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Musical Courier 1927-11-10: Vol 95 Iss 19, 1927
74 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHICAGO CIVIC OPERA'S OPENING NIGHT A SCENE OF GREAT BRILLIANCE
3Verdi's La Traviata the Initial Offering With Muzio, Schipa, Bonelli in Leads—Musical Director Giorgio Polacco at the Helm—Other Operas of the Week
5BY RENE DEVRIES
7Last Thursday evening, November 3, Michigan Avenue and the streets adjacent to Congress Street were jammed with vehicles bringing to the Auditorium an army of opera-goers and society lights, who rubbed elbows with the middle class—all bent on being present at the premiere of the Chicago Civic Opera season.
9The choice of the opera for the opening night is of no consequence. Thus, old Traviata, for the first time in the history of this company, had the honor to lead the procession; for the simple reason that it afforded opportunities to Muzio, Schipa and Bonelli to display their vocal talent and histrionic ability.
11A first night at the opera is alike year after year. Mr. So and So is always there, Mrs. Such and Such is sure to be found among the box-holders; and during the intermissions old-timers will tell you anecdotes of how Traviata was sung in the days of the Pattis, and how styles have changed since the Auditorium was opened nearly half a century ago.
13The Musical Courier, being devoted solely to musical happenings, will make no mention here of the gowns of the ladies, or of the jewels worn by our society leaders and others; we make here only a passing comment that all the critics wore evening clothes, which will again be put in camphor until the opening of the next season.
15LA TRAVIATA, NOVEMBER 3
17Years ago, when we were serving our apprenticeship as critic on one of Chicago's largest dailies, a very erudite critic told us that in reviewing an opening night the most fastidious critic should dip his pen in honey and boost the opera, the artists and the management, notwithstanding shortcomings, which, after all, are quite common at the beginning of a season. This advice will be followed; and though we were quite irritated by the manner in which some of Verdi's music was rendered (several of the principals singing mezzo-voice as they do at rehearsal), no disparaging comment will be made. We do not want to show at this time our knowledge of the score by pointing out the many mistakes in matters of tempi that cropped up during this memorable night.
19PRINCIPALS
21We have been reproached in seasons gone by for not giving space in our columns to singers who appear in minor roles. To those who reproach us we will point out that during the football season only stars of the teams are given special mention in a write-up of the game. And this applies not only to football, racing and other sports, but to everything in life. Leaders are given prominence, while the ensemble are placed among the also ran.
23Claudia Muzio returned to the scene of her former triumphs in glorious fettle. She wore new costumes that suited her type of beauty to perfection, and she sang the role of Violetta with that authority that befits her great art. Her success was complete and her popularity increased many fold, as Muzio appeals not only to the connoisseurs but to the masses as well.
25Tito Schipa, he who has been nicknamed the "Prince of Tenors" lived up to that exalted appellation, singing admirably the music given to Germont Jr. His success was emphatic.
27Richard Bonelli counts many admirers here and they were on hand to applaud him vigorously throughout the evening.
29Giorgio Polacco, musical director of our company, was at the conductor's stand, from where he directed a performance entirely to his credit, to that of the audience and of the singers. Polacco conducts old operas as well as he does the moderns and is as much at home in the German, French or English repertory as in that of his native land. As a matter of record, it might be stated that the most tempestuous applause of the evening was given to Polacco as he made his way through the ranks of his orchestra to the conductor's desk. This token of appreciation was a sure mark of confidence in the man who looks after the musical destinies of our opera company.
31TANNHAUSER, NOVEMBER 4
33The writer has often taken exception to the trips to foreign countries by opera managers in search of singers, and has written many articles on this subject, which appeared in this paper. Those articles were all wrong and our views are quite changed after hearing the performance of Tannhauser that brought forth two newcomers—Leone Kruse and Heinrich Schlusnus. Both were engaged abroad by business manager Herbert M. Johnson; and if it were only for securing those two artists that he scoured Europe in search of talent, his trip was well worth while.
35Leone Kruse belongs to that category of singers that have a right to be called "artist." Beautiful to gaze upon, her queenly appearance made a deep impression on the spectators as she appeared on the stage. Her manner is dignified; she has the allure of singers who have learned their métier in a first class opera house. Her authority was felt over the footlights and her beautiful singing was therefore not unexpected. Not at all nervous, she was so sure of herself that one realized that the newcomer was not intimidated by the immensity of the Auditorium nor by those who had come to the theater with a critical ear.
