Books › Musical Courier 1926-03-11: Vol 92 Iss 10, 1926 › scan 45
Scan 45
Musical Courier 1926-03-11: Vol 92 Iss 10, 1926
85 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 46. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSICAL COURIER
2March 11, 1926
4MUSIC ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE
6SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
7The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Alfred Hertz, conductor, and Margaret Matzenauer, soloist, shared honors in the all-Wagner program which attracted to the Civic Auditorium, February 10, the usual audience of about 10,000. This was the fourth event in the series of "Pop" concerts sponsored by our municipal government. That the musical public of San Francisco has come to actually love the Wagnerian scores is due to Alfred Hertz who has given each season a concert devoted entirely to this master's works and has helped his audiences to fully comprehend and appreciate Wagnerian music. Again Mr. Hertz lived up to his reputation of being a splendid interpreter of Wagner. With his whole-hearted energy, impressive taste, precision and authority, he succeeded in getting everything out of the scores. Each selection was conducted masterly and played by the efficient musicians with rhythmic sweep and an opulence and beauty of tone. Margaret Matzenauer was heard in excerpts from Tristan und Isolde and the Nibelungen Ring. She met the requirements of the Wagnerian music with perfect assurance and facility. Her hearers were thrilled by her warm, luscious and dramatic voice. Her narration of each episode was an outpour of human expression. Mme. Matzenauer was deserving of the fervent applause extended her.
9Patrons of the Symphony Orchestra had no reason to complain of the lack of variety in the ninth pair of symphony concerts, given under the vigorous baton of Alfred Hertz in the Curran Theater, February 12 and 14. Received with marked enthusiasm were the Bach-Wood suite for orchestra, No. 6; Saint-Saens The Deluge, wherein the solo portions were excellently played by concertmaster Mishel Piastro; and Moussorgsky's Fantasia A Night on Bald Mountain. However, it was the symphony, the Tchaikowsky No. 4, that delighted to the greatest extent. Hertz interpreted it with his musical and dramatic insight and the orchestra played with brilliancy. Each number was given a superb rendition by both orchestra and conductor.
11Beniamino Gigli, whom Selby C. Oppenheimer presented in recital on February 14, delighted an audience that filled the Civic Auditorium to capacity. Mr. Gigli's clear, ringing voice, with its sweetness and freshness, was heard to distinct advantage. He sang operatic excerpts with deep emotion and tenderness, while the interpretations of his songs never departed from the canons of genuine musical taste. Mr. Gigli certainly scored a hit for he brought to the recital stage not only a splendid art but a manner of engaging charm. Assisting Mr. Gigli was Rosa Low, lyric soprano, blessed with a voice of pleasing quality which she used with discretion. Vito Carnevali, at the piano, added much to the concert.
13On February 3, Marguerite Melville Liszniewska, American pianist, who is at present in this city conducting a master class, gave a concert in Scottish Rite Hall which enabled her large audience of admirers to judge her in the dual capacity of interpreter and composer. She played Schumann and Debussy, the former, especially, being interpreted with the highest expression of musical feeling. Mme. Liszniewska's own compositions included a sonata for violin and piano in which she had the splendid assistance of Mishel Piastro, and a piano quintet with Messrs. Piastro, Bolotine, Fenster and Penha as the quartet.
15At the Century Club, February 3, Ursula Greville, English soprano, and Lawrence Strauss, California tenor, gave a song recital. Miss Greville won approval for the charming manner in which she sang compositions of the British musicians. Mr. Strauss interpreted English and French songs with marked individuality and taste. The accompaniments provided by Theresa Ehrman Bauer were beautiful.
17Gertrude Weidemann, lyric-dramatic soprano, gave a recital in Scottish Rite Hall, February 4, under the direction of the Elwyn Concert Bureau. Miss Weidemann had the assistance of Benjamin S. Moore at the piano. The singer programmed songs ranging from the early Italian classics to the ultra modern school and included several operatic arias. It was in the German lieder that Miss Weidemann appeared at her best. In Brahms, Schubert, Schumann and Strauss she displayed not only a voice of beauty and power but a thorough knowledge of her music and a keen dramatic sense.
