21To the serious student of vocal art, this recital of Mr. Witherspoon was a fine example of intelligent, scholarly interpretation, splendid breath control, excellent phrasing, and as heretofore alluded to of clear, distinct diction. Hans Morgenstern's accompaniment contributed largely to the success of the afternoon's program. The following were the numbers:
23Seligster Erquickungstag (from the cantata Wachet, betet)….Bach
24She Never Told Her Love……………………………Haydn
25Warnung…………………………………………………….Mozart
26Chanson Bachique (from Anacréon)…………………Grétry
27Nachtstück Bachique (from Anacréon)………………Schubert one of two readings
28Nachtstück Bachique………………………………….Schubert one of two readings
29Der Lindenbaum………………………………………Schubert
30Der Spielmann…………………………………………Schumann
31Wer Machte Dich So Krank………………………….Schumann one of two readings
32Wer Machte Dich So Krank………………………..Schumann one of two readings
33Alte Laute……………………………………………….Schumann one of two readings
34Alte Laute…………………………………………………Schumann one of two readings
35Der Contrabandiste……………………………………Schumann one of two readings
36Der Contrabandiste…………………………………..Schumann one of two readings
37Die Oasis……………………………………………….Loewe one of two readings
38Die Oasis…………………………………………………….Loewe one of two readings
39Mit Vierzig Jahren……………………………………Brahms one of two readings
40Mit Vierzig Jahren…………………………………….Brahms one of two readings
41Tambourliedchen………………………………………Brahms
42Chanson du Blé (from Les Saisons)…………………Massé
43Rondel de l'Adieu (composed for Mr. Witherspoon)….Floridia
44Chanson Orientale…………………………………….Glazounow
45Chanson Espagnole…………………………………..Georges
46Le Beau Séjour……………………………………….Old French one of two readings
47Le Beau Séjour…………………………………………Old French one of two readings
48Le Repos……………………………………………….Old French one of two readings
49Le Repos……………………………………………………Old French one of two readings
50The Kerry Cow……………………………………….Old Irish one of two readings
51The Kerry Cow…………………………………………Old Irish one of two readings
52Would God I Were the Tender Apple Blossom……….Old Irish one of two readings
53Would God I Were the Tender Apple Blossom………..Old Irish one of two readings
54The Twelve Days of Christmas………………………..Old English
56Manuscript Society Concert November 13.
58The first private concert, to which admission will be by card only, of the twenty-fifth season of the Manuscript Society of New York, will take place Thursday evening, November 13, as usual at the National Arts Club, 119 East Nineteenth street. Considerable variety will be found in the following program, which contains solos and ensemble music, both vocal and instrumental:
60Two Pieces for Piano (from Country Tales)………….James P. Dunn
61Dawn.
62What the Wind Told the Swinging Gate.
63The Composer.
64Three Songs for Soprano……………………………John Adam Hugo
65Song from the opera Laila (Bell-Ranske), new.
66When We Two Parted (Byron).
67Kuss (Ruckert).
68Tullik Bell-Ranske.
69The composer at the piano.
70Concertstück for piano, op. 7………………………..Hugo
71The Composer.
72Second piano, F. W. Riesberg.
73Four Songs for Baritone…………………………….Hugo one of two readings
74Four Songs for Baritone……………………………..Hugo one of two readings
75Die Zwei Raben (Fontane).
76Ich will's dir nimmer sagen (Fruzt). one of two readings
77Ich will's dir nimmer sagen (Frutz). one of two readings
78When in Death I shall Calm Recline.
79Meeting of the Waters.
80Note.—The last two are Irish melodies, harmonized and provided with a violin obbligato by Mr. Hugo.
81Hans Merx.
82Violin obbligato, Roland Meyer.
83The composer at the piano.
84Song for Soprano……………………………………Louis Lombard one of two readings
85Song for Soprano………………………………………Louis Lombard one of two readings
86Ave Maria
87Harriet Barkley Riesberg.
88Violin obbligato, Bessie Riesberg.
90The second private meeting, Monday evening, December 8, will consist of a program of vocal and instrumental music, by Charles W. Cadman, who will be at the piano. Assisting artists, Lucille Roessing-Griffey, soprano; Mr. Shenk, baritone; a tenor, violinist, cellist, etc.
92Oscar Seagle Discusses American Twang.
94Oscar Seagle advances a unique theory that the nasal twang so much criticised in the American speaking voice is a help rather than a hindrance in developing the voice for singing. The resonance, the baritone explains, is already in the head, where it belongs. If the student begins with a throaty quality, the very first thing he has to do is to get rid of it, but the American rarely has that defect. So long as he talks through and not in his nose, as Mr. Seagle puts it, the American aspirant need not worry.
96"Among my pupils in Paris are young men and women of various nationalities," said Mr. Seagle, who has returned to this country for the coming season, after ten years abroad. "Most of them are French, English, Germans and Americans. And the finest voices are those of the Americans. I don't say this because I am loyal to my own country—although I am—but because it is true. I have heard Monsieur de Reszke say so many times himself.
98"Not only do they have splendid natural voices, but they are the best workers we have. The Americans will do anything, once you get them aroused. That takes time at first, for when he comes he generally hasn't the faintest conception of what he has to accomplish. But when you get him really awake his energy is superb.
100"I suppose there are about 500 Americans studying singing in Paris now. Two-thirds of them are young women; one-third men. They come from all over the United States. California is especially represented. So is the South. And there is a decided difference between the voices from the various sections.
102"Those from the South are softer and richer, like the Italian voices. Those from the North have more of that indefinable quality we call timbre. They have more 'drive' too. But when the Southern voice is properly developed, when the timbre it lacks is supplied, the result is a wonderful product. The California voice has something of both the Northern and the Southern qualities, with rather more of the latter."
104Ottlie Metzger as Delilah.
106One of the most lauded and most effective roles of Ottlie Metzger the noted German contralto, is that of Delilah, in Saint-Saëns' opera, "Samson and Delilah."
108OTTILIE METZGER AS DELILAH.
110Whoever has heard Mme. Metzger in the famous aria has never forgotten the impression. Great interest is being manifested by the leading orchestral and musical societies of this country in the forthcoming initial tour of the great contralto, which will be inaugurated early in February under M. H. Hanson's management.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.