Books › Musical Courier 1927-10-27: Vol 95 Iss 17, 1927 › scan 32
Scan 32
Musical Courier 1927-10-27: Vol 95 Iss 17, 1927
49 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 33. 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.
1ON BOARD THE ILE DE FRANCE EN ROUTE FROM PARIS BACK TO NEW YORK
2Paul Poiret, who is busying himself with the draping of what those who saw the performance vouch was a steamer rug, over the shoulders of Grace Holst, proved her friend in need. It seems that Miss Holst lost her wrap en route to the Ile de France from Paris, and her flight awakened the sympathies of the famed couturier. Whether this photograph was made in New York harbor or at Cherbourg is a mystery. At any rate, Adamo Didur, Constance Talmadge, Caesar Formichi, Colonel Lytton G. Amment, Giuseppe de Luca, and Paul Ludskar are glad Miss Holst has a new coat. She seems pleased, too, and Poiret himself is too occupied to register any sort of emotion. (Photo by Musical Courier ship news reporter.)
4BOSTON
5SAN CARLO OPERA OPENS BOSTON SEASON
6La Tosca opened the annual season of the San Carlo Opera Company in this city on October 17 at the Boston Opera House. Myrna Sharlow, formerly of the Chicago Civic Opera, sang the title role with opulence of voice, and disclosed, moreover, some skill as an actress. The audience was particularly enthusiastic after her impassioned rendition of the familiar Vissi d'arte. Franco Tafuro made a highly convincing Mario, thanks largely to a voice of considerable warmth and power. He was obliged to repeat the ever-lovely aria in the last act. As Scarpia, Mario Valle revealed no mean histrionic ability and gave pleasure also through his singing. Francesco Curci's portrayal of the villainous police agent and Natale Cervi's humorous sacristan were, as usual, commendable interpretations. To Carlo Peroni, the versatile conductor of the San Carlo organization, should go the greatest praise for the success of the performance, for he proved himself again a competent orchestral leader, well versed in Italian operatic tradition, and a highly efficient prompter besides. The stage settings remain the same as in previous seasons, while the chorus has been reduced unfortunately to such an extent as to impair its effectiveness. An audience of good size gave the company a very cordial welcome.
7The other performances of the week introduced some singers new to Boston. Thus Rigoletto, on Tuesday, brought forward the coloratura soprano from Italy, Tina Paggi, as Gilda, with Thomas Alcaide, a new Portuguese tenor, as the Duke. Mme. Paggi was also heard in the title role of Martha at the Wednesday matinee, with Giuseppe Barsotti, Italian lyric tenor from South America, as Lionel. Gladys Axman, well known in this city, gave her familiar interpretation of Santuzza, in Cavalleria Rusticana, on Wednesday evening, Myrna Sharlow being heard as Nedda in Pagliacci the same night. Fernando Bertini, a baritone recently of the Costanza at Rome, and Edward Albano, from Italy, were also heard in the second opera. Thursday evening's Butterfly served to introduce successfully the charming Hizi Koyke in the title role, besides Ethel Leginska as an operatic conductor of understanding and no little power. Friday's La Traviata gave Mme. Paggi and Messrs. Tafuro and Valle another opportunity to display their admirable gifts, while Saturday's matinee performance of Hansel and Gretel was noteworthy by reason of the all-round competence of the cast, and especially through the effective singing of Ethel Fox, a young soprano who was formerly associated with the Metropolitan Opera Company. A highly commendable portrayal of Azucena by Coe Glade distinguished Saturday evening's Il Trovatore. Louise Taylor, formerly of the Chicago Opera, made her bow at the same performance. Such well known members of the company as Bernice Schalker and Messrs. Longelli and Interrante deepened the favorable impression that they had previously made in Boston. The complete casts for the first week were as follows: October 17—Tosca, with Miss Sharlow, Messrs. Valle and Tafuro; 18—Rigoletto, with Messrs. Valle, Alcaide, Mongelli, Mme. Paggi; 19 (matinee)—Martha, with Mmes. Paggi, Schalker, Messrs. Barsotti, Interrante; 19 (evening)—Cavalleria Rusticana, with Mmes. Axman and Glade, Messrs. Tafuro and Interrante, followed by Pagliacci, with Messrs. Bertini, Albano, Miss Sharlow; 20—Madam Butterfly, with Hizi Koyke, Messrs. Barsotti, Valle, Conductor, Ethel Leginska; 21—La Traviata, with Mme. Paggi, Messrs. Tafuro and Valle; 22 (matinee)—Hansel and Gretel, with Mmes. Fox, Schalker, Glade, Morosini; 22 (evening)—Il Trovatore, with Mmes. Taylor, Glade, Messrs. Bertini, Albano, Mongelli.
