Books › Musical Courier 1925-12-17: Vol 91 Iss 25, 1925 › scan 45
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Musical Courier 1925-12-17: Vol 91 Iss 25, 1925
98 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 46. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSIC ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE
3PORTLAND, ORE.
5PORTLAND, Ore.—With the assistance of Elena Gerhardt, mezzo soprano, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Willem van Hoogstraten, conductor, presented its second program of its fifteenth season in the Public Auditorium on November 23. Before a sold-out house, Mr. van Hoogstraten led the orchestra through Ernest Schelling's fantasy, A Victory Ball, and Beethoven's fifth symphony. The opening number, The Mastersinger of Nurnberg by Wagner, was broadcast. No praise is too high for the orchestra's new conductor, Mr. van Hoogstraten. He has won the local press. Miss Gerhardt, accompanied by the orchestra, was heard in songs by Brahms and Hugo Wolf. She, as well as the orchestra, reaped high honors.
7The Portland Junior Symphony Orchestra, which made a big hit at the last convention of the National Federation of Music Clubs, gave its first concert of its second season on November 25 in the Helig Theater. Jacques Gershkovitch conducted in a finished manner. The youthful players achieved amazing effects, especially in Mozart's symphony in G minor.
9Every Sunday afternoon the city gives a concert in the Public Auditorium, featuring local talent. An admission fee of fifteen cents is charged to cover the expense. Participants in the first program of the season were Bacon's String Orchestra, Ted Bacon, conductor; William Robinson Boone, organist; Arion String Quintet (Henry Livingston, Eric Gunther, violins; Martin Katzke, viola; Brian Hamilton, cello; Alfred Kellog, piano); Alta Guthrie, violinist; Kenneth Roduner, accompanist; Patsy Neilan, violinist; Dorothy Walton, accompanist, and Marion Mustee, violinist. A large and enthusiastic audience was present.
11Portland has a new musical organization, the American Grand Opera Company. The incorporators are E. Bruce Knowlton, Kenneth Snow and Frank Daugherty, and the object of the company is to encourage American composers. Several American operas will be produced each year.
13At a recent meeting of the Musicians' Club, the following officers were elected for the season of 1925-26: Cecil Teague, president; Walter Bacon, vice-president; Dent Bowrey, secretary.
15Members of the MacDowell Club recently had the pleasure of hearing Arthur Johnson, local tenor. May Van Dyke Hardwick furnished the accompaniments.
17J. R. O.
19SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
21SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.—The Hour of Music Society gave the second of this season's series of programs at the School of Katherine D. Burke and the program was rendered by Margaret Tilly, pianist, and Romain Verney, violinist, assisted by Gyula Ormay, who acted as accompanist.
23An excellent program of solo and ensemble numbers was given by the advanced and professional pupils of Elizabeth Simpson at her attractive new studio.
25The Pacific Musical Society presented, at their first concert for the month of November, several of its artist members, namely: Noah Steinberg, pianist; Emilie Lancel, mezzo-soprano, accompanied by Margo Hughes, and Alice Guthrie Poyner, violinist. Mrs. Charles Stuart Ayers, president, and her splendid co-workers, arranged a varied program which was received with enthusiastic applause.
27Noah Brandt, violinist and composer, passed away at his home during the past week after an illness of several months.
29Alda Astori, pianist and accompanist, a member of Alfred Mirovitch's masterclass, came here from her home in Los Angeles so as to continue her work with this musician. Miss Astori is also a splendid linguist who is competent to coach singers in Italian and French song repertory.
31Arturo Casiglia presented some of the singers from his Pacific Coast Opera Company at the dinner of the Seven Arts Club.
33At the last monthly program given for the students of the Conservatory of Music, Gertrude Wismer-Hoffman gave an interesting talk on Hilda Conklin.
35Ada Clement, pianist; Lajos Fenster, violinist, and William Van Den Burg, cello, gave a chamber music concert in the Fortnightly series on November 23.
37Russian artists gave a program of their folksong music and dances at a Russian tea given by the Pacific Musical Society at the Fairmont Hotel.
39Helen Schneider, pianist, a protege of Hugo Mansfeldt and former president of the Mansfeldt Club, was the soloist at the California Theater's Sunday morning concert.
41A large and demonstrative audience greeted four artist-pupils of Henrietta and Charles Warriner at their first San Francisco recital in the St. Francis Hotel. The fact that they have been requested to repeat the program proves the success of the recital.
43C. H. A.
45LOS ANGELES, CAL.
47LOS ANGELES, CAL.—The Ellis Club opened its thirty-eighth year before a large audience at the Philharmonic Auditorium, November 4, under Director J. B. Poulin. It was assisted by the Madrigal Quartet from the Women's Lyric Club and Tandler's Little Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Henion Robinson, as in previous years, is the accompanist and three of her compositions were featured.
49Helena Lewyn, pianist, and Sol Cohen, violinist, gave the first of three sonata recitals at the Friday Morning Club House, November 5.
51Marie Louise Caselotti was soloist at the Russian Arts Program, November 4.
53The Ambassador Sextet, under Joseph Rosenfeld, gave an excellent program on November 8.