19After an absence of about a year, Isa Kremer, the international balladist, returned to San Francisco where, in the Columbia Theater, on February 7, she gave one of her inimitable recitals. This event, through arrangements with Manager Selby C. Oppenheimer, was for the benefit of the Expansion Fund of the San Francisco Section of the Council of Jewish Women. Mme. Kremer has beauty and personality and through her unusual versatility she interested and fascinated her audience. She had the assistance at the piano of Leon Rosenbloom.
21A large and appreciative audience heard Marcel Grandjany, French harpist, when he made his only San Francisco appearance in the Hotel St. Francis, February 8, as one of the feature attractions in Ida G. Scott's series of Fortnightly Concerts.
23An Hour of Music was presented in the Auditorium of The Emporium, February 9. A diversified and interesting program was rendered by William Laraia, violinist; Elsie Cook Laraia, pianist, and Marion Brower, soprano, with Kathryn Cupid as accompanist.
25The second San Francisco appearance of Paul Leyssac and Dwight Fiske took place at the Hotel St. Francis, February 9. They were assisted by William Gwin, Jr., tenor, and gave an entirely new program. Alice Seckels arranged the concert.
27The death of Augusta Hayden, who passed away at her home after a brief illness, came as a shock to her many friends and admirers. Mrs. Hayden enjoyed more than the usual popularity in music circles of the bay district where on many occasions her lovely soprano voice and personality brought pleasure to all who heard her.
29Vivienne Wall, interpretive dancer; Kathryn Goggin Cupid, pianist, and Mildred Wright, violinist, gave a recital at the Seven Arts Club.
31Victor Lichtenstein discussed the works of J. S. Bach at his ninth Informal Talk on Music and Musicians. Tchaikowsky and his fourth symphony also was analyzed.
33Mrs. Wm. Henry Banks, former president of the Pacific Musical Society, pianist and teacher, has moved into her new residence studio.
35Rose Relda Cailleau gave a delightful studio recital recently presenting several artist pupils.
37On February 13, the Junior Auxiliary of the Pacific Musical Society celebrated St. Valentine's Day with a lovely program in the Hotel Fairmont. Mrs. Horatio F. Stoll is chairman of this section of the society.
39The Hour of Music Society gave one of its enjoyable concerts on December 4 at the home of Mrs. E. R. Dimond. The soloists were Lina Palughi, coloratura soprano, and Noah Steinberg, pianist.
41C. H. A.
43LOS ANGELES, CAL.
44Los Angeles, Cal.—The eighth pair of symphony orchestra concerts took place on January 29 and 30 at the Philharmonic Auditorium, directed by Conductor Walter Henry Rothwell. The program opened with the Mozart Serenade (Haffner) No. 7, played for the first time at these concerts. The Darius Milhaud Serenade for the orchestra, in three parts, followed, also a premier—the first time it has been played in Los Angeles. The last half of the program was occupied by the soloist of the day, Mischa Levitzki, pianist, who played splendidly the Beethoven concerto, No. 3, C minor, op. 37, heard for the first time at these concerts and having a cadenza interpolated by the pianist. He received such an ovation that a suspension of the "no encore" rule of the orchestra concerts was necessary, and he played a Chopin Polonaise.
46The San Carlo Opera Company, which has been holding the boards of the Philharmonic, was obliged to make way for the Philharmonic Orchestra and produced its Saturday evening bill, Aida, at the Shrine Auditorium with the full company. This inaugurated the Shrine Auditorium as an opera house. Clara Jacobo, Rhea Toniolo, Salazar, Ghirardini, De Biasi, Cervi, Schalker and Curci presented a fine performance. The chorus was augmented by the chorus of the Los Angeles Opera Company as the stage is immense.
48The eighth popular orchestra concert, given February 7 by the Philharmonic Orchestra, had M. Elly Ney, pianist, as soloist, playing The Tschaikowsky piano concerto No. 1, in B minor, op. 23. She received a tremendous ovation and responded with two encores. The orchestra played the overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Mozart; and two Strauss numbers, The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel and the Beautiful Blue Danube.
50The third and last week of the San Carlo Opera Company's local engagement included Rigoletto, Cavalleria and Pagliacci, Thais, Faust, Carmen, Butterfly, Lohengrin and Trovatore.
