Books › Musical Courier 1927-01-13: Vol 94 Iss 2, 1927 › scan 19
Scan 19
Musical Courier 1927-01-13: Vol 94 Iss 2, 1927
62 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1MAY KORB
2Lyric Coloratura Soprano one of two readings
3Lyric Coloratura one of two readings
4Soprano one of two readings
6Engagements already booked for season 1926-1927
8With Hansel and Gretel Opera Company (As Gretel) 25 appearances
10Soloist Maine Festivals (Portland and Bangor)
12A tour in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
14For available dates
15Management R. E. Johnston
161451 Broadway New York City
17and
18Representative for New England States
19C. R. CRONHAM
20City Hall Portland, Maine
22MUSICAL COURIER
23NEW YORK CONCERTS
24(Continued from page 12)
25barbaric feeling called for in this composition. Many encores were demanded to which Mme. Reisenberg graciously responded.
27JANUARY 5
28Alfred Cortot
29Alfred Cortot's farewell piano recital, on January 5, brought out the S. R. O. sign. Not merely that fact alone should have assured the pianist of his popularity, but also the warmth of his enthusiastic audience. The program he presented was a typically Cortot one, including such things as the Vivaldi sonata, twelve Chopin etudes and B flat minor sonata, and the twelve Debussy numbers of the first group of preludes. Mr. Cortot's playing was particularly brilliant on this occasion; however, Mr. Cortot's playing has taken on a much more virile, energetic aspect of late than one is wont to remember him as he interpreted Chopin and Debussy six years ago. Today the pianist has done much more analyzing; there is much more clean cut work, greater shading and coloring, much more contrast—the technic was always impeccable and brilliant. These facts were particularly noticeable in the etudes and preludes, for Mr. Cortot was able to go from the light fluttering Butterfly to the majestic A minor etude with apparent ease of transformation of mood. In the Debussy Mr. Cortot was able, in his great capacity, to enfold one in the illusive sonorities of the composer, hazes and mists which are exquisitely sublimated. To the sonata of Chopin the soloist gave a poignant and dramatic interpretation. In this Mr. Cortot proved how fully he understands Chopin, how the master of form and expression can so often be misinterpreted through no fault of his but because of the sickly sentimentality which many virtuosos seem to feel is noble expression. Here the pianist revealed a turbulent and vital Chopin, at time even fantastic. If perhaps one did not always agree with Mr. Cortot in his recreations, at least one could feel that it was the result of an individuality from which one can always learn. May Mr. Cortot return to us soon!
31Samuel Gardner
32Samuel Gardner, violinist, gave a program at Carnegie Hall on January 5, consisting largely of his own compositions and transcriptions, with the addition of the Handel Sonata in D major, Kreisler's Recitative and Scherzo Caprice for violin alone, and the Rondo in G major by Mozart-Kreisler. Mr. Gardner's style is direct and engaging, his technic easily responsive to the most difficult passages. The Handel sonata became a smoothly flowing melody, sweeping grandly to its majestic conclusion. Interest centered naturally in his own compositions, most of which have been heard but seldom in New York. He played his own transcription of the Fantasia Appassionata by Vieuxtemps, Prelude No. 9, op. 15, No. 4, Jazzetto, From the Rockies and the Prelude in C. Of these the Jazzetto number attracted the most attention. It is a curious bit of composition, entirely classical in form but showing many of the characteristic rhythms and thematic development of this modern school. The Vieuxtemps transcription was faithful to the spirit of the opus. In a program note Mr. Gardner stated that "all harmonic changes had been derived from Vieuxtemps' own melodic ideas. Instead of the original closing Saltarelle I have substituted his Tarantelle in A minor with the idea of stretching the finale and giving it more of the appassionata feeling." The audience was large and enthusiastic.
33Joseph Adler, at the piano, supported the artist brilliantly with his usual finely tempered and intelligent performance.
35Max Barnett
36Max Barnett, pianist, made his New York debut on January 5 at Aeolian Hall. He is a pupil of Ignaz Hilsberg, noted Polish pianist, who came here several years ago. He played a program with some unusual features, including Ravel's Sonatine and two parts of Godowsky's Java Suite. In addition to these numbers he offered a group of Chopin and music by Glazounow, Schubert, and Brahms. Mr. Barnett is a young man of obvious talent and has been most excellently trained. He plays in an interesting manner and apparently has a massive technic and force when it is needed. His playing shows a wealth of sentiment but is entirely free from sentimentalism. It would be difficult to say which portion of the program he played most satisfyingly. The Glazounow Prelude and Fugue and the Brahms Rhapsody, both of them were done brilliantly with adherence to classic traditions. There was fine melodic playing in the Chopin, and the modernisms of Ravel and Godowsky were cleverly interpreted and made much of. This young man is a pianist who will bear watching.
38JANUARY 6
39Boston Symphony: Landowska, Soloist
40The January 6 concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall was a tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—a real tribute. The program began with the performance of his Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, played by the exquisite string section of the orchestra and conducted with the utmost appreciation for its grace and charm by Serge Koussevitzky. The hearers were delighted. Then came the new concert for harpsichord and chamber orchestra by Manuel De Falla and after it the Rondo-finale from the D major concerto. Mme. Wanda Landowska was the soloist. It was a performance that could only be called delightful and roused the audience to prolonged applause that called the soloist and conductor back time after time.
