Books › Musical Courier 1927-10-27: Vol 95 Iss 17, 1927 › scan 41
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Musical Courier 1927-10-27: Vol 95 Iss 17, 1927
68 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 42. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSIC IN MILAN
3MILAN.—The second opera of the season was given at the Teatro Dal Verme on September 14, with two Americans in the principal roles—Aroldi Lindi (Harold Lindau) and Selma Segah. Mr. Lindi took the role of Rhadames, in which he has gained much fame throughout Italy and Europe. At La Scala two seasons ago he was said to be one of the best artists singing this role at the present time. He was in fine voice at the Dal Verme performance and received a tremendous ovation after his Celeste Aida. His portrayal was strong and heroic, the full beauty and strength of his voice showing to greatest advantage in the beautiful music of the Nile scene, which he interpreted with great ability. The applause was generous all through this act in open scene, and at the closing phrase, Sacerdote io resto a te, the audience broke into wild demonstrations. In the tomb scene of the last act he sang with rare artistry.
5Selma Segah (Selma Segal, of Newark, N. J.) was heard for the first time in the important role of Aida, the critical Milan audience receiving this young American soprano with much enthusiasm. Miss Segah has a voice of beautiful quality and reflects great credit upon her teacher, Maestro Arturo Cadore, of Milan. She uses her voice with exceptional ability and shows splendid training in keeping an even quality in all registers. After her solo in the first act she received much applause, and in the Nile scene she was enthusiastically applauded in open scene. Judging from her display of vocal and artistic ability and the enthusiastic manner in which she was received it is safe to predict a great future for this young and talented American.
7Gabriella Galli made a regal Princess and she sang the role of Amneris with much power and beauty of voice, her magnetic personality dominating the stage throughout the opera. The balance of the competent supporting cast was made up of Dolinsky, as Amonasro; Gregorio Melnik, formerly of La Scala, as Ramphis; Zucca, as the King, and Mattioli as the messenger. Maestro Angelo Ferrari conducted with taste; the scenery and costumes were elaborate and beautiful; there was a large and well-trained ballet, and also a separate Moretti ballet of small children which was especially pleasing and thoroughly schooled. All this rounded out a splendid ensemble. The huge audience called artists and maestro before the curtain many times. It was difficult to realize that one was in an Italian theater, as one heard more English spoken than the national language. Undoubtedly most of the American students in Milan were in attendance and demonstrated much pride and satisfaction at the wonderful reception given these two talented Americans.
9The season's third offering was Puccini's Madame Butterfly, given on September 20 with the only soprano from the Philippine Islands in the role of Cio Cio San—Isang Tapales. She is very tiny, delightful and charming; her voice is of beautiful quality and of much strength, and her interpretation is interesting. She was well received and generously applauded after her second act solo, Un bel di vedremo, which she rendered artistically. Miss Tapales proved herself an artist of exceptional ability and taste; she is a pupil of Maestro Caronna of Milan, formerly a baritone with the Hammerstein Manhattan Opera forces. Angelo Pintucci sang the role of Pinkerton. His voice is of pleasant timbre, and he sang the role in an artistic manner. Ottavio Serpo was the Sharpless, Luisa Squarzina the Suzuki, and Alfredo Mattioli deserves much commendation for his exceptionally artistic impersonation of Goro. Maestro Ferrari conducted. A large audience filled the house and recalled artists and maestro many times after each act.
11Alessandro Bonci demands from an impresario of Barcelona, Spain, one million liras (about $57,000) for broadcasting his performance of Ballo in Maschera without his knowledge. Mr. Bonci was engaged by the impresario of the Lyric Theater of Barcelona to sing there during the months of December, 1926, and January, 1927, six performances of the operas Ballo in Maschera, and Puccini's La Boheme at a salary of 5,000 pesetas a performance. After singing two performances of Ballo in Maschera, Mr. Bonci contracted influenza and in consequence both parties agreed to dissolve the contract on January 10. On his return to Italy Bonci, much to his surprise, learned from his many friends here that they had heard him sing Ballo in Maschera in Barcelona over their radios and remarked how much they enjoyed his famous rendition of the Risata. Bonci was very indignant, as he knew nothing about it and had not authorized the impresario to broadcast his performance. Bonci claims that Impresario Mestres, in installing the broadcasting device in the theater during his performance, violated the contract and damaged his (Bonci's) artistic prestige, as it is his belief that in transmitting tones through the radio they lose considerably from atmospheric contact and do not always reach the listener in perfection. So Bonci, through his lawyer, G. B. Migliori, is suing Impresario Mestres for the above named sum in the civil court of Milan and the trial has been called for December 19.
13Eleanora Corona, American soprano, accompanied by her mother and her manager, Paul Longone, passed through Milan on her way from Central America to Asti, near Torino, where she fulfilled an engagement to sing three performances of Norma. The press of Asti is full of praise for this beautiful American artist. They attended the opening performance of Aida at the Teatro Dal Verme and left for New York on the steamship Roma.
15Fanny Cole, American coloratura soprano, and in private life the wife of John Semple, well known tenor and vocal teacher of Chicago, is spending some time in Milan studying new roles with the well known vocal teacher, Giannina Russ. Miss Cole expected to leave about the middle of October for America to fill an engagement with the Philadelphia Opera Company.
17ANTONIO BASSI.
19MUSIC ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE
21SEATTLE, WASH.
23SEATTLE WASH.—The musical season was officially opened September 21, when the Ladies' Musical Club presented Marion Talley as the first attraction of its annual artist course. Miss Talley was greeted with a capacity audience, and with an extra 200 seats on the stage there were still those who were unable to obtain admission. The assisting artists on the program were John Corigliano, violinist, and Steward Wille, pianist. The other numbers on the course will include Lawrence Tibbett, Jascha Heifetz and the English Singers.
