Books › Musical Courier 1927-04-28: Vol 94 Iss 17, 1927 › scan 32
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Musical Courier 1927-04-28: Vol 94 Iss 17, 1927
101 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 33. See the scan on archive.org.
1April 28, 1927
3the musical world. It was Frederick J. Wessels who discovered Henry E. Voegeli, the present business manager and treasurer of the Orchestral Association, and though Mr. Voegeli has many ideas of his own he thought enough of those of his predecessor to follow them for the good of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Should we make a trip some day to California, Saratoga will be placed on our itinerary.
5HAROLD HENRY HERE
7Among the many visitors who came to this office this week was Harold Henry, eminent American pianist, who was on his way West to fill several concert appearances.
9CHICAGO MUSICAL COLLEGE NEWS ITEMS
11Pearl Walker-Yoder, soprano, and artist-pupil of Herbert Witherspoon, was guest soloist with the Buena Memorial Presbyterian Church Choir on Easter night in a sacred concert under the direction of Dr. Wesley LaViolette, also of the College faculty. Mrs. Yoder sang the obbligato parts in Schubert's The Omnipotence and Rossini's Inflammatus from The Stabat Mater.
13Lillian Rogers and Mary Wharton, former students of Alexander Raab, presented a beautiful two-piano program at Cunningham Hall, at Belhaven College, Jackson, Miss. The newspaper reports were lavish in their praise of these two splendid young artists.
15Arlene Durkee, mezzo soprano, student of Herbert Witherspoon, sang at the Portage Park Theater on April 16 at the gala performance of the week.
17Mrs. J. Archer Hervey, soprano, artist-pupil of Graham Reed, gave a song recital on April 21 at The Athenaeum, assisted by Raymond Albright, violinist, with Carl Bumann at the piano.
19FREDERICK GUNSTER IN CHICAGO
21Frederick Gunster, distinguished American tenor, and a life member of the National Federation of Music Clubs, was another visitor to this office during convention week. Mr. Gunster, always very modest, had nothing to say about himself, yet we were able to find out that next fall he will give a recital in Town Hall, New York, and a few days later he will repeat the recital in one of Chicago's most exclusive downtown concert halls. Mr. Gunster also gave us the information that this was the fifth convention he had attended and that he enjoyed his sojourn in Chicago immensely, renewing many old acquaintances and making many new ones.
23LUSK RECITAL PLEASING EVANSTON MUSIC LOVERS
25Under the auspices of the American Legion, Evanston Unit, Milan Lusk, internationally known violinist, was presented in an attractive program at the Evanston Woman's Club on April 5. A representative and good sized audience gave the young artist an enthusiastic reception. In his opening group of classical compositions by Smetana and Daquin, Lusk played with a fine sense of rhythm, impeccable technic and beautifully shaded tone. In his later offerings, particularly in the Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saëns, he added a fire and abandon in his playing which fairly thrilled the audience.
27FRANK WALLER HERE
29Frank Waller, distinguished conductor, paid a visit to this office this week on his way to the Southwest.
31MENDELSSOHN CLUB'S FINAL CONCERT
33The final concert of the Mendelssohn Club for this season took place at Orchestra Hall on April 21, with Marguerite D'Alvarez, contralto, as soloist. Calvin Lampert, who is the conductor of the Mendelssohn Club, may well be pleased with the great success scored by his organization this season. He has trained his men so well that the attacks are always precise, and his choir sings with virility, understanding beauty of tone and excellent enunciation, not to mention impeccable phrasing.
35Marguerite d'Alvarez, who counts an army of admirers in Chicago, sang gloriously the aira, My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice, from Samson and Delilah, an opera in which she has often been heard at the Auditorium. So well did she sing that the public insisted on an encore, which was Chausson's Les Papillons, also superbly sung; this aroused the public again to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. D'Alvarez is a favorite and by good reason.
37AMERICAN CONSERVATORY NOTES
39Leo Sowerby, of the Conservatory faculty, has accepted the position as organist at St. James Episcopal Church, his duties to begin May 1.
41Louise Hattstaedt Winter, of the vocal faculty, was soloist at the special service at Temple Sholom on Friday of last week. Mrs. Winter was also the soloist at the closing concert of the Chicago Philharmonic season on April 17.
43The chorus choir of the Englewood Christian Church, under the direction of John T. Read of the vocal faculty, sang the Stabat Mater, Rossini, on Good Friday.