41Between the two Mozart works Mme. Landowska played this new thing that De Falla wrote especially for her. One knew she played it because one could see her hard at work on the tinkling machine, though it was only occasionally that she could be heard in big Carnegie Hall. There was an explanatory note in the program from Mme. Landowska telling how good the work was. Mme. Landowska was mistaken. The note also said that De Falla had meditated over the work for three years before he finished it. It is a shame he didn't put three more years on it; it couldn't have been duller, less interesting, in any case, and there is just a possibility that it might have been improved. The principal thing it lacked was ideas—completely. And another thing it lacked was all apparent knowledge of harpsichord technic. Mme. Landowska will add neither to her own reputation nor to that of the composer if she persists in playing it.
42After the intermission there was that lengthy thing, Le Sacre du Printemps by Stravinsky. This was the sixth time that the patient ears of the present writer have listened to this, which is just six times more than they will ever listen to it again. The absolute artificiality of the whole thing is increasingly apparent with each hearing. The rhythmic surprises of the work have lost all their properties of surprise. One sees nothing but the bones of the skeleton nowadays and on those bones the absolutely sterile imagination of Mr. Stravinsky has not been able to hang even a scrap of flesh. One admires his patience and industry—for it must have taken a long while to write this score—and the ingenuity and novelty of some of his orchestral combinations. But these are all bald tricks.
43It certainly was a triumph for Mozart.
45Ruth Breton
46Ruth Breton, violinist, introduced two novelties in her recital at Aeolian Hall on January 6. They were Vivaldi's sonata in D major and El Poema de una Sanluquena (The Poem of a Girl of Sanluca) by Joaquin Turina. Of the former, the program stated that the piano part was arranged from the original figured bass by Ottorino Respighi. Despite its parentage it did not appear to be startlingly original nor even "modern." The Turina poem was very prettily patterned, with The Song of the Beauty Spot, dainty and whimsical, and Phantasms, attracting the most attention. The balance of the program consisted of the familiar concerto in D minor of Wieniawski and a group composed of the Mozart-Kreisler Rondo, Paganini's La Campanella, Mozart's Andante, and the Waltz Rondan of Miller Callahan. Throughout this difficult program the artist displayed a fine flexibility of tonal production, and a smoothly flowing interpretation marked by flights of pure rhapsodic qualities.
47Miss Breton is an excellent violinist, imaginative and well equipped technically. There is a soulful quality in her work that is rare and precious. She has retained the spontaneity and joyousness of youth in adding the maturity and breadth of vision of greater experience. Her musical horizon seems distinctly expanded since her last appearance.
48Miss Breton's accompanist was Walter Golde, who played in his accustomed mode, that is to say, artistically, sensitively, graciously, and in perfect concord with the mood of the soloist.
50Washington Heights Musical Club
51An intimate recital was given under the auspices of the Washington Heights Musical Club on January 6, by Regina Kahl, soprano, a pupil of Ethel Grow, and Virginia Ruggiero, pianist, in Birchard Hall in the Steinway Building. A varied program was given which demonstrated the excellent musicianship of both artists and was heartily applauded by members and guests of the club.
53JANUARY 7
54Charles Naegele
55Charles Naegele gave a recital at Aeolian Hall on January 7 before a large and fashionable audience. He played some Bach fugues, a Bach Gavotte arranged by Saint-Saëns, two Handel pieces, Beethoven's Turkish March arranged by Rubinstein, Chopin's sonata in B minor, a prelude by Dwight Fiske, a variation on Au clair de la lune by Marc Blitzstein, Noel by Balfour Gardiner, Reflets dans l'eau by Debussy and Artist's Life by Strauss, arranged by Godowsky. As will be seen, the program was interesting and varied. The earlier part of it was especially effective. Of the last group one cannot be so sure. Nor can one, to tell the truth, be sure that some of these modern things are uninteresting. They must be heard again, often, before anything like a faithful report can be made upon them. The Fiske prelude, at first hearing, sounded dissonant, formless, tuneless and unlovely. The same impression was made by the Blitzstein variation, intended, no doubt, to be amusing. The Balfour Gardiner piece probably aimed at picturesqueness,—touch of Christmas at the close,—but it missed the point.
56So much for the music. As to the playing, it is difficult to find exactly the right words of praise for this fine young American artist. He has a style that is charming. He alternates delicacy with force and weight in a manner that indicates real inspiration and a natural feeling for musical verities. He plays the old classics quite as well and with the same degree of understanding as he does music nearer our own time—Chopin and Debussy. His tone is especially to be commended. It is warm, luscious, sustained, yet clear and crystalline. One cannot close without saying that he impresses one as being dependable. He inspires confidence and shows no signs of nervousness. Everything that he does is succinct, definite, well thought out, and apparently easy for his masterly technic. He gave his hearers a very satisfying evening, was much applauded, and played a number of encores.
58New York Symphony: Otto Klemperer, Conductor
59One of the most purely melodic programs of the current season was presented by the New York Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on January 7, with Otto Klemperer as guest conductor. The program consisted of the symphonic poem, Don Juan, by Strauss; Debussy's Fetes; Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso, and the Brahms' Symphony No. 1, in C minor. The renditions were marked by beautifully shaded contrasts and a certain precision and virility in reading altogether admirable. Mr. Klemperer is not a particularly graceful conductor, but on this occasion, as on many others in the past, he demonstrated that he is an exceedingly effective one. He conducted without recourse to a score and demonstrated throughout the evening a marked restraint which made his occasional climaxes tremendously effective. The Brahms symphony, which is perhaps the loveliest in a melodic sense of the entire Brahms repertory, was played reverentially and with a fine sense of values. The elaborate Ravel number was also well played; it was lovely, and for a change, meaningful. The audience was plainly enraptured and gave Mr. Klemperer a rousing ovation.
61(Continued on page 22)
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