8Koussevitzky Plays Strauss' Symphonia Domestica
9The outstanding item on the second program of the season of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, October 14 and 15, was Richard Strauss' Symphonia Domestica. Mr. Koussevitzky gave it a reading that was characterized by restraint of a high order, an interpretation that revealed in telling fashion its spirit, its tenderness, its gaiety. One was conscious not only of Strauss' proverbial command of polyphony, his mastery of orchestral means, but more particularly of his ability to project human emotions in tones. The Russian leader was deservedly recalled several times by his enthusiastic audience, for the performance was in every sense a brilliant success.
10Mr. Koussevitzky opened his program with two chorales of Bach, arranged by Schoenberg, Schmucke Dich, O Liebe Seelen, and Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist, played for the first time in Boston. If Bach's organ music must be transcribed it is well that Schoenberg should do it. In this instance, at all events, he has done his work with skill and reverence, preserving to a remarkable degree the devotional mood of the original, its joy in the vision of God, its fervor and exaltation. The first chorale especially ought to prove a valuable addition to the orchestral repertory.
11The remaining number of the program was De Falla's El Amor Brujo, ballet music that suffers less than most music of its kind when transferred to the concert hall—thanks to its orchestral sensuousness, its colors dark and flashing, its rhythmic vitality. Mr. Koussevitzky conducts this type of music con amore, and the performance was one long to be remembered.
12J. C.
14The Helfenstein Chorister Institute, Inc., Granted Charter
15Of interest to the musical world is the Helfenstein Chorister Institute, Inc., recently granted a charter by the State of New York. As the name implies, it is founded to educate choristers for solo and part singing and will confine its activities to boys with musical talent. James Morris Helfenstein, who will direct the Institute and from whom its name is taken, is well known in musical and church circles through the success met with during his twenty-eight years as choirmaster and organist at Grace Church, New York.
16While graduates of the Helfenstein Chorister Institute will no doubt in later life take prominent places in the musical work generally, during their years under Mr. Helfenstein every effort will be made to offer them the most comprehensive scholastic and general education obtainable.
17Through the interest of Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Vanderlip, the Rodgers Mansion situated on their estate Beechwood, Scarborough-on-Hudson, New York, will be available as the home of the school. Adjacent to this property is the Scarborough School, a country day school of unusually high standing, where the boys of the Institute will receive their general education and athletic training.
19FIRST WEEK AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
20Korngold's Violanta to Be Given First American Performance on November 5—Other Operas
21Korngold's Violanta will have its first American performance at the Metropolitan on November 5. Korngold will be remembered for his Tote Stadt which the Metropolitan staged several years ago.
22The opera season will open on October 31 with Turandot and the schedule for the first week includes: November 2, Die Meistersinger; 3, Andrea Chenier; 4, Forza del Destino, and Rigoletto on Saturday evening, November 5. Jéritza will be heard in Turandot and Violanta. In Die Meistersinger, Greta Stuckgold as Eva and Richard Mayr as Pogner will be new to the cast. On Saturday afternoon, with Violanta, Hansel und Gretel will be given as part of a double bill, with Mmes. Fleischer, Mario, Wakefield and Flexer in the cast.
