Scan 9
Musical Courier 1926-04-22: Vol 92 Iss 16, 1926
73 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 10. See the scan on archive.org.
1CLEVELAND, OHIO
3CLEVELAND, OHIO.—An all-Bach program, offered by Harold Samuel at the Cleveland Institute of Music, brought out a large crowd of bona fide music lovers who reveled in the simple, exquisitely performed music of the great master. Mr. Samuel is a consummate artist and read into Bach such meanings as some of his auditors have never guessed, bringing out the fullest beauty and richness in his eloquent playing.
5The last "Pop" concert of the season at Masonic Hall by the Cleveland Orchestra took place with Nikolai Sokoloff conducting. Huddie Johnson, the soloist, chose as her vehicle Ernest Schelling's Suite Fantastique for piano and orchestra, a work never before heard in these parts and one that showed off composer, orchestra and soloist to a high degree. Little Miss Johnson, in spite of her naive and childish appearance, plays like an old timer and puts all the fire and competence of full maturity into her work. She is an artist of great promise; precise, capable, brilliant and possessing the proper amount of temperament to support her technical proficiency. Douglas Moore, Cleveland composer, was represented by his charming and fantastic Pageant of P. T. Barnum, a suite in five parts, known respectively as Boyhood in Bethel, Joyce Heth, General and Mrs. Tom Thumb, Jenny Lind and the Circus Parade. It is a clever, richly imaginative work, shot through with a delicate touch of humor, and should win for itself a permanent place in the concert hall. The remainder of the program was composed of the familiar Roi d'Ys overture by Lalo, the andante from the Beethoven fifth, Coppelia Waltz by Delibes, Liadoff's Enchanted Lake and the Pomp and Circumstance March by Elgar.
7Morris Gest led his troupe from the Moscow Art Theater Musical Studio Cleveland-wards, presenting five performances of Carmencita and the Soldier and three of Lysistrata at the Hanna theater here. Rarely has the city seen more enthusiastic audiences than the bands that gathered there to witness this magnificent spectacle. The artistic spirit of Vladimir Nemirovitch-Dantchenko, who came to Cleveland with them, dominated the production, and the city saw such miracles of staging, directing and acting as it had never imagined. Mme. Baklanova as Carmencita scored the triumph of the engagement, winning a veritable ovation. Musically, as well, the production was quite up to the standard, and altogether a high mark artistically, of the season.
9Carlos Salzedo, the harpist, shared honors at the pair of concerts given by the Cleveland Orchestra in Masonic Hall April 1 and 3 with Arthur Beckwith, concertmaster, who was making his last solo appearance before leaving the orchestra to return to his native England. The audience attested to his popularity by prolonged applause when he appeared on the stage, and delighted in his playing of the Phantasy for violin and orchestra by the English composer, Montague Phillips, which is dedicated to Mr. Beckwith. Mr. Salzedo appeared with the orchestra, playing the introduction and allegro for harp with string orchestra, flute and clarinet by Ravel, and in a group of pieces for solo harp, including Couperin's Sarabande, Giga by Corelli and two compositions by himself—Introspection and Whirlwind, both decidedly modernistic in their tendencies. Mr. Salzedo is an accomplished artist and most pleasing as a soloist. The orchestra, under Mr. Sokoloff's direction, played the Bach concerto No. 3, Brahms' variations on a theme by Haydn, and symphonic fragments from the Daphnis and Chloe Ballet by Ravel.
11E. C.
13Leo Dubson Entertains at Majestic
15Leo Dubson, the distinguished French miniature-painter exhibiting his miniatures in the Louis XVI gallery at the Hotel Majestic, entertained at tea on April 13, the guests including Feodor Chaliapin, Paul Kochanski, Efrem Zimbalist, Mischa Elman, Mischa Levitzki, Nanette Guilford, Louise Hunter, Henriette Wakefield and Rachel Garbat. A painting of Paganini in Prison, playing the Moise Fantaisie on the G string, is included in the exhibit at the Majestic.
17C. O'C. Quirke Receives Appreciative Letter
19Apropos of the recent successes of Milo Miloradovich, pupil of Conal O'C. Quirke in Europe, a very gratifying account of her success in Liege as Santuzza is contained in a letter of warmest congratulations personally addressed to Mr. Quirke by Francois Gaillard, director of the Royal Opera at Liege, Belgium, known as one of the most musically critical cities of Europe at the present time.
