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Musical Courier 1926-03-11: Vol 92 Iss 10, 1926
71 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 5. See the scan on archive.org.
1HONEGGER'S OPERA, JUDITH, HAS ITS WORLD-PREMIERE AT MONTE CARLO
3An Interesting Dramatic Style—Faust's Popularity—Heifetz Acclaimed in Concert
5MONTE CARLO.—The first performance anywhere of the first opera of Arthur Honegger, most independent of the younger generation of French composers, has been given here under the composer's own direction, constituting probably the most important musical event of the Monte Carlo season. Thus far Honegger, well known as the composer of Horace Victorieux, and the irresistible Pacific 231, had written only chamber and orchestral music, and oratorios (his King David having been heard in New York this winter). He was persuaded to enter the field of opera when his friend and collaborator, René Morax, the author of the text of King David, submitted to him his biblical drama, Judith, at the behest of Raoul Gunsbourg, director of the Monte Carlo Opera, who wanted a work by Honegger.
7Thus the event is of importance chiefly as an operatic experiment on the part of a composer not primarily dramatic. If he has not wholly succeeded in acclimatizing himself to this new artistic region, he has at any rate, approached it in his own personal way, and has contributed a score that is astonishing and altogether superior in its conception.
9He has applied his own method of musical expression seeking above all to arrive at the absolute dramatic truth, especially in his declamation, in which the plasticity of the word itself is not overlooked. Judith, then, is peculiar for its style of declamation, supported by and supporting the action, expanding into lyrical scenes which are of sufficiently formal substance both as solo passages and choruses. Should one reproach him for not having included a few really melodic pages capable of touching our most tender spots and so reaching our emotions?
11The text of Judith faithfully follows the Bible story, which M. Morax has condensed into compact and rapid action. Judith leaves Bethulia amid the loud lamentations of the people, and goes to the camp of Holofernes, the implacable enemy of her race, in order to soften his heart. Far from yielding, Holofernes swears he will burn Bethulia and slaughter its people, keeping the fair Judith for his own joy. But when, drunk, he rolls at her feet, she cuts off his head, carrying it back as a trophy to Bethulia. In the midst of her people celebrating their victory she gives her life to God—in order to forget her shame.
13The best pages of the score are the short prelude to Act I, followed by the plaint of the women of Bethulia, Pitié de nous, Seigneur!, which is full of local color, and the theme of which runs through the whole drama; then the moving prayer of Judith, Seigneur Dieu de mes Péres, which returns in another form in the third tableau. In the second tableau there is the brilliant echo of the trumpets preceding the arrival of Judith at the well, and the lovely plaint of the Slave, and in the third the chorus of Holofernes' warriors, and the ardent duet of Judith and Holofernes.
15Finally, the fourth tableau is preceded by a poignant orchestral prelude, followed later by her great aria with chorus, a tumultuous molto agitato, which depicts the battle of deliverance, and the triumphant Hosannah. The last fine bits are Judith's soliloquy before the head of Holofernes, and her supreme remorse, preceded by this chorus accompanying the dances. A peculiarity of the score is that there is no tenor, for neither the role of Holofernes nor that of Osiras are suited to this kind of voice.
17The interpretation of this original work was excellent, the chief rôles being taken by Madame Bonavia of the Paris Opera (Judith), Mme. Dubois-Lauger (Judith's maid), Tilkin-Servais baritone of the Brussels Monnaie (Holofernes) and the excellent basso, Lafont, who gave great dignity to the character of Osiras. The choruses, most important in this opera, were brilliantly executed, thanks to the training of M. de Sabata.
19The orchestra, under Honegger, was magnificent, and at the end of the performance, attended by the Prince of Monaco, the composer was the object of a genuine ovation.
21About the same time as the première of Judith, the Monte Carlo Opera revived Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, which has recently had a great success in Paris. For the rest, the season is proceeding auspiciously. Gounod's Faust, among all the operas given, has made the record for success and for box office receipts. In this opera, Mme. Yvonne Gall, who previously appeared as Manon, sang Marguerite, being enthusiastically acclaimed. Vanni Marcoux made his return to Monte Carlo as Mephistopheles, and the tenor, Friant, justly shared the success of these colleagues.
23The outstanding artistic success has been Boris Godounoff, with Vanni Marcoux in the title part, and a charming singer, Marisa Ferrer, as Marina, and with the dancers of the Russian Ballet in the famous Polonaise of Act III. Visconti's scenery was richly original and the orchestra and chorus, under de Sabata, outdid themselves.
25HEIFETZ ACCLAIMED
27In the eleventh and twelfth Concerts Classiques two prodigious technicians have presented themselves as soloists, José Iturbi and Jascha Heifetz. The former made a great success in Beethoven's C minor piano concerto, which he delivered in excellent style and with exceptional expression, and in Liszt's Hungarian Fantasy with orchestra, which gave him an opportunity of showing his extraordinary brilliance. Heifetz played the Symphonie Espagnole of Lalo and the Mendelssohn concerto, being duly acclaimed by an international public, and also gave a recital to a capacity audience. Both the symphony concerts were conducted by Léon Jehin.
29As regards chamber music, the visit of the Pro Arte Quartet of Brussels has been the outstanding recent event.
31SEBASTIEN JASPARD.
33GERMAINE SCHNITZER,
34the French pianist, who is at present on her third consecutive tour in California, where she is fulfilling fifteen engagements in thirty-two days. She will concertize again next season in the United States, thirty-two dates already having been booked. Miss Schnitzer has been requested to take over Lhevinne's master class at the Master School of Musical Arts of San Francisco during the coming summer.
