Books › Musical Courier 1925-12-17: Vol 91 Iss 25, 1925 › scan 36
Scan 36
Musical Courier 1925-12-17: Vol 91 Iss 25, 1925
76 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 37. See the scan on archive.org.
1December 17, 1925
3ANN ARBOR, MICH.
5ANN ARBOR, MICH.—Charles A. Sink, manager of the University School of Music and the Ann Arbor concerts, is convalescing at his home after a several weeks' illness. During his incapacity his duties have been ably administered by his assistant, Margaret Crittendon.
7The Ann Arbor concert season was opened on October 15, when the New York Symphony gave the program. Of significance was the fact that two members of the University School of Music Faculty appeared as soloists, Guy Maier, who gave a magnificent rendition of Liszt's E minor concerto, and Palmer Christian, who played the organ part of the Saint-Saens concerto.
9On October 20, Guy Maier and his wife, Lois Maier, appeared in a joint invitation recital under the auspices of the local chapter of the Mu Phi Epsilon Sorority.
11An important feature of Ann Arbor's musical life is the series of weekly organ recitals which are being provided by Palmer Christian, University organist. These recitals take place each Wednesday afternoon and provide a distinct cultural asset for the thousands of University students and music lovers in general. In addition to these recitals Mr. Christian has a heavy schedule of recitals in various parts of the country as well as a large class of advanced organ students.
13The first number in the series of Faculty Twilight Recitals, which are given about twice a month on Sunday afternoons each season, took place on October 25, when Mrs. George B. Rhead, pianist, and the University School of Music String Quartet, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel P. Lockwood, Pauline Kaiser and Ora Larthard, provided the program.
15In the absence of Musical Director Earl V. Moore, who is spending several months in Europe in travel and study, the Choral Union is being conducted by Mr. Christian, members having been tried out by James Hamilton of the voice department. Likewise during Mr. Moore's absence the musical directorship of the school has been temporarily placed upon Albert Lockwood, head of the piano department.
17Theodore Harrison, head of the voice department, has a class overflowing and a large waiting list clamoring for admission. Other teachers similarly situated are James Hamilton and Nora Hunt. In the piano department both Mr. Lockwood and Guy Maier, as well as Mrs. Rhead and various other associate teachers, are busily engaged. In fact the same conditions prevail throughout the entire institution.
19Activities at the Cornish School
21The Cornish School in Seattle is having its usual busy season. In accordance with its policy, along with the regular study there are frequent faculty recitals and student recitals. This year, for instance, though the school year is not two months old, Jacques Jou Jerville, of the vocal department, presented a number of his students in recital on November 27, including Herbert Bartlett, Roy Young, Kenneth Combs and Oscar Shaw, tenors; Wallace Ferguson (baritone), and Edwin C. Cook (basso-cantante). An-
23PRIZES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
25[The Musical Courier will endeavor to keep this department up to date and to that end requests that all notices and prospectuses of musical prize contests be sent to the Musical Courier so as to be included in this department. It will be found that in each contest the name and address are given, to which intending candidates may apply directly for further information. Manuscripts are submitted at the risk of the composer.—Editor's Note.]
27The Society for the Publication of American (Chamber) Music—Manuscripts should be sent under nom de plume to William B. Tuthill, 185 Madison Ave., New York.
29Philadelphia Exposition—$3,000 for opera in English to be submitted before March 1, 1926; $2,000 for symphony, $2,000 for ballet, pageant or masque, $500 for choral suite of three or four numbers, to be submitted before April 1, 1926. For further particulars address Henry S. Fry, c/o Sesquicentennial Ass'n, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.
31Hoch Conservatory of Frankfort—2,000 marks ($500) for a chamber music work for strings. Compositions must be submitted by December 31, to the Hoch Conservatory, Eschenheimer Landstrasse, 4, Frankfort, Germany.
33Dayton Westminster Choir—Three awards, amounting to $500 for the best a cappella compositions for chorus of mixed voices by an American composer. Contest closes May 1, 1926. Send manuscripts to Mrs. H. E. Talbott, Callahan Bank Bldg., Dayton, Ohio.
35National Federation of Music Clubs—$1,000 for symphony or symphonic poem; $500 for choral for mixed voices; $500 for three-part chorus, women's voices, medium difficulty; $100 for song by woman composer; $100, cello solo. Open to American composers. Competition closes October 1, 1926. Address inquiries to Mrs. Gertrude Ross, 2273 Holly Drive, Los Angeles, Cal.
37Serge Korgueff—Violin scholarship in Boston Conservatory of Music. Competition in December. Details on request. Address Prof. Serge Korgueff, c/o Boston Conservatory of Music, 250 Huntington Ave., Boston, Mass.
39Chicago North Shore Festival Ass'n—$1,000 for orchestral work by an American composer. Scores must bear motto, accompanied by sealed envelope containing name of composer, with corresponding motto on outside. It must not exceed fifteen minutes in performance and must be submitted before January 1, 1926, to Carl D. Kinsey, 64 East Van Buren St., Chicago, Ill.