21Myra Mortimer Scores Success on Tour
23Myra Mortimer, American contralto, who scored a great success at her two New York recitals, invaded the West for a short concert tour, where she repeated her New York triumph, scoring one success after another. On March 4 she appeared in Denver; then she went to Portland, Ore., for a recital on March 8, following this with one in Tacoma on March 11, San Francisco on March 14, Los Angeles, April 1, and Chicago on April 6. Her success on the coast was remarkably pronounced. She sailed for Europe soon afterwards and will fill a number of concert engagements abroad.
25MONTE CARLO RESURRECTS GOUNOD'S JEANNE D'ARC
27MONTE CARLO.—In his search for novelties, M. Gunsbourg, director of the Monte Carlo Opera, has once again gone back to the past. He has resurrected Gounod's Jeanne d'Arc, originally only incidental music to Barbier's play, dating from Gounod's prolific London period. Later, after his return to France, the composer completed it as a musical drama in no less than seven parts. In this form it has now been performed for the first time in Monte Carlo.
29The scenic difficulties which have stood in the way of its performance hitherto, were overcome by virtue of modern lighting effects, which made it possible to preserve the continuity of the work, as well as its mystical atmosphere and its patriotic, devotional character. It was a bold experiment but wholly successful. The play of light and the grouping of figures against an entirely black background sufficed to evoke the various "scenes," and one of these, the wonderful indication of the interior of the cathedral, was one of the most remarkable effects ever seen on the stage.
31AUDIENCE BURSTS INTO MARSEILLAISE
33As for the score, it contains of course the magnificent choruses, the splendid funeral and triumphal marches, the romantic ballades redolent of the soil of France, which Gounod wrote for the play. Particularly worth mentioning is the chorus of fugitives, the duo of Jeanne's "voices"—of a wonderful seraphic purity, and the admirable ensemble, Dieu le veut. The enthusiasm roused by this last, in Monte Carlo, was such that the Marseillaise was spontaneously added in a burst of patriotic fervor.
35There is also the moving prayer of Jeanne, Dieu de miséricorde; her larghetto, Ah! sauvez mon pays; the scene of the consecration; and Jeanne's aria in prison, which are among the best pages of Gounod. There is also a Meditation for violin and orchestra—a precursor of that most popular member of the tribe, in Thais.
37Mlle. Bonavia, who recently created the role of Judith in Honegger's opera, gave an excellent impersonation of Jeanne, and scored a remarkable and increasing success. She was supported by a satisfactory and conscientious cast. The orchestra was directed by Léon Jéhin, and the chorus, trained by A de Sabata, did excellent work.
39AMERICAN OPERA REPEATED
41The Opéra has also remounted Crocker's Fay-Yen-Fah, one of last year's novelties, with Mlle. Vava Yakovleva in the title role, taking the place of Mme. Dalla Rizza, who, however, has scored a great success recently as Madame Butterfly, and also as the Girl of the Golden West, of which she is the ideal interpreter. In this opera Ulysses Lappas made a very good Dick Johnson.
43At the Sixteenth Classical Concert, M. Jéhin introduced a new work by Gustave Samazeuilh, a Symphonic Study after Elémir Bourges' La Nef. It is very modern in style, yet not devoid of pleasing motifs, at times imposing and not without éclat. The eighteenth concert of this series brought, as a novelty, Florent Schmitt's Rhapsodie Viennoise, in which a lovely Viennese waltz emerges from the din of the modern orchestra.
45This concert also served to present a remarkable cellist, Emanuel Feuermann, who played the D major concerto of Boccherini and some solos with great beauty of tone and extraordinary virtuosity. He scored a truly great success. A number of very interesting chamber concerts have lately taken place, with the active participation of noted contemporary composers such as Florent Schmitt and Alexander Tcherepnine, by the Monte Carlo Quartet and the Quatuor Tournet.
47S. J.
49ROCHESTER, N. Y.
