Books › Musical Courier 1927-11-17: Vol 95 Iss 20, 1927 › scan 23
Scan 23
Musical Courier 1927-11-17: Vol 95 Iss 20, 1927
67 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 24. See the scan on archive.org.
1NEW YORK CONCERTS
2(Continued from page 20)
3decidedly ugly with the exception of the first episode in which a slight emotional element enters.
5The legend of Pelleas and Melisande is so closely allied with Debussy that, although Faure wrote his before the Debussy work, it loses the greater part of its color by a hearing today in contrast, Faure's understanding of the drama is altogether different from Debussy's. There is a tenderness and haunting quality to the Prelude which is in direct contrast to the ominous Debussy idea, and the second motive, which depicts the Fountain scene, has a delightful melody appearing above the muted string section, that serves as a background. The Meistersinger Prelude and Strauss' Eulenspiegel Pranks were the familiar numbers well executed by Fritz Busch and his players.
7Marianne Kneisel Quartet
8Four young ladies, who are at the same time four old musicians, played four string quartets at the Town Hall on November 11. Old musicians they are because they play chamber music with an authority, poise and all round excellence that betoken thorough study and much experience. In a program containing a Haydn Quartet, two pieces by Glazounov and Hugo Wolf, and Smetana's beautiful Aus Meinem Leben, they clearly demonstrated that the Kneisel Quartet (Jr.) is one to be reckoned with.
10Marianne Kneisel bears not only a striking facial resemblance to her late illustrious father, Franz Kneisel, but a musical and violinist resemblance as well. In her clarity of execution, simple and unaffected style and objective devotion to the music under discussion, one sees the teaching and influence of the master violinist and chamber musician that was her father.
12The Kneisel style of quartet playing has been imparted to the other three members, namely Elizabeth Worth, second violin, Mary Lackland, viola, and Nancy Wilson, cello, with the result that the playing of the ladies shows a unity of purpose and style which make for exceedingly good ensemble.
14The lovely and very difficult Smetana quartet, which used to be the "war horse" of the famous Bohemian four, was given a reading which was in all respects satisfying and praiseworthy. In this work, Miss Lackland shone brightly in the difficult episodes given to the viola, which instrument Smetana raised to great importance here. All in all, it was an evening of real enjoyment for those who know how to enjoy absolute music—and the number of those seems to be slowly but surely increasing, as is shown by the attendance at chamber music and symphony concerts.
16November 12
17John Carroll
18John Carroll was heard in his annual concert at Town Hall on November 12. Again a friendly audience applauded his fine baritone voice in a selection of songs that embraced Italian, French, German and English, with a share of Irish ballads cast in for good measure. Mr. Carroll is always enjoyable in the last mentioned type of songs and there were several new ones to bid for popular favor. Keel's Salt Water Ballads scored high; the final group included a manuscript, Footfalls, by Proctor, a first time by his excellent accompanist, Edward Morris, called Yo Cain't 'Git Yo' Lodging Here, Deppen's charmingly melodic Oh Lucindy (another first time) and one of the best songs of Rhea Silberta, I Met Dame Fate.
20At the end of the program there were recalls and encores, one going home with the feeling that at least he hadn't been bored—which is a lot these days.
22Jose Echaniz
23An audience of considerable size assembled to hear the second recital this season of Jose Echaniz, Cuban pianist, at Carnegie Hall on November 12. In a program calling for variety of style, solid musicianship, delicacy and dexterity the pianist confirmed and augmented the excellent impression made by him a month ago.
25Technically Mr. Echaniz is easily equal to all demands; in the concluding numbers, Liszt's rarely played fifth Hungarian Rhapsody, and Busoni's arrangement of the E Major Polonaise by the same composer, he rose to heights of real virtuosity.
27Brahms opened the program in a worthy and dignified manner, and this applies to the performance as well as to the composition. The sonata, which is rarely played, is an early opus, and is interesting in that it shows the nuclei of the grandeur and depth of the master's later works.
29In addition to a Chopin group, played in real Chopinesque style there were pieces by Debussy, Scriabine and De Falla. In the last, as well as in encores of Spanish music, the recitalist was particularly happy, the characteristic rhythmic lilt and accent being second nature to him.
31Prolonged applause at the conclusion of the recital brought forth the customary encores at close range.
33November 13
34Francis Rogers
35Francis Rogers, baritone, drew a capacity audience to Town Hall on November 13. As is his invariable custom, Mr. Rogers sang with that ease, finish and understanding of the content of song which make for a well nigh perfect delivery. This baritone is so well known on the New York concert stage, as the large and appreciative audience indicated, that an extended notice at this time seems hardly necessary. Again one was impressed by the singer's ability to portray vividly the various moods by his extensive program. His splendid vocal control, especially in the sustained mezza voce and the fluent runs, brought repeated recalls.
37Of his first group the audience evidently liked Webb's The Mansion of Peace the best. It was a beautiful, smoothly flowing melodic lyric sung by Mr. Rogers in his finest style. The other numbers in this group were by Rosa, Handel and Veracini. Four Brahms songs followed, after which Mr. Rogers was heard in several French numbers which required wide variety of tonal color. For every requirement the singer was splendidly equipped.
39Following the songs by foreign composers, there is always gratification when the recitalist begins the group in our own tongue, usually found at the end of the program. Mr. Rogers' choice on this occasion was especially enjoyable. Each song had intrinsic merit, but Weaver's Moon-Marketing caught the popular fancy a bit more strongly than the others and was repeated.
