Books › Musical Courier 1927-01-06: Vol 94 Iss 1, 1927 › scan 16
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Musical Courier 1927-01-06: Vol 94 Iss 1, 1927
59 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 17. See the scan on archive.org.
1January 6, 1927
3NEW YORK CONCERTS
5DECEMBER 27
6Beethoven Association
7The Beethoven Association started the week, on Monday evening, December 27, with its third concert this season, at Town Hall. The program began with the Beethoven Trio in C minor, op. 1, No. 3, played by Ernest Hutcheson, Joseph Szigeti, and Hans Kindler. The other instrumental number was the Mozart piano quartet, Herbert Borodkin being the added violinist, and Harold Bauer replacing Mr. Hutcheson at the piano. Both of these classic numbers were done full justice to by each and every one of the players who made up by their love for and attention to the music for the inevitable lack of rehearsals attendant upon such a performance.
9The other event of the evening was the presentation of the Madrigal Choir of the Institute of Musical Art, under the leadership of Margaret Dessoff. Well known in Europe for her excellence as a choir director, she strengthened her reputation in presenting the young people, who sang five old Christmas pieces. The fresh young voices of the choir were delightful to hear, and the pleasure with which they sang—and they evidently enjoyed singing the music—made one glad to overlook occasional little faults of technic which Mme. Dessoff can correct when she has had the choir a bit longer. There was the usual large audience, filling the hall and loud in its enthusiasm.
11Oratorio Society
12The Oratorio Society of New York presented its 103rd performance of Handel's Messiah on December 27 at Carnegie Hall. Under the leadership of Albert Stoessel, the huge chorus rose to great heights of musical beauty; voluminous tones swelling and dying in carefully shaded nuance, perfect blending of voices and harmonization, quick response to the conductor's wishes, all combined to create a thrilling whole. The soloists included Della Baker, soprano; Doris Doe, contralto; Dan Beddoe, tenor, and Arthur Middleton, bass. Miss Baker displayed great agility of voice, well controlled and skilled in delivery. Her rendition of the air, Rejoice Greatly, was outstandingly fine. Doris Doe brought to the contralto parts of the oratorio a voice rich in quality and a sincerity of manner and understanding of the music that reaped well merited enthusiasm. Arthur Middleton's powerful bass met with warm approval and his stirring presentation of Why Do the Nations, both from vocal and dramatic viewpoints, brought him several times to his feet to acknowledge the tribute paid him. Dan Beddoe, who this season is celebrating his thirty-fifth year before the public, quite took the audience by storm with the beauty and sweetness of his voice. In selections like Behold and See and Comfort Ye My People, he incited such appreciation that the ensuing applause interrupted the continuation of the work for several minutes. Mr. Stoessel, who is now in his sixth year as conductor of the Oratorio Society, deserves warm praise and hearty congratulations for the smoothness and general excellence of the huge collection of voices and for the splendid training and co-operation that characterized their every offering. The thunderous Hallelujah Chorus echoed to the roof, joyously participated in by the standing audience. The orchestra of the New York Symphony Society provided sympathetic accompaniments and Hugh Rorten presided at the organ.
14DECEMBER 28
15Sylvia Lent
16Sylvia Lent, violinist, gave her first local recital of the season in Town Hall on December 28. Miss Lent opened her program with Bach's Adagio, followed by Delius' second sonata for violin and piano (first time in New York), a rather modernistic work of not too grateful a character. Her second group included the Saint-Saëns B minor sonata, in which she managed the technical intricacies with ease. The third group, besides Rubin Goldmark's Call of the Plains, introduced Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending. The soaring of the bird is given to the violin while the piano part forms a rather peaceful background; the work is too long, though there are spots which are exquisitely embroidered. In her last group Miss Lent included Anton Gloetzer's Ave Maria in manuscript, Chopin's B minor waltz, Schumann's Der Nussbaum, and Sarasate's Habanera. Miss Lent has an assurance in her work which makes one realize that her modesty is the emanation of true art. Her technic is a finished product, her tone is rich and colorful, and she touches the high spots of imagination and understanding. Miss Lent has mastered even at her youthful age what it takes many older artists a far longer period of time to acquire. She was well received and had the assistance of Edward Harris at the piano.
18Mischa Elman Quartet
19On December 28, Mischa Elman and his quartet attracted a full house at Aeolian Hall with this, the final New York concert of the season. The program began with a Mozart quartet in D major, after which there came the Brahms quartet in C minor and then the Ravel quartet. To lovers of chamber music this was a truly enchanting evening. The Mozart and the Brahms quartets were both beautifully played, the latter resulting in no less than five recalls for the performers, though probably the work in which the quartet really outdid itself was the Ravel. This exquisite quartet is altogether too seldom heard; it is filled with color and beauty to all of which the extraordinarily fine ensemble did more than justice. As an exposition of beautiful playing of a beautiful work the performance of this quartet is not to be surpassed.
