Books › Musical Courier 1926-02-04: Vol 92 Iss 5, 1926 › scan 32
Scan 32
Musical Courier 1926-02-04: Vol 92 Iss 5, 1926
107 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 33. 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.
1February 4, 1926
3MUSICAL COURIER
5Answers to letters received in this department are published as promptly as possible. The large number of inquiries and the limitation of space are responsible for any delay. The letters are answered serially.
7AN INFANT PRODIGY
9"Was there a musician, Edward Jerome Hopkins, who was called an infant prodigy? He was an American, from one of the New England states I think, but I have not been able to find out much about him. Did he compose any music? Thank you for any information you can give me."
11Edward Jerome Hopkins, who was born in Burlington, Vt., in 1836, may not have been called an infant prodigy, though he was apparently entitled to that distinction for he had a regular position as organist when but ten years of age. All the musical education he had consisted of was six lessons in harmony, but he began composing music when fourteen. He was a pupil at the University of Vermont and studied chemistry at the N. Y. Medical College for three years. From his twentieth year he devoted himself entirely to music. He played in various New York churches as late as 1869. He was active in music and founded The American Music Association, 1856, for the performing of native works. He founded the New York Orpheus Free Schools; edited the N. Y. Philharmonic Journal; originated the popular lecture-concerts; made many tours in the U. S., and also in England, and was indefatigable as a composer. He composed over 700 works, few of which are published. He died in 1898.
13SUBSCRIPTION TICKET
15"I have a subscription ticket to the opera this winter, as I usually do, and it is a pleasure to me to say that of all the seasons that I have attended opera at the Metropolitan Opera House, this season is the most satisfactory. Care appears to have been taken that all subscribers, large or small, should hear many of the best artists and also hear the novelties. It makes me feel proud of our city to have such splendid performances given as have taken place this year."
17You are not the only subscriber to the opera who has expressed these sentiments. Another subscriber, with one weekly ticket, is so impressed with the "feast" that is being given this year, that he usually buys a ticket for at least one more performance during the week, and often attends two extra performances. The first half of the season has gone so well that it looks as if the second half, with the brilliant opening, would be just as satisfactory.
19Regneas Artists in Public Eye
21Nevada Van der Veer, who gave her annual song recital at Carnegie Hall, January 22, and three vocal soloists at the Friday Noon Hour of Music at the Brick Church, New York, have had long association with the Joseph Regneas studios. For that matter, this might be said of many of the leading concert, oratorio and church soloists of the United States.
23BERLIN
25(Continued from page 7)
27impression of the performance was—alas!—provincial. A mediocre cast of singers, scenic decorations of questionable taste, evident lack of rehearsals and consequently an unconvincing rendering without finish—a result all the more regrettable as this opera treats a genuine Berlinese story, taken by Busoni from a novel of E. T. A. Hoffmann, the great romanticist.
29This opera was ill-fated from the start. The première in Hamburg in 1912, conducted by Gustav Brecher, failed to give an adequate idea of its weird, fantastic spirit. A repetition in Mannheim under Bodanzky's leadership was excellent in the orchestral part, but spoiled by careless stage management. Fritz Zweig was the conductor of the Berlin performance. He is a good musician, but is evidently not conversant with Busoni's peculiar spirituality, and thus for the third time a score was ruined by misunderstanding its spirit and its subtlety. Brautwahl opens the way to the mysteries of Busoni's Faust, in which the sum total of his art and his philosophy is contained. No use entering into details about this unfortunate affair, which will not add much to the glory of the young Municipal Opera.
31A FEAST FOR FOGIES
33Furtwängler's last Philharmonic concert was of the kind which delights the public and bores the critics of hyper-modern tendency. Beethoven, Bach and Brahms adorned the program. Moreover, Furtwängler himself played the Bach concerto in G minor, at the same time conducting from the piano. He played enchantingly, said the public. His Bach was feminine, without vigor and accent, said the critics. There was the same antagonism of opinion as regards the rendering of Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 2 and of Brahms' F major symphony. Not belonging to the hypermodern clique of critics, I had a very enjoyable evening, recognizing the fact that there is no such thing as a "patented" manner of playing a masterpiece correctly, and that music is a tolerant mistress to her favorites.
35Robert Heger, conductor of the Vienna Opera, offered an interesting orchestral program, which proved his excellent musicianship and his accomplished talents as an orchestral leader. Hermann Hans Wetzel's Assisi (which was crowned with a prize in America, if I am rightly informed) was heard for the first time in Berlin on this occasion. This musical illustration of the life of the great saint claims respect and even admiration for its musicianly qualities, its symphonic art, its masterly treatment of the orchestra, its wealth of different moods expressed with so much taste. A little something, however, is lacking, which prevents me from placing it into the very first rank of contemporary productions. Is it a little too reminiscent of the music of yesterday? Lubka Kolessa played the Schumann concerto, again evincing those brilliant pianistic talents which made her quite famous in a short time.
37Emil Bohnke's reputation as orchestral conductor is constantly growing. In his last concert he gave a very vigorous and effective rendering of Strauss' Heldenleben. Arthur Schnabel played the Brahms D minor concerto in a truly monumental style, with pianistic art of the very highest order. A new comedy overture of Adolf Busch, brought out at this concert, can hardly be called a very joyous affair, lacking, as it does, both grace and lightness.
39A FINE HANDEL SINGER
41Lotte Leonard, generally considered the best oratorio soprano in Germany, and Wilhelm Guttmann, a favorite of the Berlin public and one of the most intelligent and versatile of singers, gave a joint recital, singing delightful arias and duets by old masters. A most enjoyable concert! Frau Leonard's singing of Handel's eminently difficult and protracted Lucrezia cantata is indeed an event.