51ROCHESTER, N. Y.—The Rochester Opera Company presented its first entire week of opera productions in Rochester. Kilbourn Hall was filled to capacity at nearly every performance and interest and enthusiasm reached a point that indicated the company has come to mean a definite artistic asset to Rochester residents. Many of the principals who accompanied Vladimir Rosing in a Canadian tour in the winter months took part in the performances, which were presented as intimate operas, in accordance with the policy followed by the company from the start. Special interest attended the performances of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. It was new to Rochester and critics commented on the enterprise of the organization in seeking to produce an opera of peculiar difficulties with virtually no precedents by which to be guided. The Marriage of Figaro was given Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday matinee, and Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci as a double bill on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The casts included the following: The Marriage of Figaro—Richard Halliley, Allan Burt, Margaret Stevenson, Mary Silveira, Margaret Williamson, John Moncrieff, Brownie Peebles, Philip Reep, Mary Stephan; Cavalleria Rusticana—Frances Babcock, Brownie Peebles, Archie Ruggles, Mark Daniels, Helen Golden, Olivia Martin and Mary Bell; Pagliacci—Charles Hedley, Ednah Richardson, Donald McGill, Allan Burt and Philip Reep. Eugene Goossens, conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted the opening performance of the week, and Emanuel Balaban conducted the remaining performances. Mr. Goossens was musical supervisor of the performances, with Vladimir Rosing directing the productions and Norman Edwards in charge of costumes and scenery.
53H. W. S.
55Marion Alice McAfee's Business Training an Asset
57Marion Alice McAfee, who received excellent training in the commercial world, is managing the business end of her artistic career and a number of engagements are already booked for next season. She will also continue to teach a limited number of pupils.
59Miss McAfee has proven worthy of the trust others have had in her ability by fulfilling many eleventh hour calls, as well as many return engagements. She has given on the average of one performance a week since September 2, 1925—an indication that her business ability is as keen as her artistic attitude. Some of the prominent clubs for which this popular soprano has sung, are: Olympia Fields Country Club, Chicago; Country Club of Evanston, Ill.; Chicago Athletic Club; Garden Club, Evanston; Arche Club, Chicago; Kaskaskia Chapter of D. A. R., Chicago; Sunday Afternoon Club of Evanston; Quadrangle Club, Woman's Club of Evanston, and others. Miss McAfee charms equally her audiences in hotel or private home musicales. She has filled return engagements at both the Flanders Hotel, Chicago, and the Orrington (Evanston, Ill.) this season. Private home musicales include many of the elite of the Middlewest, such as Mrs. James A. Patten, Mrs. Robert W. Campbell, Mrs. Julius Rosenwald, Mrs. Joseph N. Eisendrath and several others. one of two readings
60Miss McAfee has proven worthy of the trust others have had in her ability by fulfilling many eleventh hour calls, as well as many return engagements. She has given on the average of one performance a week since September 2, 1925—an indication that her business ability is as keen as her artistic attitude. Some of the prominent clubs for which this popular soprano has sung, are: Olympia Fields Country Club, Chicago; Country Club of Evanston, Ill.; Chicago Athletic Club; Garden Club, Evanston; Arche Club, Chicago; Kaskaskia Chapter of D. A. R., Chicago; Sunday Afternoon Club of Evanston; Quadrangle Club, Woman's Club of Evanston, and others. Miss McAfee charms equally her audiences in hotel or private home musicales. She has filled return engagements at both the Flanders Hotel, Chicago, and the Orrington (Evanston, Ill.) this season. Private home musicales include many of the elite of the Middlewest, such as Mrs. James A. Patten, Mrs. Robert W. Campbell, Mrs. Julius Rosenwald, Mrs. Joseph N. Eisenchind and several others. one of two readings
62Miss McAfee believes in specializing in the branch of the art of singing for which her several gifts are best adapted.
64Haggerty-Snell a "Voice Restorer"
66Edna Haggerty-Snell, New York teacher of singing, who specializes in restoring lost voices, numbers among her students singers from all parts of the country, one being Remhold Strokar, tenor, who sang leading roles in London with Carl Rosa Opera Company; he also sang in Berlin, Stuttgart, and at the Opera Comique in Paris.
68Mr. Strokar encountered many hardships during the world war, thereby losing his voice completely. He has been studying with Mme. Haggerty-Snell for some time, and already shows gratifying results it is said. His teacher, who is greatly interested in his work, promises absolute restoration of his voice, and predicts a brilliant future for him.
70Claussen to Tour Pacific Coast Cities
72Haensel & Jones have arranged with L. E. Behymer of Los Angeles, Selby C. Oppenheimer of San Francisco, and Steers & Coman of Portland to book Julia Claussen in a series of concerts on the Pacific Coast, opening November 29 in Los Angeles. This tour is the direct result of the diva's successes won last summer in her appearances at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Greek Theater at Berkeley, where she was acclaimed by Redfern Mason as "an authoritative artist with a radiant personality," and by Ray Brown of the San Francisco Chronicle, as "an artist who is alert with intelligence and charged with poetic vitality."
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