45Pearl Appel, of the piano department, presented her pupils in recital, April 23.
47COLLINS TO GIVE CHICAGO RECITAL
49Edward Collins will give his annual Chicago recital, Sunday afternoon, May 1, at the Playhouse, under the direction of Bertha Ott. Mr. Collins will play classic and modern works, among the latter being several of his own compositions.
51Mr. Collins was engaged by Mme. Schumann-Heink for her Pittsburg, Pa., concert on April 20.
53MARSHALL FIELD CHORAL SOCIETY
55The Marshall Field Choral Society celebrated its twentieth birthday with a concert given before a large and enthusiastic audience at Orchestra Hall, April 22. Founded in 1907, the Marshall Field Choral Society has seen its membership increase each year, and likewise the perfection in the presentation of each concert. It seems remarkable, to say the least, that one of the largest mercantile houses in the world should have an amateur organization which can compare most favorably with any of the leading choral societies in America. The chorus opened its program with a rousing performance of Schnecker's God of Our Fathers, which opened the first program of the choral society twenty years ago. We were present at that concert and were surprised then that amateurs could do so well. Today, reporting the concert that took place on Friday evening, we judge the Marshall Field Choral Society as a body of professional singers, and as such it must be highly complimented for the high average obtained in the last few years. The next number, Dunn's It Was a Lover and His Lass, was followed by a Lullaby by Elgar, which could have been repeated so prolonged was the applause. Then came a song by Christiansen—Hosanna—which, sung a capella, revealed the chorus at its very best. The voices blended to perfection and each department is efficient; thus, as an ensemble, the Marshall Field Choral Society stands today unique in this city. The sopranos sing as well as the contraltos, the bass and baritones as well as the tenors, and the attacks are precise, the shading well thought out and the climaxes so well built that there was not a moment of monotony throughout the well prepared program. With Huhn's I Know that the Lord Is Great, sung with massive tones, the first group came to an end, and it is solely upon that group that this review is written, as duty elsewhere made it imperative for us to leave the hall after listening to Mme. A. Davis Wynne sing the Verdi O Don Fatale. Mme. Wynne has a voice of beautiful texture, even in all registers, as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar and used with marked ability by its possessor, who made a decided hit.
57Before closing this report, words of praise must be set down for Thomas A. Pape, conductor of this chorus of 200 voices, which under his baton sang gloriously. That he had well drilled his corps of singers was demonstrated by the results obtained without any jesticulation on his part. As a matter of fact, Mr. Pape is one of the most modest conductors that we have seen on the stage of Orchestra Hall. He does not wave his arms to ask big tones from his forces; he uses his left arm discreetly and having at rehearsals expressed his desire, his right arm indicates only his most minute demand and the spectators are not disturbed by contortions. Mr. Pape has also taught his singers that a choral society must sing true to pitch even in a cappella, and there was not a single deviation to mar the excellence of the performance. The Marshall Field Choral Society has also been told that good English enunciation makes for better enjoyment of a concert, and though 200 human voices were singing, it was easy to make out the words without resorting to the printed program. A very good concert that reflects credit on the conductor and on the Marshall Field contingent!