23The casts in the other operas will include Lauri-Volpi, Whitehill, Florence Easton, Rosa Ponselle, Philine Falco (who will make her debut in Forza del Destino), Dorothee Manski and Mildred Parisette (who will be heard here for the first time in Hansel und Gretel). In addition to these artists Guilford, Ryan, Lerch, Alcock and Wells, and the Laubenthal, Gigli and Danise will be heard during the first week of opera. The conductors will be Serafin, Bodanzky and Bellezza.
25Dayton-Westminster Choir, Mr. Hanson and Mr. Williamson
26The combination of the above three factors stands for the highest and best in choral music. Just as the city of Dayton, Ohio, is in many respects a model of what a city should be, the choir of its Westminster Church ranks high among the foremost choral bodies of today, both here and abroad.
27M. H. Hanson, whose interest in music is based on something much deeper than the fact that it is the medium of his successful managerial career, is in a sense the father of the organization, whose fall tour, under his management, will open on November 4 in the St. Louis Coliseum. It was largely through his efforts and his recognition of the exceptional ability of John Finley Williamson, the choir's gifted leader, that this body of singers was enabled in a very few years to rise to a position of real eminence in its field.
28"Six years ago," says Mr. Hanson, "I was invited to hear the choir of Dayton Westminster Church. I found a rather ordinary choir of sixty voices, full of enthusiasm both musical and religious. I found a marvelously gifted young conductor who had not yet found himself, who was driven to his work by intense religious feeling, and there and then I determined to help this man as much as was in my power to gain recognition, to gain the position in American musical life which he was ready to fill. It is exclusively due to him that the choir has reached the tremendous standard of today."
29"I brought Dr. F. Melius Christiansen, the celebrated director of St. Olaf choir, to Dayton to get his opinion, and Mr. Williamson acknowledged that he had conceived his ideas of choral conducting from hearing Dr. Christiansen's work. The Norwegian master expressed surprise at what he heard, and so we went on our way, working and singing. Mrs. H. E. Talbot of Dayton applied her great enthusiasm, her means and her influence towards the development of the choir, and Charles M. Kelso, the Dayton engineer, worked valiantly to save the young, then unsupported organization from sinking into oblivion.
30"We have done everything in our power to overcome the prejudice which a certain portion of our musical public entertains against church choirs. We are gradually proving that we are an American choir, aiming at the highest ideals, and I am happy to say that we are attaining them. Dayton's sixty singers are now able to sing programs of secular works as well as those collected from the services of the churches, and they sing everything from memory, unaccompanied. During my recent trip abroad I heard many choirs and choruses of importance in Great Britain, Holland, Germany and Czechoslovakia, and if the opportunity were to come I would not be afraid to let the Dayton Choir compete with the European organizations."
31During the coming tour of the choir there will be many interesting appearances, including three at Washington, D. C., and a reappearance at the famous house of Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Dupont in Wilmington, Del.
32T.
34First Biltmore Musicales
35The first of the series of Biltmore Musicales will take place on Friday morning, November 4, with the following soloists: Lucille Chalfonte, coloratura soprano; Louis Gravereux, baritone, and Mischa Weisbord, violinist.
37BRUCE BENJAMIN
38TENOR
39whose recent Town Hall recital was so enthusiastically received, keeps these Carl Fischer publications in his repertoire:
40FLAMES………………………………………By Horace Johnson
41High A, Med. F .50
42THE TIME OF PARTING………………………..By Henry Hadley
43High F#, Medium high F, Med. E .60
44CHRIST WENT UP INTO THE HILLS..By Richard Hageman
45High Eb, Low Cm .50
46THE HOME SONG……………………………By Fritz Kreisler
47High E , Low C .60
48Carl Fischer, Inc. Cooper Square New York 252 Tremont Street Boston 430 S. Wabash Avenue Chicago
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.