Books › Musical Courier 1927-10-27: Vol 95 Iss 17, 1927 › scan 30
Scan 30
Musical Courier 1927-10-27: Vol 95 Iss 17, 1927
111 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1October 27, 1927
3"MAHOMET GOES TO THE MOUNTAIN"
5A very interesting document has been issued by Carl D. Kinsey, general director of the Chicago Musical College, announcing a winter and spring tour of Herbert Witherspoon, eminent musician, educator, and president of the Chicago Musical College.
7President Witherspoon will undertake this tour in response to urgent requests from former pupils and teachers who cannot come to Chicago during the season. He will hear in the cities to be visited old friends and their pupils with the idea of helping them in their work. The cities and dates are as follows: St. Louis, Mo., December 5; Tulsa, Okla., 6 and 7; Kansas City, Mo., 8; St. Joseph, Mo., 9; Des Moines, Ia., 10; Battle Creek, Mich., February 23; Dallas, Tex., March 5 and 6; Denton, Tex., March 6; Austin, Tex., 7; San Antonio, Tex., 8; Houston, Tex., 9; Beaumont, Tex., 10; Texarkana, Tex.-Ark., 11 and 12; Fort Worth, Tex., 13 and 14; Wichita Falls, Tex., 15; Amarillo, Tex., 16; Oklahoma City, Okla., 17; Indianapolis, Ind., April 13.
9A limited number of examination auditions and lessons will be arranged at each place, and lectures will be given in several cities.
11WIDE AWAKE SEATTLE!
13A last of programs for this season's evening concerts of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra shows a wide range of orchestral music, which must needs demand a conductor of great experience and catholicity of taste in the presentation, and a similarly qualified audience in the appreciation. It is a great satisfaction to know that Seattle, so far removed geographically from the musical centers of the world, possesses both. America has long outgrown the status of infancy in matters musical; in our country the French phrase il n'y a plus d'enfants now applies in full force to the musical public. Karl Krueger, conductor of the orchestra, possesses the faculty of program construction so often lacking even in the best masters of the baton. Balance, climax and absence of prolixity are noticeable in his arrangement of the works to be presented. He does homage to Mendelssohn and Schumann, thus showing that he does not share with a certain fanatical cult the view that the music of those two masters has become superannuated. Also he has the courage (as did our own Theodore Thomas) to place a Strauss waltz on the same program with the Oberon Overture and the Cesar Franck Symphony.
15MUSICAL COURIER
17THE DIMINISHED SEVENTH
19In an issue of Sackbutt of almost a year ago, Eric Blom, under the title of A Disgraceful Career, traces the history of the diminished seventh chord and chortles in his joy that at last we have come finally to the end of its disgraceful career. "The chord of the diminished seventh," he says, "always a groveling creature, at last lies broken in the dust." But does it? Alas we fear not. The dear old diminished seventh is still with us and will be for many a long year. The modernists are few, the educated technicians fewer still, and there are about a million musicians who think that they can compose though they have neither knowledge nor talent. To them the diminished seventh chord is still a source of unbounded delight. With it they can hop from bough to bough and from key to key and with it they expect to be able to express everything from deep and tender passion to dread and destruction. What in the old days of theatrical musical interludes was known as chills and fever music was made by this simple formula: diminished seventh chord plus tremolo. Oh! no, we have not got rid of dear old Dim. He may be getting dimmer but he is still with us.
21(b) First page—Wieniawski D minor Concerto (See Example II).
23(1) The original way in which Wieniawski wrote this scale. It is, however, well nigh impossible to hear every note distinctly in tune.
24(2) Playing the scale in fingered octaves is much more distinct. The whole tones occur each time between 1/2 and 1/4, which is more practical than when playing a half tone in the same position as shown below.
25(3) Although this way is simplified it sounds practically the same as when playing octaves only. It is much less difficult and therefore less dangerous.
27(c) You will notice that by using the lower line the bass notes of each arpeggio are played on the G string. (See Example III)
29(d) (1) The fingering below and the notes changed at the end of the run are both used by the Belgian master, Eugene Ysaye (Vieuxtemps' greatest disciple) (See Example IV)
30(2) The changed way below is by Prof. Leopold Auer and can be found in the Augener Edition (See Example V)
32NEWS FLASH
34Levitzki's Triumph in London
35(Special cable to the Musical Courier)
36London.—Levitzki wins veritable triumph. Ovations. Splendid press comments.
37(Signed) J. P.
39London Gives Greatest Ovation to Hempel
40(Special cable to the Musical Courier)
41London.—After an absence of two years, Frieda Hempel was given the greatest ovation ever tendered an artist in London. Hundreds were turned away and the celebrated singer was cheered as she left Queen's Hall.