59SYMPHONY CONCERT
61Beethoven's ninth symphony was given a performance as the last program of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the manner in which it was rendered by a chorus drilled by William Boeppler and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra may be set down as the acme of perfection. The Chicago Singverein, of which Mr. Boeppler is the conductor, had been chosen by Frederick Stock, conductor of the orchestra, to sing the chorus of the symphony, and the choice was a most happy one as the singers knew their business, and tenors and sopranos soared to highest altitudes while they were not afraid to volplane toward the low domain of baritones and basses. The massiveness of their tone was only matched by the exquisiteness of their pianissimos. Here is a choral society which can sing true to pitch, and this is so rare nowadays that mention is here made to congratulate the Singverein as well as its able conductor, William Boeppler. Frederick Stock, who conducted the symphony from memory, as he does everything else, long ago has risen to stardom. That Stock is not yet a prima donna conductor is due to his seeming modesty. Perhaps he is not as modest as one is made to believe, yet there is never outside of his own community sufficient glamor around his name to assure him international fame; but to those who really know, Stock is one of the big men of the day in the musical world. Even though this was the last concert of the season, space forbids a long analytical report. To pile superlatives upon superlatives seems superfluous. It has been a long time since the ninth symphony has been played in Chicago. It will also be a long time before we hear it as well performed as on this occasion. The fine reading of the Ninth Symphony will stand as a monument in the glorification of the Chicago Symphony and of its distinguished and able conductor, Frederick Stock. one of two readings
62Beethoven's ninth symphony was given a performance as the last program of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the manner in which it was rendered by a chorus drilled by William Boeppler and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra may be set down as the acme of perfection. The Chicago Singverein, of which Mr. Boeppler is the conductor, had been chosen by Frederick Stock, conductor of the orchestra, to sing the chorus of the symphony, and the choice was a most happy one as the singers knew their business, and tenors and sopranos soared to highest altitudes while they were not afraid to volplane toward the low domain of baritones and basses. The massiveness of their tone was only matched by the exquisiteness of their pianismos. Here is a choral society which can sing true to pitch, and this is so rare nowadays that mention is here made to congratulate the Singverein as well as its able conductor, William Boeppler. Frederick Stock, who conducted the symphony from memory, as he does everything else, long ago has risen to stardom. That Stock is not yet a prima donna conductor is due to his seeming modesty. Perhaps he is not as modest as one is made to believe, yet there is never outside of his own community sufficient glamor around his name to assure him international fame; but to those who really know, Stock is one of the big men of the day in the musical world. Even though this was the last concert of the season, space forbids a long analytical report. To pile superlatives upon superlatives seems superfluous. It has been a long time since the ninth symphony has been played in Chicago. It will also be a long time before we hear it as well performed as on this occasion. The fine reading of the Ninth Symphony will stand as a monument in the glorification of the Chicago Symphony and of its distinguished and able conductor, Frederick Stock. one of two readings
64The soloists had been well chosen—Marie Sundelius, Nevada Van der Veer, Herbert Gould and Tudor Davis. Herbert Gould surprised his most sanguine admirers by his remarkable presentation of the bass-baritone part. Gould is in great demand throughout the country and there is a reason. It is the goal of this very young singer to go to Europe for a year or so. If he does, he will surprise our English cousins in oratorio, and should he sing in opera, the Italian and French audiences will recognize his merits quickly. They are numerous, and as an oratorio singer he stands today in the front rank among American singers. Tudor Davis is justly regarded as one of the foremost oratorio singers of the day. After his rendition of the tenor part in the ninth symphony his claim to that place is highly justified. He is all that we have heard and a little more.
66Mme. Van der Veer's singing of the contralto part left nothing to be desired. She has long been regarded an oratorio singer par excellence. She always lives up to that reputation. Marie Sundelius did well under trying conditions. The climate of Chicago is not the best in the world. After summer-like days last week, on Symphony Day we had a blizzard, snow making its appearance, which was nothing but disturbing for a soprano and many others, as throughout the program we heard many habitues coughing and sneezing. A soprano, even when such a splendid singer as Mme. Sundelius, is human, and she, too, suffered from a cold. The balance of the program was delightful and the season just closing may be looked upon as one of the most enjoyable in the history of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
68Rene Devries.
70Erstinn Soloist with Seven Glee Clubs
72The Mendelssohn Glee Club of Kingston (Harry P. Dodge, director), the Apollo Club of Middletown, Poughkeepsie Euterpe Club, Saugerties Glee Club, Schubert Club of Schenectady and the Troy Vocal Society will give a concert at Kingston, N. Y., on May 18 under the auspices of the Hudson Valley Glee Clubs Association. Gitla Erstinn will be soloist, this marking her third engagement with the Kingston Mendelssohn Club. Miss Erstinn also will appear in Montclair on May 1, with the Hartford Choral Society in Hora Novissima on May 10 and with the Troy Vocal Society on May 12. April 25 she was soloist with the Poughkeepsie Orchestra.
74Second Bloch Musicale
76Alexander Bloch gave his second pupils' recital of this season on April 7. Those who participated were: Irving Argay, Jeanette Elner, Anna Klomberg (Wykoff, N. J.), George Porter Smith (Freeport, L. I.), Louise Laurence (Freehold, N. J.), accompanied by Sylvia Laurence, pupil of Mrs. Bloch; Agnes Clegg (Berkeley, Cal.), accompanied by Jean Allen; and Ruth Taylor MacDowell. There was a large and appreciative audience present. The last musicale of the season will be given in May.
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