37JERITZA SCORES NEW SUCCESS IN AMERICAN PREMIERE OF VIOLANTA
39Superb Performance Given at Metropolitan by Excellent Cast—Two Newcomers Make Debut in Meistersinger—Andrea Chenier and Haensel and Gretel Delightfully Done—First Sunday Night Concert
41DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NURNBERG
43The first Meistersinger of the present season was the second performance of the season, which opened on October 31 with Puccini's Turandot. It brought two newcomers to the German personnel of the Metropolitan: Grete Stückgold, soprano, who sang the part of Eva, and Richard Mayr, bass, who was Pogner. The rest of the cast was familiar to Metropolitan Opera audiences: Kathleen Howard as Magdelene, Rudolf Laubenthal as Walter von Stolzing, Clarence Whitehill as Hans Sachs, Gustav Schützendorf as Beckmesser, and George Meader as David. The conductor, Bodanzky, is also familiar to New York audiences.
45The music on this occasion was, in part, beautifully done, in part it seemed ragged, with moments of unequal balance and moments, too, when the orchestra was far too loud for the voices. These things happen, even in the best regulated of opera houses, and probably nobody, even among those in charge, could say exactly why.
47However, let it not be supposed that the performance was anything but good. Though not quite up to Metropolitan Opera standards, yet it was excellent Wagner. The new soprano, Grete Stückgold, helped to make it so. She looks young and has a young sounding voice, and she seems to fit admirably into Wagner's intentions in this role. This Eva was vigorous enough where vigor was called for, and seemed capable of having a temper when things did not go the way they should. Once having made up her mind to wed Walter—and not some other possible winner of her hand through the musical contest around which the Wagner plot centers—she was not going to let anything interfere with her plans. She brought this out clearly and made the plot all the more interesting thereby. She was cordially received by the audience.
49Mayr—her father in the opera—made an initial impression perhaps not quite so good. Though solid in the traditions of the role, and, perhaps, looking the part, his voice did not carry any too well in the great auditorium of the Metropolitan, and he seemed somehow, lacking in magnetic personality. It was surmised by those who have heard him in Germany, that he was nervous. It would be small wonder.
51Whitehill is always remarkable, and never more so than Hans Sachs. There is no more loving personality in all drama than the cobbler-philosopher and Whitehill conceives and executes the part so as to bring out this quality to its fullest extent. Everyone loves Hans Sachs—and everyone loves Whitehill. His excellent singing and his extraordinary technical knowledge give him the power to bring to the audience all that Wagner intended in the role; and it is made completely delightful and satisfying. It was so on this occasion—which, by the way, was Whitehill's birthday.
53David and Sachs belong together in the opera, and either one could lessen the effectiveness of the character portrayal of the other. Meader as David is a perfect counterfoil for Whitehill as Sachs. Meader, in fact, is perfectly fitted for a role of this sort. And as David he is as near perfect as may be, and a delight to the Wagner enthusiast. In a certain sense, David and Beckmesser are the life of the opera; and if Meader was good as David, so was Schützendorf as Beckmesser.
55Schützendorf's make-up for the role is excellent. His pale, expressionless face and long, straggly hair, render all
57Photo © Times Wide World
58MARTA JERITZA
59in the title role of Korngold's opera, Violanta, of which the first American performance was given at the Metropolitan on November 5. Mme. Jeritza's interpretation of this tragic role added one more to her long list of successes. Her acting was amazingly forceful and original, and her glorious voice soared over the noisiest orchestra score that has ever been heard in the Metropolitan.
61(Continued on page 39)
63RETURNS MUSICAL WANDERERS
65(Ship News by the Special Musical Courier Quarantine Reporter.)
67NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 7.—European concert tours will take on a different aspect in the future if success crowns the plans brought in this week by Dr. Geza de Koos, arriving aboard the White Star liner Majestic. To show how much in earnest he was about the idea, Dr. de Koos produced a letter of introduction from the American Ambassador at The Hague and introduced Myra Mortimer and Conrad V. Bos, her accompanist, arriving on the same ship, to give any personal endorsement needed.
69This is the first visit of Dr. de Koos to America after arranging concerts abroad for American artists for a number of years, and he came as representative of a score of European managers. It seems that the managers have conceived the centralization idea and banded together to use it. By working together they can offer an artist contracts for forty or fifty concerts instead of half a dozen or so, and on this first visit Dr. de Koos will spend six weeks arranging for this extended European booking for as many American artists as possible.
71Dr. de Koos and Mr. Bos declared the plan will give artists benefits they have wanted and should have had long ago, and anyway the idea seems interesting with its possibility of spreading so that artists will henceforth be booked
73(Continued on page 39)
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