25Sousa and his Band were in Seattle on September 29 and 30 giving two programs daily.
27Kirk Towns, prominent voice teacher, presented a large number of his pupils in his annual students' recital at the Metropolitan Theater. Included on his program, in addition to many songs groups, were ten operatic selections sung in costume. In accordance with an established custom, Mr. Towns also contributed a group of songs.
29The 1927-28 season of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra is to offer fourteen concerts, eight evening performances and six concerts for young people. Rehearsals for the orchestra have begun, and conductor Krueger promises an even more attractive series than last season, when the orchestra had such an auspicious beginning.
31Jacques Jou-Jerville, who has been one of Seattle's leading voice teachers for many years, has returned from his visit to Europe, and is now preparing for a busy season. His especial efforts will be devoted to building up a finer opera course, to stimulate the interest in civic opera. Mr. Jou-Jerville was the chorus master this past summer for the open air presentation of Aida.
33John Albert Shaffer presented his talented pupil, James Ward, in a violin recital, October 7, at Plymouth Church. Arville Belstad provided the accompaniments.
35The Junior Amphion Society, a branch of the older organization of the same name, has begun its rehearsals under the direction of Arville Belstad. This splendid chorus is composed of high school boys who are the future members of the Senior Amphions, Seattle's oldest choral organization.
37Dr. H. H. Gowen, of the faculty of the University of Washington, is delivering a course of lectures this year at the Cornish School.
39J. H.
41Alice Hackett Extolled by Iowa Critic
43Alice Hackett, interpreter of music for children, displayed her versatility at a recent recital at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where a reviewer wrote of her: "Alice Hackett is becoming increasingly popular with the older people as well as with the children in her musical interpretations. She is a pianist of great ability, and held her audience attentively. The program consisted of advance group, a nature group, and a street group, including numbers by American, English, and French composers."
45Miss Hackett will give a recital for children at the Calhoun School in Minneapolis, and also a recital in Grand Forks, N. D. She will appear under the auspices of the Music Maids' Club in North Platte in the near future.
47U. of P. Opera Travesty
49Big business, mythology and jazz are travestied in a new comic opera written during the past summer at Rockport, Mass., by Dr. H. Alexander Matthews and William O. Miller; it is entitled Hades, Inc. The plot of the opera deals with the vicissitudes of Orpheus in his effort to secure the release of Eurydice, and the situation resulting from the meeting of some of the mythological gods with a modern god of industry.
51Mr. Matthews is not only well known in Philadelphia music circles, but also throughout the country as a composer and choral conductor of ability. He has published more than two hundred original compositions, most of which are in the field of sacred music, and he is conductor of several noted choral societies in Philadelphia. In 1925, the University of Pennsylvania conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Music upon him. Mr. Miller has been prominently identified with musical activities for a number of years. During the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition he was vice-chairman of the music committee and chairman of the Festival chorus and the chorus of the states, which comprised 5,000 voices. He is editor of the songs of the University of Pennsylvania and of a book of Pennsylvania verse.
53William G. Moore, president of the University of Pennsylvania Musical Club, and Dr. Herbert J. Tily, president of Strawbridge & Clothier, announce that they have both chosen the new opera for presentation by their respective choruses next May. In commenting upon the work, Dr. Tily said: "Both libretto and music impress me as being of exceptionally fine merit, the libretto sparkles in humor and the music effectively presents the thoughts of the librettist. It will undoubtedly meet with popular approval." James Frances Cooke, author and composer, has stated that the work "strikes a delightful new note in high class comic opera. The satire is delicious and the infectious tunes are treated with a fine musicianship which will insure immense popular approval."
55A Busy Season for Arthur Kraft
57On October 1, Arthur Kraft, concert and oratorio tenor, reopened his studio in New York and is planning some strenuous work during the fall and winter months. He returned to New York refreshed after a vacation combined with some teaching at his summer camp, Watervale, Arcadia, Mich. He took with him a few of his selected pupils, and although they were all resting, some very definite results were accomplished. Toward the end of the summer term student concerts were given, and at the close of the class Mr. Kraft himself gave an interesting program of selections by Beethoven, Gluck, Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Watts, Rachmaninoff, Proctor and Curran.
59In addition to the studio work which Mr. Kraft has scheduled for himself for the coming season, he has been reengaged to sing Bach's St. Matthew's Passion in New York, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. He has been engaged as tenor soloist for the Mendelssohn Club of Chicago, and he will continue his affiliation with the La Forge-Berumen Studios. Mr. Kraft opened his first concert tour of the season with a recital at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa., on October 24. This tour covers appearances in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Indianapolis, Wisconsin and Missouri.
61James Massell's Musicale
63A large gathering of guests greeted with keen enthusiasm the singers who appeared at the musicale given by James Massell, at his New York studio, October 18. George Krasnow, Mrs. Benjamin Jablons and Beatrice Engel each gave numbers with taste, good diction and splendid interpretation. Caroline Ghedoni has an exceptional soprano voice and was equally at home in dramatic or coloratura arias, and also songs. Frances Sonin, popular interpreter of children's songs, was received by her listeners in a highly flattering manner. The real revelation of the afternoon was Styepan Slyopoushkin, basso cantante, soloist of the Russian Choir, conducted by Kibalchich, who on his tour through the States was often called the "second Chaliapin."
65Moiseiwitsch in Far East
67Benno Moiseiwitsch, pianist, is now giving a series of recitals throughout the Far East. November 21 will find him in Honolulu, and his first American appearance of the season will take place at San Francisco with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, under Alfred Hertz, on December 4. He will play in New York at Town Hall on the afternoon of January 2.
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