41other early recital was that of Elizabeth Choate, violinist, pupil of Peter Meremblum. Meremblum himself has just completed a series of five historical sonata recitals. December 11 the School of the Theater presented the famous pantomime, L'Enfant Prodigue, to be repeated on December 19.
43Westward Trend of Music Indicated by Gradova's Program
45It seems that the famous cry "Westward ho!" which rang through the continent some seventy-five years ago is to resound again in a more harmonious way in the realm of music. From Middle West to Pacific West new musical and artistic forces are being generated. The music of the open, music given under the magic of stars, is gathering collectivities in California, precluding perhaps the birth of a new attitude to music, more natural and less artificial; and perhaps under our very eyes this birth is occurring, for a new music is coming from the great West, a music more genuinely "new," that is unaffected by past European traditions, than any heard so far.
47Gitta Gradova, the brilliant and audacious young pianist who, a couple of years ago, gave us a veritable musical revelation in her interpretation of Scriabin, at least seems to think so. For she featured in the program which she played December 13, in Aeolian Hall, the first performance of three works which have all been conceived beyond the traditional line of our Eastern States.
49Among these was a prelude composed by a young girl from Chicago—Ruth Crawford—who heard for the first time one of her works performed in public. She is said to be one of the most gifted of the young American-born composers, and her several preludes for the piano reveal a nature of exquisite sensitiveness as well as great intensity.
51Henry Cowell, whose name is already known to many, was born in San Francisco. A practically self-taught man, he is slowly building an entirely new type of music, which, though retaining for the present much of the tonal sense of old, is at the same time bringing in features which really put music on an entirely new basis of understanding, rather than struggling in a small compass in an effort to invent forms which are absolutely "original," he is trying to revitalize the very approach to music—which is of course the only source of real originality.
53D. Rudhyar, though a European by birth, has become identified with California, and has composed there all his works. At least he claims that what he wrote before absorbing the life of the New West lacked the real spirit of futurity and was still depending on European ideals, which to him is the very opposite of a compliment, so thoroughly Americanized he has become. Paul Rosenfield in the December Dial dedicates his entire Musical Chronicle to the study of Rudhyar's latest works, his series of Moments, of which Gradova played one at this concert and will play several more at her second New York appearance. He considers those to constitute real American music, extremely fascinating, full of vital power and at the same time of mysticism. And to him Rudhyar continues the work which a Scriabin started, but in the spirit of the New World.
55Gitta Gradova ended her program with a group of Scriabin pieces. From Russia to California it seems a long distance. Yet strangely enough East and West seem to merge in a common source of inspiration. Perhaps in both cases we see the beginning of a really new music, a music free from Europeanism. The ultra-modern composers of Europe whose works roused so much sensation during those last few years, were after all not so "new," for after a few attempts at doing but too often the contrary of what they had been taught to do in their old world conservatories, they are now gently coming back to the old fold and worshipping at the same old shrine of tonalism and classicism.
57But from the virgin West stretching from Chicago to the Coast perhaps a new spirit is revealing itself. And we must free ourselves from centuries-old prejudices in order to listen to those songs of the new generation. D. McG.
59Wildermaan Institute Notes
61The Wildermann Institute of Music feels keenly the loss inflicted upon it through the death of Hermann Spilker, who was one of the prominent composers and teachers in the music world. Mr. Spilker accepted a place on the faculty the beginning of this season and was deeply interested in the achievements of this institution. The director, Mary Wildermann, and a delegation of the faculty, attended the funeral services at the Campbell Funeral Church on November 13.
63Three new departments have been added to the curriculum of the Institute since September. They are the Aesthetic Dancing (Dalcroze Eurythmics) conducted by Nelly Reuschel of Europe, holder of the professor's diploma from Jacques Dalcroze himself; children's art classes for young students from the ages of six to twelve years, in which drawing, painting and modeling from plastiline are taught by Louis Dougherty; elocution and dramatics. So large has been the enrollment, and it is still increasing, that an annex in the new Wistaria, St. Marks Place and Nicholas Street, St. George, as well as an old home on Fort Place have been acquired to take care of the large classes. Recently a class of students was taken over by the Institute in the Bronx and the same branches are being taught as at the main center in St. George. The studios are at Melrose Court, 398 East 152nd Street, known as the Hub of the Bronx.
65A recital and class work demonstration will be held in January in Morris High School auditorium.
67DR. CARL'S MOTET CHOIR
69(Continued from page 7)
71Bach's Passion, Haydn's Creation and Saint Saens' Christmas Oratorio.
73In addition to these works, some motet or selection from an oratorio is given at other services of the church, so that no Sunday passes without some notable musical offering being heard. There are also organ solos on the splendid new modern 72-stop instrument that has recently been installed.
75Finally it must be added that Dr. Carl has collected choral and organ music during all these years so that his church now has one of the finest libraries in the country. Dr. Carl has done a valuable work with his Motet Choir, as he has with his organ school, and much credit is his due.
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