Books › Musical Courier 1927-04-07: Vol 94 Iss 14, 1927 › scan 21
Scan 21
Musical Courier 1927-04-07: Vol 94 Iss 14, 1927
64 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 22. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1LONDON
2(Continued from page 5)
3pretend to love the whole audience, and the concerto is surely more amusing to play than to listen to.
5EVEN THE WORM WILL TURN
6The audience at this particular concert reserved its wrath for Miaskovsky's Sixth symphony. Many people left while Sir Henry was plowing through its turgid pages, and at the end a man in the gallery booed so loudly that a verbal battle followed in its wake. English audiences have drunk such deep draughts of Tschaikowsky and Scriabin in their time that they are still nauseated and simply won't stand for a combination of the two. What, by the way, has happened to the Scriabin wave? He is without exception the least performed composer at the present time.
8Another ex-enfant terrible, Lord Berners, is getting quite a bit of popularity out of his Orchestral Fugue, which though not much of a fugue, is an amusing bit of musical gymnastics and explosive orchestration. Sir Thomas Beecham broke the classic spell of the London Symphony programs with it, without scaring off a single ticket-buyer.
10CONCERTOS AND CONCERTOS
11At the preceding concert Sir Henry featured the Bloch Concerto Grosso, the piano part of which was beautifully played by Myra Hess, but the music of which left us strangely cold. The neo-classicism of this fervent Jewish emotionalist somehow does not ring true.
13Myra Hess, by the way, gave us our fill of the real thing when she took Sir Henry and a small orchestra to the more intimate Wigmore Hall, and played the piano part in three Bach concertos—the A minor (flute, violin and piano), the D minor (piano) and the fifth Brandenberg, which has become almost an encore piece in London. The whole concert was a perfect delight.
15Speaking of concertos, we also heard Thibaud play the Brahms (not at all like a Frenchman, but very much like a real artist), Mme. Frieda Kwast-Hodapp the Beethoven G major, and Nicolas Orloff the same master's in C major. This last was at the final concert of the Queen's Hall Orchestra, which except for a special Parsifal concert on Good Friday is announced to be the very, very last, for ever and a day. A special little ovation for Sir Henry attested the sympathies of the audience.
17Special mention is due, too, to a fine performance of the Delius violin concerto by Albert Sammons, leading English violinist, under Frank Bridge, the English composer, who on this occasion (Royal Philharmonic concert) proved himself to be an able conductor (Brahms' second symphony, Vaughan Williams' "Lark Ascending," etc.)
19CHAMBER MUSIC, OLD AND NEW
20Aside from the Léner Quartet's Beethoven concert, London has had its usual quota of chamber music. The Budapest String Quartet, equally wonderful in its way, has given attention, not only to Beethoven, but to Brahms, Schubert, Sgambati and Percy Grainger. There has also been heard a more recently organized ensemble, the Brosa Quartet, which I shall have occasion to mention later on.
22The British Broadcasting Corporation's "International" series has reached Holland in its "little journeys," as Fra Elbertus would have called them. With the exception of a violin and piano sonata by Willem Pijper, however, the affair was rather barren. And the Contemporary Music Centre (I. S. C. M.) contributed what was virtually an evening of cello sonatas to the novelties of the season. Kodaly's sonata for cello and piano, op. 4, was the best of these works, and the young Hungarian cellist, Paul Hermann, gave it a very fine performance. Hermann also gave a recital at which he proved his claim to be ranked among the leading cello virtuosos of the day.
24Another novelty which had some favorable notice was the new string quartet (No. 2) by Arnold Bax, played by the New Philharmonic Quartet.
26GODOWSKY RETURNS
27A variety of pianists have delighted the promiscuous concert goers, as usual. There were the "pure" virtuosos, such as Godowsky and Friedman, there were young up-and-coming artists such as Lubka Kolessa, from the Ukraine, Gualtiero Volterra, from Italy, and Solomon, from London itself.
29Godowsky drew two large-sized and enthusiastic audiences and treated them to a great variety of things including some of his own Triakontameron; and Friedman interpreted Chopin to the hoi-polloi of the Albert Hall. Young Solomon played to an overcrowded Wigmore Hall and left the impression of a genuine musicianship as yet unhampered by considerations of intellect and taste.
31Of the two foreign youngsters Volterra seems to have impressed the London critics more favorably than Kolessa. But I am betting on the young lady. She is one of the greatest talents that have come out of Central Europe in recent years. Still another youngster that merits mention is Ronald Chamberlain a pupil of George Woodhouse and a very promising recruit to the artist's ranks.
33THE KIEPURA BUBBLE
34Of singers, we heard, first of all, Jan Kiepura, who was preceded by the greatest wave of publicity "put over" in some years. Unless he learns to sing, however, his present fame will be a mere flash in the pan. His tenor, nevertheless, is genuine. Leo Sleazak, minus much weight, both corporeally and vocally, exhibited the beaux reste of his once mighty tenor, consisting chiefly of a beautiful mezzo voce, to a delighted audience at two concerts.
36Myra Mortimer returned from America to sing an unusually interesting program of fine lieder and by dint of her opulent voice filled the Queen's Hall with ease. Among her listeners was Elena Gerhardt, who had given a very delightful concert shortly before. A mention of Vera Janacopulos, who interpreted songs of Moussorgsky, Stravinsky and de Falla with great artistry, completes the list of recent musical offerings. Easter is drawing near, and with it a short rest before the famous London "season," with opera and concerts in redoubled force.