43Dr. Hugo Leichtentritt.
45NEW YORK CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS
47FEBRUARY 4—New York Symphony Orchestra, afternoon, Carnegie Hall; Boston Symphony Orchestra, evening, Carnegie Hall; American Orchestral Society, evening, Town Hall; Marie Fromm, piano recital, evening, Chickering Hall.
49FEBRUARY 5—New York Symphony Orchestra, evening, Carnegie Hall; Boston Symphony Orchestra, afternoon, Carnegie Hall; Philharmonic Orchestra, morning and afternoon, Aeolian Hall; Mme. Charles Cahier, song recital, evening, Aeolian Hall; Florizel von Reuter, violin recital, afternoon, Town Hall; Metropolitan District Associated Glee Clubs, evening, Seventy-first Regiment Armory; Joseph Gingold, violin recital, evening, Carnegie Chamber Music Hall.
51FEBRUARY 7—Philharmonic Orchestra, afternoon, Carnegie Hall; Cyrena Van Gordon, song recital, afternoon, Aeolian Hall; Society of the Friends of Music, afternoon, Town Hall; New York Symphony Orchestra, afternoon, Meece Auditorium; Rita Sebas: tian, song recital, evening, Princess Theater.
53FEBRUARY 8—Washington Heights Musical Club, evening, Carnegie Hall; Walter Gieseking, piano recital, evening, Aeolian Hall; Bessie Benjamini, song recital, evening, Town Hall.
55FEBRUARY 9—Raymond Keen, song recital, afternoon, Aeolian Hall; Dorsey Whittington, piano recital, evening, Aeolian Hall; Frieda Hempel, song recital, evening, Carnegie Hall. one of two readings
56FEBRUARY 9—Raymond Kessler, song recital, afternoon, Aeolian Hall; Dorsey Whittington, piano recital, evening, Aeolian Hall; Frieda Hempel, song recital, evening, Carnegie Hall. one of two readings
58FEBRUARY 10—Elizabeth Day, song recital, evening, Aeolian Hall; Lida Born, piano recital, evening, Town Hall.
60FEBRUARY 12—Philharmonic Orchestra, afternoon, Carnegie Hall; Oratorio Society (The Elijah), evening, Carnegie Hall; Elishuco Trio, evening, Aeolian Hall.
62FEBRUARY 13—New York Symphony Orchestra, afternoon, Carnegie Hall; Philharmonic Orchestra, evening, Carnegie Hall; Guinmar Novas, piano recital, afternoon, Aeolian Hall; Albertina Babst, song recital, evening, Aeolian Hall; Winifred Cornish, piano recital, afternoon, Carnegie Hall; International Composers' Guild, evening, Aeolian Hall; Jacques Thibaud, violin recital, afternoon, Town Hall; New York Symphony Orchestra, afternoon, Meece Auditorium.
64FEBRUARY 14—Beethoven Association, evening, Town Hall.
66FEBRUARY 16—Philadelphia Orchestra, evening, Carnegie Hall; Mischa Elman String Quartet, evening, Aeolian Hall; Rubenstein Club, evening, Waldorf-Astoria; Marguerite D'Alvarez and William Eddleman, piano, Hotel Astor.
68FEBRUARY 17—Leon Sampaix, piano recital, afternoon, Town Hall; Myra Mortimer, song recital, evening, Town Hall.
70GRAINGER
72AUDIENCES and ARTISTRY
74"Throng hears Grainger. One of the few pianists who succeed in filling a large concert hall."—New York Times.
76"Filled the huge auditorium with enthusiastic listeners, . . . accumulating a following to equal Hoffman's and deservedly."—New York Evening Post.
78"Capacity crowd; at least 500 persons were turned away."—Daily Tribune, Chicago, Ill.
80"Delights large and enthusiastic audience. This recital was one of the most delightful we have heard for many seasons."—Herald, Boston, Mass.
82"Ovation for Grainger as 9,000 join applause."—The Bulletin, San Francisco, Cal.
84"Over 1,500 attended this recital."—Daily News, St. Petersburg, Fla.
86"Great throng attends Grainger recital here. Every seat taken to hear artist and scores are turned away from auditorium."—News-Herald, Oil City, Pa.
88Next American Tour Opening January, 1927, Now Booking
90Columbia Records
91Mgt.: ANTONIA SAWYER, Inc.
93Steinway Piano
95Duo-Art Rolls
96White Plains, New York
98Photo by Morse, N. Y.
100"The Brahms sonata gives a pianist the opportunity for a thorough test of his powers, from the majestic first movement to the delicately whispered intermezzo, and Mr. Grainger passed every test with flying colors. There was never a pause in his clarity and brilliance of tone."—Evening Post, New York.
102"But the greatest revelation of the evening came in the large broad playing of the three pieces of Chopin. For once a closing piece furnished a true climax in all possible ways: musically, in brilliance and power, in performance. The A-flat major Polonaise was the piece. All the best of the Percy Grainger of the evening was in this piece, the gripping sense of rhythmic compulsion, the power to proceed to unheard-of climaxes, beauty of tone, in melodic divisions, directness and simplicity of interpretation throughout. No pianist hereabouts in recent years so magnified it. Here was an example of 'the greater Chopin' with greatness raised to the nth power."—Evening Transcript, Boston, Mass.
104"When he plays Liszt as he did last night, he is the one and only successor to Busoni."—Herald & Examiner, Chicago, Ill.
106"Gave a masterful interpretation of the works of Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Scott and Balakirew, his own compositions were no less appreciated than his rendition of the works of the old masters."—Evening Blizzard, Oil City, Pa.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.