Books › Musical Courier 1927-11-17: Vol 95 Iss 20, 1927 › scan 30
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Musical Courier 1927-11-17: Vol 95 Iss 20, 1927
110 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1November 17, 1927
3MUSICAL COURIER
5VARIATIONS
7By the Editor-in-Chief
9The Musical Courier is in receipt of many a queer communication during the course of a season, but one of the most unusual came to this paper recently from a naive individual who shall be nameless even though he signed his letter courageously. The missive reads as follows:
11Dear Musical Courier:
13Being a spiritualist, a few months ago the spirits of Enrico Caruso and of Jean de Reszke visited me and for some reason began developing my voice which is getting to be a tenor voice somewhat resembling that of Mr. Caruso. On account of my limited means progress is slow and for the present I stopped on account of it being too tiresome to work as well as continuing this spiritual vocal development.
15However, I would like to know if you in some way could provide me with the necessary funds for my living expenses, and I assure you that within one month's time I will be the possessor of a voice that will amaze you. I am willing to undergo any kind of examination you may subject me to and I shall agree to pay you back whatever you expended upon me as soon as able.
17Hoping that you will investigate this matter,
18I remain sincerely yours,
20P. S. I am enclosing a poem given me by a spirit for your conviction.
22We are sorry to say that the verses of ghostly inspiration (the spirit appears to be more literate than the medium) did not secure our conviction, or induce us to forward the desired funds. Unless someone else supplied them, "Mr. Caruso" will continue to enjoy his unrivalled posthumous fame. Here is the persuasive poem:
24"The Voice," Given to Me by the Spirit of God
26Hear a voice from the distance saying,
27Awake, my son, arise today,
28Thy burdens lift and carrying thy cross,
29Be thou on thy way.
31The way is steep and furrowed the road,
32The place is drear, dangers abide,
33Through mazes of life thou may be lost:
34Forth, I am thy guide.
36Alone and lonely thyself may find,
37In darkness bemoaning thy plight,
38Though shadows may cower thee, fear not,
39For I am the light.
41Punch, London, suggests that motor horns and hooters should be standardized as to pitch and a more melodious note adopted. Nothing is more irritating than an unmusical motorist who knocks his pedestrian down in D flat.
43"No matter what it may sound like now," the revolutionary camp will tell you, "it will sound beautiful very shortly." That is true of only a few of the modernistic works, and some of those examples, in their day, were Strauss' Death and Transfiguration, Stravinsky's Petrouchka, and Schönberg's Verklarte Nacht.
45George Gershwin is working on some new orchestral pieces, and as soon as he has finished with several musical comedy scores he is writing for early production he intends to steal a vacation in Europe, in order to complete the aforementioned symphonic compositions. Gershwin is one of these indefatigable creators to whom successful achievement serves but as an incentive toward further artistic effort.
47In the Evening Post of November 12 is an excellent review by Robert A. Simon, of Charles Edward Russell's new book, The American Orchestra and Theodore Thomas. Mr. Simon calls attention to the fact that the Russell biography brushes only lightly upon the influence which Dr. Leopold Damrosch, "Thomas's great rival," exerted upon American musical taste. It seems deplorable that the ancient animosities between the two gifted leaders and their followers should be brought into the open again, both because of Mr. Russell's omission, and Walter Damrosch's recent written allusions to the conductorial battles of half a century or so ago. The present generation is ignorant of the whole affair, and cares nothing about it. Both Thomas and Leopold Damrosch were early laborers in the vineyard of American musical culture, and for the fine fruit that ripened ultimately credit may be fairly divided between the two. As a matter of fact, personal rivalry amongst conductors, and its resultant spinning of intrigue, may be noted by even the least keen of musical observers, in this very season of 1927-28, in New York. Mr. Russell should know that; Walter Damrosch does know it. Why, therefore, dwell on such happenings in the musical dark ages of this city, as something unusual, monstrous, and reprehensible? Thomas and Leopold Damrosch merely began the contest between conductors; our other knights of the baton have been tilting ever since that period. The inside history of orchestras and conductors in New York would make amazing and vivid reading. It never will be written, of course. Furthermore, it should not be written. Why should the public see what makes the wheels go round, and who throws the monkey-wrench into them from time to time?
49Mary Garden, the vocalist, and Ruth Elder, the aviatrix, arrived in New York last week from Europe at the same time. Ruth, however, had the parade, and the press prominence. Mary missed a great chance. She should have furnished the newspapers with pictures of herself, in Eve's costume, sun-bathing at Monte Carlo—as described here a few seasons ago by cabling reporters who evidently beeped.
51Grete Stückgold, the new German soprano at the Metropolitan, has her own notions of some of the operatic tempos. After she had differed with the conductor's stick in several passages at a recent Aida performance, one of the lobby wags said: "She's a two-time mama."