36Eight Weeks of Opera for Cincinnati
38Clarence Cramer, Chicago manager of musical artists, announces an eight weeks' season of grand opera at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens under his management. Beginning June 20 and running through to August 14, two operas will be given weekly—alternating every other night; symphony concerts with soloists every afternoon, including Sunday, and special ballet performances every Saturday night. Isaac Van Grove, well known since his connection with the Chicago Opera, will be musical director and there will be assistant conductors to be announced later. The stage director will be Alexander Puglia, for many years with the Cincinnati Zoo Opera and formerly with the Philadelphia Civic Opera.
40No artists are as yet announced, but in the course of a few weeks when all contracts are closed, the names will be published. It is Mr. Cramer's policy to use artists under his own management, some from the Chicago and Metropolitan opera companies and also from other management. There will be a ballet corps coached by Pavley and Oukrainsky, a chorus made up of some twenty-four members of the Chicago Opera chorus augmented by about fifteen or more local choristers drawn from among the Cincinnati conservatory's best students, and an orchestra made up of from forty to forty-five members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
42It is Mr. Cramer's intention to present the following repertory: Tannhauser, Traviata, Martha, Tosca, Van Grove's Music Robber, Maestro di Capella, L'Elisir d'Amore, Butterfly, Carmen, Lucia, Rigoletto, Aida, Lohengrin, Faust and the oratorio, Elijah, in opera form. The season is underwritten by the same people who guarantee the Cincinnati Zoo season and will be operated on a budget basis. J. C.
44TWO MORE NOVELTIES AT THE METROPOLITAN
46Manuel de Falla's Two-Act Opera, La Vida Breve, Is Followed by Stravinsky's One-Act Fairy Opera, Le Rossignol—Scenery of Both Gorgeous But Neither Opera a Great Success—Stravinsky's Work Far Superior—Bori the Shining Light in the Former and Marion Talley the Principal Star in the Latter
48Two more of Mr. Gatti's novelties for the season (there is only one still to follow, Massenet's Don Quixote, with Chaliapin) were shown to the public for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoon, March 6—Manuel de Falla's two-act opera, La Vida Breve, followed by Stravinsky's one-act fairy opera, Le Rossignol.
50The music of the latter work was in part known here through repeated performances of the orchestral suite which the composer himself made. The story, prepared by Stravinsky and S. Mitousoff, is from one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales. The Emperor of China has heard of the fame of a certain nightingale, and has it brought to him. The bird sings to the Emperor's entire satisfaction, in fact he is moved to tears; but envoys of the Japanese emperor approach with a gift of a mechanical nightingale. The real nightingale flies away in jealousy. The angry emperor banishes him, and raises the false nightingale to a place of honor. The emperor falls ill; death is at his side. Then appears the real nightingale and sings so eloquently of the attractions of the church-yard that death grows home-sick and leaves the emperor. The courtiers, entering in mourning to bemoan their dead emperor, are greeted by a cheery good morning.
52This story is divided into three scenes. First there is the tableau of the fisherman, who is a sort of Greek chorus to the play. He rhapsodizes the nightingale, who proves how correct he is by some specimen singing. The first scene, on the edge of the forest, is the most effective in the opera. The cook, chamberlain and the bozne are in search of the nightingale for the emperor. The chamberlain mistakes a lamb for the nightingale; then he mistakes frogs for the nightingale—but you can't fool the cook. The second scene is in the throne room of the palace, the third in the bedroom of the emperor. The scenery itself is gorgeous in the extreme. Serge Soudeikine designed and painted it, and is also responsible for the magnificent costumes in the palace. The stage is simply a riot of color. The one objection is that there is so much detail in the scene painting that the eye has no point on which to rest, though Mr. Soudeikine followed authentic Chinese models. The picture of the fisherman in a little boat on a moonlit lake is enchanting.
54THE MUSIC
56Tullio Serafin conducted, and the orchestra did full justice to the difficult score. The overture, discarded from Moussorgsky and Debussy, is uninteresting, but in the fisherman's little prologue Stravinsky treats himself to much more melody than he has in later years. The music of the first scene is delightfully humorous. The one trouble is that, as the opera progresses, the music becomes less and less interesting. However, the whole performance takes less than fifty minutes, and the splendor of the stage keeps the attention when the music lags.
58Marion Talley, seated in the orchestra, sang the voice of the nightingale. It was the best singing she has done at the Metro. (Continued on page 45)
60Klemperer Reengaged by Symphony Society
62Otto Klemperer has been reengaged by the New York Symphony Society as guest conductor for next season. His return visit is scheduled for January 3 to March 6, 1927. During the first half of the season Walter Damrosch will direct the orchestra. It is not yet announced who will conduct the last five weeks of the season.
64Death of Emilie Frances Bauer
66Emilie Frances Bauer, writer on music, for many years New York representative of the Musical Leader, Chicago, died suddenly at her home in the night between March 8 and 9. She had been seriously ill for some time, but was expected to recover. Marion Bauer, composer, is her sister.
68Lindsborg Festival Announced
70The Lindsborg Festival is scheduled to take place from March 28 to April 4 this year, and announces many interesting events and artists on its program. Claire Dux, Dusolina Giannini, Flonzaley Quartet, and others are to be heard and there will be contests in all branches of music.
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