41There were twenty-three listed songs. Two were repeated and three more added at the end of the program. As usual, Mr. Rogers sang and Isadore Luckstone, his accompanist, played, without notes.
43Ilse Niemack
44The Gallo Theater, opened last week by the San Carlo Opera Company, was happily inaugurated as a recital auditorium on the afternoon of November 13 by Ilse Niemack. This young violinist is, by now, a familiar and always welcome artist in New York musical circles, and at this recital she distinguished herself not only as a violinist, but also as a composer, playing for the first time in the metropolis a sonata from her own pen. So often a young artist in his first serious endeavors at composition betrays the labor involved that it is refreshing to hear so genuine and spontaneous a musical expression as was found in Miss Niemack's sonata. But sincerity was not its only or chief claim to credit, for there was originality of idea, good development and a fine flow of melody. Miss Niemack also chose one of her own compositions for an encore, a delightful little mood picture entitled Barcarolle.
46For her first group the violinist presented works by Friedemann Bach and J. S. Bach (arranged by Kreisler) and in them she displayed technical skill and a tone rich and resonant throughout the registers. Following her own sonata came a group in which she included Goldmark's Call of the Plains, a Minuet by Porpora-Kreisler, a beautiful rendition of the Chopin-Wilhelmj Nocturne and a brilliant performance of Ries' Perpetuum Mobile. Two Spanish dances by Sarasate concluded the printed program, but there were several encores.
48Walter Golde gave his usual musicianly support at the piano.
50Lawrence Tibbett
51The appearance of Lawrence Tibbett at Carnegie Hall on November 13 was an event in New York musical circles. The spectacular rise of the young baritone in his operatic career has drawn the public's eye on him, no matter what he essays. His recital on this occasion was an opportunity for ascertaining just how far he has progressed in an artistic sense rather than a purely vocal one. His voice is a lovely one; that is a fact long established and he has had ample tests of its power in the Pagliacci role and in the King's Henchman at the Metropolitan. It was a real pleasure to find that Mr. Tibbett has taken obvious pains to round out his art to the point where he can be classed as a very interesting concert figure. The first group he presented was taxing. It would have been taxing for the very greatest and he stood the test gloriously. The blending of his emotional nature with a broad classic style was a fine achievement. The voice flowed easily and the warmth which was given to these numbers and to the Brahms Wir Wandelt and Meine Liebe Ist Gruen was never sentimental but always intensity. The Credo from Otello, rarely heard on a concert program, was imbued with proper dramatic fervor; abandon and sinister resentment were clearly depicted by the singer, and it can be said without reserve that Mr. Tibbett is ever keenly sensitive to the dramatic. The singer also has a sense of comedy. This he cleverly exploited in Rupert Hughes' Bricklayer Love, while Captain Stratton's Fancy was the signal for encore after encore. Mention should also be made of the La Forge number which was done with great delicacy of sentiment and an added artistic interest lent by the composer's own accompaniment. To say that Mr. Tibbett was glorious and that he delighted a huge audience seems banal . . . and yet that is just what he did at his concert; gave genuine pleasure; which after all is the true function of music and musicians from the standpoint of the audience.
53Michio Ito
54If Michio Ito's first recital at the John Golden Theater last Sunday evening is a criterion of the quality of those to follow, lovers of the dance may look forward to two more evenings of genuine enjoyment from this artist this season. Mr. Ito's first group on this occasion was made up of Japanese dances, and included Yamada's Tsuru-Kame, an Eighteenth Century dance which is performed on festive occasions, and for which Ito wore a Sunrise full dress costume, which took no little skill to manipulate. His second number also was by Yamada, and the group concluded with his own grotesque Fox Dance, performed with great agility. Mr. Ito's dancing is true Japanese art; imaginative but yet very definite. His work is that of the finished artist, every detail of movement apparently having been worked out with the greatest care. In his Chinese group his face was used most effectively for phrasing—something which must be seen to be appreciated. This group concluded with a virile and vigorous performance of a Spear Dance. In decided contrast was a Spanish group, danced to music by Albeniz and Sarasate. Then there were also five unusual sketches to music by S-riabine, and the program concluded with Debussy's Golliwog's Cake Walk. Throughout the entire program the costumes were appropriate and impressive.
56Mr. Ito was assisted by the Vertchamp String Quartet, the personnel of which includes Albert Vertchamp, first violin; Rudolph Fuchs, second violin; Emanuel Hirsh, viola, and John Mundy, cello. These four sterling musicians were heard in numbers by Dvorak, Ernest Bloch, Haydn, Raff, Borodine and Mendelssohn, and their playing was marked by good ensemble, rhythmic precision and sympathetic interpretation.
58Genevieve Pitot was the accompanist of the evening and acquitted herself more than creditably in that capacity as well as in several solos.
60The Roxy Concert
61The fourth Roxy concert drew a goodly audience to that theater on Sunday morning last, a half hour before noon, the soloist being Julia Glass, pianist. She was heard in the Tchaikowsky concerto, in B flat minor, which was well performed. The Nutcracker Suite and March Slav, by the same composer, made it an all-Tchaikowsky program, given under the skilled baton of Erno Rapee.
63New York Philharmonic
64After two weeks of wandering about the fastnesses of the great American provinces, Mengelberg and the New York Philharmonic returned to Carnegie Hall for an afternoon concert on November 13, to play a program of works more or less familiar. The least familiar was the Gothic Chaconne of Dopper, a piece with moments of beauty, some Orientalism, some modernism, and many longueurs. With a
66(Continued on page 26)
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.