53Wagner not only admired Bellini's Norma, but also flattered it sincerely by copying from it the famous descending violin passages which accompany the main theme of his overture for Tannhäuser. The current revival of Norma, at the Metropolitan, is interesting for that and for other reasons. It demonstrates again eloquently how far away we have advanced from the intolerable recitative, and what our modern orchestral operatic scores accomplish beyond furnishing ompah-ompah accompaniments for the singers. And last but not least, the soprano part in Bellini's work is replete with vocal difficulties, in style and technic, which Rosa Ponselle conquers with amazing, triumphal command. Here is an American opera singer who has reached within hailing distance of the top of her profession. And she has done it not by way of hurling salvos of tone and gaining the easy applause of the groundlings, but through incessant study and intelligent application of the finer graces of operatic song in its highest estate. To her has come the revelation of the meaning of style, and of the expression of emotion through the modulation of tone. Her greater career began with her remarkable performance in La Vestale, and she has taken another long step forward with her finished singing and noble impersonation of the role of Norma. Miss Ponselle still is a young woman, and some of her admirers hope that before long she will cast ambitious eyes toward some of the Wagner soprano parts, and decide that they are suitable for her vocal quality and strength. Nordica and Lehmann began as singers of the lightest kinds of operas, and wound up as Brünnhilde and Isolde. Parnassus beckons to Rosa Ponselle.
55"For a year or two I am going to whittle," announces President Coolidge. "We were afraid he might have said 'whistle.'" A friend who heard the President join softly in the singing of The Star Spangled Banner on one occasion, tells us that the Chief Executive performed hardly one note in tune.
57"If ever there is to be a tenth muse," J. P. F. informs our readers, "one may expect her to be claimed by the camps of opera singing and of orchestral conducting—to say nothing of the percussing cohorts of jazz."
59Joseph Szigeti, the scholarly violinist, asks if there is any excuse for 20 per cent. of the concerts given here now. He has his figures mixed. The twenty per cent. are all right, but the eighty per cent. come under strong suspicion.
61The old time politician once told his young followers, "Claim everything." Here comes Edgar Varese, and announces that the International Composers' Guild will give no more concerts in New York, because:
63"When in 1921, with a group of friends, I founded the International Composers' Guild, there was an imperative need for such an organization, the American musical public having been kept in practically total ignorance of the music of its own time.
65"The reception our concerts enjoyed, the interest shown by the growing public which followed and supported them proved the vitality of our enterprise and was our efforts' desired recompense.
67"This happy condition frees the International Composers' Guild of the responsibility which it undertook in the name of all the young composers of today. For the moment it sees no need for continuing its concerts."
69Let Mr. Varese's explanation be accepted. Only a limited number of concertgoers will miss those vivid programs of the I. C. G. which some of us used to approach with hopeful prayer and leave with deep damnation. It remains for the statisticians to record that hardly any of the works presented by the Guild ever were repeated anywhere else.
71What, by the way, suggests itself to the progressively musical Varese, to say to the bright Bishop of Ripon, who gives it as his opinion that "We could get on very much more happily if aviation, wireless, television, and the like, were advanced no further than at present?"
73Someone in our office remarked that, "All operas are too long." What a libel on Meistersinger and Götterdämmerung, which, when given without cuts, require only a short five hours or so for performance.
75We are in receipt of the attached cutting communication:
77Comm. Editore Hairiations:
78Wot's this I hear about da scheme to unita da MUSICAL COURIER and da Barber's Guide? I lika da idea fine for I, a tenore, maka my mon' in the nights with my razor. Gooda idea, to make one music paper every week out of da Barber's Guide and da MUSICAL COURIER!
79Bravo, Signor Editore!
81ANTONIO SHAVATORE,
82Master Barber, Garabaldi Local.
83Tenore Robusto.
85P. S. My father he is plumber, my brother he is also burglar. Why not you make musical-barber's-plumber's paper all in one? Oho, Signor Editore, you thinka you fool me—I know you do this very thing now! Why not you calla your column "Musical Pipes of Pan" to please da plumbers?
87ANTONIO.
89Our correspondent is more witty than wise. He confuses us with another musical weekly that has tonsorial journalistic affiliations. The MUSICAL COURIER is the only paper published by The Musical Courier Company.
91A party of fashionable persons entered a box at the Metropolitan just before the first act finale. The hostess glared at her husband, who in turn glanced at the gold timepiece on his wrist. "Pardon me, my dear," he whispered entreatingly, "I forgot that my watch is twenty minutes fast."
93Current novelties at the Metropolitan: Korngold's Violanta, and Jeritza's new gowns in Tosca.
95The Westinghouse electrical firm has perfected a mechanical, automatic man. That is nothing new. We have encountered him many times, giving piano recitals in New York.
97"Is Music Moral?" asks a musical magazine writer. That is an old question which was solved long ago. By general consent, music itself is believed to be moral, and that is somewhat unfortunate for the art, because if the contrary were the case, everybody would go in enthusiastically for music.
99There are two distinct musical camps—the modernists and the standpatters. Each considers itself the musical intelligentsia. As a matter of fact, the real intelligentsia are those persons who understand and like the best examples in both schools.
101Proficiency in music—a degree of knowledge which the master ever despairs of attaining, and which the fledgeling conservatory graduate feels certain he already possesses.
103An old time musical modernist was Hans George Nägeli (1773-1836) who attacked Mozart's Jupiter Symphony, because of what he called its "well defined and long lived melody."
105Pianists with technique do not play any better than pianists with technic.
107The London Daily Mail asks: "May a London student sing with the windows open?" From this distance we shout with all our lung power, "No."
109LEONARD LIEBLING.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.