38CÉSAR SAERCHINGER.
40Klibansky Studio Notes
41Sergei Klibansky's artist-pupils are frequently heard in public. Of these Anna Scheffler Schorr sang with success Venus (Tannhäuser), and Senta (Flying Dutchman) at the Staats Opera in Berlin. Mrs. Otto Klemperer will be heard in opera in Wiesbaden; she sang, accompanied by her husband, Otto Klemperer (guest conductor of the New York Symphony Society), at two concerts at Hotel Astor, New York, and also at the International House, where her singing was heartily applauded. Louise Smith gave a recital in Plainfield, N. J., in March. Amy Punshon was the soloist at the Epstein lecture recital in Passaic; she and Paul Simmons were heard in duets at a Bronx picture house. Fanny Bloch sang in Toronto on March 8. Edwin Bidwell is on tour with The Vagabond King. Vivian Hart sang with success in Detroit, Mich. Miss S. Harling has been engaged to sing the leading part in The Light of St. Agnes, Oakland, Cal., this month; she also will be heard in concerts out West. Maria Kalla has been heard in concerts in Elizabeth, N. J., and at the Ansonia Hotel, New York. Reginald Pasch is continuing to please in the Shubert production of Blossom Time, on tour through the West. Cyril Pitts gave a program over WEAF, March 7.
43Mr. Klibansky began his classes in Boston on March 12. New pupils who began study with Mr. Klibansky in February are Ethel Rosenbloom (Pittsburgh), Edith Van (St. Louis), Mrs. J. Wheeler (L. I.), L. Heming (Tarrytown), Edna Hinton (Virginia), Biddy Dakes (N. Carolina), Virginia Albin (Seattle), S. Laurysson (New York), Roe Levine (New York), Hugo Figge (New York), Jessie Bender (New York), Herman Sooner, Ethel Jonson (New York), and Betty Miller.
45Lucy Lawler a Madge Daniell Pupil
46When Lucy Lawler appeared in Philadelphia recently in the Vagabond King the following résumé of her appearance was published in the local press: "Lucy Lawler, the Lady Mary of The Vagabond King, is a young actress who has devoted her girlhood to the study of singing. Born at Caseville, Huron County, Mich., just twenty-two years ago, Miss Lawler, who, like Carolyn Thomson, prima donna of The Vagabond King, is of Irish parentage, was educated at the Holy Rosary Academy, Bay City, Mich. Upon her graduation she went to New York on the invitation of her brother, Joseph, to continue her musical studies. Under the sole vocal instruction of Madge Daniell, former concert and opera star, she has also been coached in grand opera roles. Like many of our present day singers, Miss Lawler first appeared as a choir soloist. Determined to adopt the professional stage as a career she elected to become a chorus girl in The Vagabond King, understudying the role of Lady Mary. When the original Lady Mary, Olga Treskoff, departed for London, Miss Lawler was entrusted with the role, and has achieved distinction as one of the more attractive and accomplished singers in The Vagabond King."
48Estee Series Features Novelties
49Charming little songs by Mignon E. Foerderer, a Philadelphia girl, but fifteen when she wrote them, after just a year's study of music, formed the attractive last group constituting "the new" in Emmeline Maxwell's costume recital on March 20, at the Triangle Theater. The occasion was the third of the Estee Company's March series, featuring the meeting of "the sixteenth and twentieth centuries in old and new songs." Applause demanded a repetition of the Elf Man, a setting of John Kendrick Bang's words. But the audience was not satisfied. Cries of "composer" brought Miss Foerderer to the front at last. "Thank you very much," she said in a clear voice. "They were beautifully played and beautifully sung."
51The girl composer is studying music with Leona Clarkson Grugan of New York City, who was at one time Teresa Carreño's chief assistant and who by her original methods of teaching is developing the creative artist in the child.
53Rogers Pupil Secures Church Position
54Walter Preston, already well known to WJZ audiences, has been engaged as solo baritone for the coming church year in the choir of Immanuel Baptist Church, Brooklyn. He has studied with Francis Rogers for the past three years.
56OBITUARY
57ROBERT FUCHS
58Prof. Robert Fuchs died on February 19 from heart disease. Up to the moment of his sudden and unexpected death he appeared to be in perfect health in spite of his great age. Four days earlier, on February 15, he had celebrated his eightieth birthday, in honor of which an orchestra made up entirely of Prof. Fuchs' former pupils gave a matinee performance of his First Symphony.
60Prof. Fuchs was born in Frauenfeld on February 15, 1847. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory and was professor of theory there since 1875. He was a prolific composer, having composed two symphonies, three orchestra serenades which are widely known, several overtures and other orchestra pieces, a piano concerto, much chamber music and two operas, both of which were successfully performed. He was the recipient of many honors, having been made an honorary member of the Philharmonic, of the Schubert Society, the Academy, and having received an honorary diploma from the University of Vienna and the Golden Medal of the Republic. Among Prof. Fuchs' most noted pupils is the American, Emerson Whithorne, the frequent performance of whose works both in America and abroad have brought him into great prominence.
62LUDWIG MATZENAUER
63Hofkapellmeister Ludwig Matzenauer, father of Margaret Matzenauer, passed away recently in Oststeiermark on his eightieth birthday.
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