52Margaret Matzenauer, contralto, presented by L. E. Behymer, at the Philharmonic Auditorium, February 8, was greeted with enthusiastic applause when she stepped on the stage. She gave a well balanced program which grew in interest as it displayed the art of the singer.
54The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart's comic opera, was presented at the Philharmonic Auditorium, February 9, by the Hinshaw Company, to a large and enthusiastic audience.
56Adolph Tandler's Little Symphony Orchestra gave a pair of concerts at the Biltmore, at which Alfred Brain played a concerto for the French horn by Mozart, which showed him to be a splendid artist. Ruth Reynolds, a young singer, was also warmly received. Calmon Luboviski played soli for the violin with his usual artistry in the Elgar suite.
58Ursula Greville, English lecturer, writer and singer, gave a lecture recital at the Hollywood Woman's Club, February 10, before a large audience; after which Mrs. J. J. Carter gave a luncheon in her honor to about sixty people among whom were Elly Ney, Marguerite Melville Liszniewska and others.
60Paul Kochanski, violinist, appeared at the Philharmonic Auditorium, February 11, repeating his success of two seasons ago.
62Henri Deering, American pianist, held his audience spellbound in a capacity house at the Biltmore Music Room recently.
64Waino Sola, Finnish opera singer, gave a delightful concert at the Hollywood Conservatory of Music. Mr. Sola is a tenor of attainment. His son Pentti Sola furnished two soli and played the accompaniments.
66The Woman's Lyric Club gave its second concert of the season under the direction of J. B. Poulin, at the Philharmonic Auditorium, February 10. The chorus shows constantly improving work and Poulin produced some fine effects. Mrs. Henion Robinson was accompanist. Toska Tolces, pianist, Harold Proctor, tenor, and Cornelia Glover, soprano, were soloists.
68Clifford Lott, baritone, with Mrs. Lott at the piano, gave the program at the Gamut Theater, February 13, in the children's artist series under the management of Kathryn Cooke.
70The Glendale Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of J. Arthur Myers, gave the first of five concerts at the Tuesday Afternoon Club House, with every seat filled. The program was exceptionally well rendered considering the youth of the orchestra, it having been organized recently. Vernice Brand, contralto of Los Angeles, was soloist.
72Raymond Brite is announced as business manager for the Hollywood bowl the coming season.
74The management of the MacGroarty Mission Play has been taken over by L. E. Behymer, who will conduct its future activities.
76After a vacation of one year L. E. Behymer has again been elected President of the Gamut Club. B. L. H.
78Edwin Hughes' Programs
79Although Edwin Hughes has been for years a staunch champion of the American composer and seldom plays a recital without including one or more American numbers on his program, he has not neglected to present at his concerts the greatest masterpieces of classical pianoforte literature.
81Besides the Appassionata Sonata of Beethoven which he will play at his Aeolian Hall recital of March 16, he has in recent seasons performed in New York the Waldstein sonata, also the op. 109 and op. 31, No. 3, in addition to the following and other larger works: Liszt B minor sonata, Schumann F sharp minor sonata and Carnival, Chopin sonatas in B minor and B flat minor (both these on one program in conjunction with the F minor fantasia and other Chopin numbers), the Brahms-Handel variations and fugue, the Bach-Busoni chaccone, the Grieg ballade, op. 24, and the Saint-Saens G minor concerto, playing the last named composition at one of the subscription concerts of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
83Sesquicentennial Celebration Organists
84Henry S. Fry, organist of St. Clement's Church, Philadelphia, is chairman, and he, with Messrs. John M. E. Ward, Rollo F. Maitland, Frederick Maxson and S. Wesley Sears, all of Philadelphia, have drawn the plans for the $150,000 organ to be installed at the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial, where daily recitals will be given from June 1 to December 1, of this year. It is unique in that it has been wholly designed by organists, all the foregoing being among the most distinguished in the country. Among leading organists of America who have been invited to play during the celebration are: Clarence Eddy, Lynnwood Farnam, Clarence Dickinson, Dr. Alexander Russell, Firmin Swinnen, Edwin A. Kraft, Palmer Christian, Charles M. Courboin, John H. Loud, Ralph Kinder, George A. West, Walter S. Knodle, Frederick W. Riesberg, Dr. Wm. C. Carl, W. I. Nevins, and the members of the organ committee named above.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.