42(Signed) Wm. Boosey.
44Koussevitzky Makes American Debut as Double Bass Soloist
45(Special telegram to the Musical Courier)
46Boston.—Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, made his American debut as a virtuoso of the double bass at Symphony Hall here on October 24 before a brilliant audience representative of social and musical Boston. The occasion was a benefit for needy Russian students abroad and a ten dollar top for tickets did not prevent the auditorium from being completely filled. Koussevitzky's playing was a revelation, altogether justifying the extraordinary praise with which his art had been awarded in Europe. Never had a double bass seemed so capable of becoming so expressive and eloquent as a solo instrument. Koussevitzky was accorded an ovation and the throng refused to budge until he had added numerous encores. He will probably give a similar recital in New York.
47(Signed) J. C.
49WHAT THE JURY THINKS
51The music critics of the New York dailies constitute the jury in the appended extracts from criticisms which have appeared in the local newspapers. Many concerts and operas are given in the metropolis, and the following day the critics agree or disagree on the merits or demerits of the performer. However, on most occasions the writers do not agree, and this department is conducted for the purpose of reproducing some of the contradictions, showing that, after all, the review constitutes but the personal opinion of the critic who covers the performance.—The Editor.
53Rose Zulalian, October 17
55AMERICAN
56Quality like velvet . . . there was no withstanding the appeal of her luscious medium tones and superb top notes.
58WORLD
59The voice is not great, nor is it devoid of certain flaws in tone and resonance, but at least the method of production is decently subdued.
61TIMES
62Her lowest notes are lacking both in volume and quality, and the higher incline to shrillness.
64HERALD
65Her singing generally showed skill if not remarkable interpretative feeling and sympathy for her songs.
67Mischa Weisbord, October 19
69TIMES
70So obvious is Mr. Weisbord's technical ability that it is a puzzle to know why he selected Paganini's Le Streghe or Wieniawski's Russian Airs for his program. They bristle with technical difficulties which Mr. Weisbord surmounted with ease and dexterity.
72WORLD
73To be really thrilling, fireworks must go off without a hitch. One must have more than adequate technic to make Paganini's Witches Dance and Ernst's Hungarian Melodies worth the effort of sitting through them; one must have a good voice.
75Mr. Weisbord's fireworks fizzled at times. His rockets did not always reach the sky, his Roman candles failed to shoot straight.
77Frederick Gunster, October 19
79JOURNAL
80. . . an exceptional voice and an unusually good technical equipment . . . beautiful tone and plenty of it . . . a scale without a break in it, singing that was easy and fluent.
82TELEGRAM
83Grieg, had he heard Mr. Gunster sing the adorable A Vision and . . . A Swan might have whispered in the tenor "unbelievable." The last named song was indeed a consummate performance. . . . So long as this artist concertizes The Songs of Grieg will not lack their qualified champion.
85JOURNAL
86His voice is not one of the great ones . . . and the upper tones, owing to his persistent failure to cover them, give him frequent trouble. His vocalism, when not too hampered technically, is thoroughly agreeable, however small scale.
88JOURNAL
89Mr. Gunster was an excellent example of what foreigners . . . somewhat maliciously like to call American singing—singing without temperament, as it is called; in a word, without heart, without emotion in it. Mr. Gunster might truly have became a great artist if he were blessed with the power to feel deeply the mood and the particular emotional inwards of a song. one of two readings
90Mr. Gunster was an excellent example of what foreigners . . . somewhat maliciously like to call American singing—singing without temperament, as it is called; in a word, without heart, without emotion in it. Mr. Gunster might truly have became a Griegian artist if he were blessed with the power to feel deeply the mood and the particular emotional inwards of a song. one of two readings
92QUESTIONS ABOUT VIOLIN STUDY ANSWERED
93By Leon Sametini
95Leon Sametini, distinguished violinist, pedagog and teacher at the Chicago Musical College, has been secured by the Musical Courier to conduct this department and will answer questions pertaining to violin study. Teachers and students may address Mr. Sametini at 830 Orchestra Building, Chicago. Mr. Sametini's time is so well occupied at the Chicago Musical College that he will only be able to answer a certain number of questions—naturally the most important—each week.
97Q.—Will you kindly suggest a more practical way of playing the following passages?
98E. F.
99A. (a) Last line, first page Goldmark violin concerto (See Example I)
100You will notice that when using the lower fingering all shifts, except the one from open E string to VIIth position, are eliminated.
102Example I.
104Example II.
106Example III.
108Example IV.
110Example V.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.