55The Hollywood Opera Reading Club met on November 1 and presented Natoma, Dr. Frank Nagel directing.
57The St. Cecelia Club met with Mrs. Jaquitti, November 2, at the Hotel Leighton.
59Josephine Dix Compton gave a song recital at the Ambassador, November 8, assisted by Claude Williams, pianist.
61Selwyn Harris, tenor, was soloist at the municipal concert at Westlake Park, November 1.
63Marion Walters, violinist, of the faculty of the Davis College of Music, recently presented her pupils in recital.
65Olga Steeb presented her piano pupil, Eunice Abernethy Downey, in recital in the Ebell Club Auditorium, November 9. November 12, she presented Elizabeth and Frances Copeland at the same place in a two-piano recital.
67B. L. H.
69Norman Jollif Reengaged
71Among his appearances during the holiday season, Norman Jollif is filling three reengagements. On December 9 he was soloist for the Metropolitan Choral Society of New York and on December 13 he sang The Messiah in New Britain, Conn. Four days later he goes to Reading, Pa., to sing works by Bach, Wagner, Dvorak and Saint-Saens with the Choral Society of that city under the leadership of N. Lindsay Norden. Last May Mr. Jollif sang Faust in Hartford, Conn., and the Times of that city said: "Honors of the evening went to Norman Jollif, whose work stamped him as one of the best singers on the American concert stage." As a result of that success he has been engaged for The Messiah on January 5. The following week he appears at a musicale in the Hotel Plaza, New York City.
73NORMAN JOLLIF.
75Perfield Sight Singing Course
77The aim of the sight singing and musicianship course for professionals and students which is being given by Effa Ellis Perfield at her New York studios, is to unfold musical feeling and rhythm, to teach musical sight reading, to co-ordinate rhythm, time, pulse and tempo, and to develop valuable musicianship work.
79The presentation of the course is based on a principle, the application of which makes recall and forefeeling possible and co-ordinates rhythm with melody. The course includes: Rhythmic reading and rhythmic dictation, melodic reading and melodic dictation, harmonic reading and harmonic dictation, inner hearing, silent singing, audible reproduction, part singing, coordinating song with its accompaniment and with conductor's beat; coordinating rhythm, time, pulse, tempo; composite rhythms; syncopation, and added accents; agogics.
81In a recent talk on the Co-ordination of Musical Feeling and Reasoning Mrs. Perfield said in part: "True sight reading of music, like sight reading of language, interprets during the process. The final reproduction is dependent upon the fundamental recall and forefeeling. Accurate recall and reproduction of music is absolutely necessary; one note cannot be changed. Accurate recall of language should be cultivated in order to strengthen its true interpretation.
83"Why does one read a moving picture caption twice, and even three times to get its meaning? Because only the eye functions and the accurate recall and forefeeling through the ear fails.
85"Why is it often true that a person with absolute pitch lacks musical feeling? Because only the ear functions, there is no recall and forefeeling of sequences. Hence the need of coordinating ear with eye, and cultivating recall and forefeeling. The working basis for all sight reading must be true as to feeling and reasoning. Sight singing based on the feeling of tones in chords. The recall and forefeeling of sequences is true. It is fundamental and final. It is musical!
87"Rhythm and melody are inseparable in musical sight singing. If greater importance could be given to one it would be given to rhythm. Without rhythm recall and forefeeling are impossible. The greatest disaster that can happen to melody is to sing 'on the beat' without rhythm. The process of singing has destroyed rhythm. The process of singing by 'do-re-mi' intervals and numbers has destroyed melody. Both processes have deadened the ear."
89There will be day and evening classes. A guest card may be had by applying to Mrs. Perfield.
91Van Hoogstraten Triumphs in New Post
93That Willem Van Hoogstraten is making a great success of his new post as conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra is evident from the splendid press tributes he received following the first concert on November 9. According to the Portland Telegram, "As a conductor, Mr. Van Hoogstraten leaves nothing to be desired. He has brought his art of conducting to a point of perfection that is extremely rare. He has personal magnetism, a complete and sympathetic understanding of music, and that ability to bring out the best in the musicians under his direction that is one of the first and most essential requisites of a conductor. He is at all times master of all the orchestra's voices." The critic of the Portland News stated: "Mr. Van Hoogstraten not only irrevocably won the hearts of Portland, but produced and conducted the most dazzling and brilliant orchestral program that local music lovers have ever heard. No cultural center of the country could excel the performance of Monday evening (November 9) at the auditorium." Equally enthusiastic was the Morning Oregonian, stating in part: "In artistry, in musicianship, in the metropolitan quality of the entertainment and in the unmistakable manner in which Mr. Van Hoogstraten was received the concert was a triumph for all concerned. Never within memory of the city's music patrons has a conductor in Portland been so unequivocally liked." Among other things the Oregon Journal said: "At the close, after the last chord of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony had been struck, the demonstration became tumultuous with shouts of 'bravo.'"
95Gunster Delights Mercedes, Tex.
97When Frederick Gunster appeared in Mercedes, Texas, on October 20, the News Item commented: "Mr. Gunster is an American singer of whom America is justly proud. His crystal enunciation and luscious quality and charm of his voice make it possible for him to sway the audience to his mood."
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