21DECEMBER 29
22Schola Cantorum
23The Schola Cantorum, appearing for the first time under a new director, gave its first concert of the season at Carnegie Hall on December 29. Margaret Dessoff was the conductor on this occasion. It cannot honestly be said that the change of conductors appears to have led to any notable improvement in the work of the chorus. Mme. Dessoff apparently—just as Mr. Schindler used to—had undertaken to teach her chorus more than it could learn in the time at her disposal for rehearsals. However, there was much excellent work. The spirit of the composition was nearly always caught but there were frequent lapses in the mechanism of reproducing that spirit. The program was a long and varied one, most of it being Christmas music and including compositions of Bach, Gibbons, Sweelinck, Brahms, Schubert, and arrangements by Cuthbert Nunn and Kurt Schindler.
25MUSICAL COURIER
27DECEMBER 30
28New York Symphony: Giannini, Soloist
29Walter Damrosch conducted the second Brahms symphony with evident zest at the December 30 concert of the New York Symphony Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall, the same being followed in its individual movements by long-continued applause; especially was the last movement a triumph of well built climax. Sibelius' new symphonic poem, Tapiola, written on commission for the Symphony Society, depicts the calm, grandeur and mythological denizens of the famed Finnish forest of that name. In it the wood-nymphs, the goblins and ghosts, not to mention the horrendous serpents, dragons, etc., which speak in voice of thunder and threat, are heard; the playful bits are reminiscent of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Nights' music, the boisterous portions speaking like the Goetterdaemmerung. At the close conductor Damrosch held up the green-and-white original printer's proof-score, showing that it had not yet been published. The final orchestral number was Johann Strauss' bewitching Emperor Waltz, opus 437, full of grace, abounding in real musical ideas, all brought out with grace and spontaneity by Dr. Damrosch.
31Dusolina Giannini, charming dramatic soprano, has a voice of combined gold and honey, clear, true, ringing, with fine carrying quality; her singing of the Tchaikowsky Forest aria brought her four recalls, while three recalls followed the Tannhäuser Wartburg-hall aria. In both arias her complete mastery of style and language was evident; small wonder that European opera-houses lauded her to the skies, for such a voice and personality are rare. A full house gave Dr. Damrosch and Mme. Giannini a spontaneous reception.
33Pro Arte Quartet
34A concert of distinct artistic quality and success was that given by the Pro Arte Quartet, which was presented in Wanamaker's auditorium by the Pro Musica Society on December 30. The Pro Musica Society, which was formerly the Franco-American Music League, is interested in fostering the advancement of modern music and musicians, and under its auspices the Pro Arte Quartet has been enabled to make its first American transcontinental tour. This was its farewell concert in America and it was reserved for the society and its members. However through the Society's generosity and the strong desire of the public to hear once again this unusual organization the concert was given to a crowded house. Particularly delightful was the beautiful tone of the rare instruments by Guadagnini selected from
36CECILE DE HORVATH
37An Ideal May Festival Pianist
38May Festival in Mt. Vernon, Iowa
39"She is mistress of interpretative resourcefulness . . . will long remain in the memory of those who were there."—Cedar Rapids Republican, May 16, 1926.
40"Master of both piano and audience."—The Cornellian, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, May 14, 1926.
42Chicago Recital
43"An independent minded, resourceful and stimulating pianist. Very satisfying and in some particular s unsurpassable playing."—Eugene Stinson, Chicago Journal, March 12, 1926.
45"Mistress of all the technical difficulties. Style is sufficiently versatile to embrace the delicate personal beauty of the Debussy muse and the mechanical obviousness of Paderewski's Variations with their runs, glissandi, thirds, and octaves and what not."—Herman Devries, Chicago American, March 12, 1926.
47"An interesting player with ideas of her own and both the courage and the technique to give them expression. Genuine pianistic gifts. Interpretative power."—Karleton Hackett, Chicago Evening Post, March 12, 1926.
49"Great brilliancy, power, an almost feline liteness."—Edward Moore, Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1926.
51"Realizing all of its poetry (Liszt Ballade in B minor) and approximating its enormous physical demands in a manner quite astonishing when one remembers that she is probably the smallest of the pianists."—Glenn Dillard Gunn, Chicago Herald and Examiner, March 12, 1926.
53Now Under Exclusive Management
54ANNIE FRIEDBERG
55250 W. 57TH STREET
56NEW YORK CITY
57Baldwin Piano
58Welte Mignon Records
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