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Musical Courier 1928-03-01: Vol 96 Iss 9, 1928
40 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1Bartok and George Liebling Score as Soloists With Boston Symphony
3Premiere of Loeffler Work for Jazz Orchestra—Stuart Mason Conducts People's Symphony—Dai Buell Pleases at Symphony Hall—Other Concerts
5BOSTON.—Musicians of international eminence were heard during the past week as soloists with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Serge Koussevitzky—Bela Bartok, the Hungarian composer, at the 16th regular pair of concerts on Friday afternoon and Saturday evening, and on the following Monday, George Liebling, pianist and pupil of Liszt, at the fourth concert of the Monday evening series. Mr. Bartok appeared as soloist in the first local performance of his own concerto for piano and orchestra. Not radically unorthodox in structure or as savagely dissonant as a good deal of the contemporary musical output, this work nevertheless fits very nicely into the ultra-modern school of composition through its skilful employment of unattractive ideas. Individuality of a kind may be found in the treatment of his material, for example, in the persistent use of a three-note motif juggled by various choirs of the orchestra, or, more conspicuously, in responding to a phrase for the piano with unlovely derision from the brass or with unexpected percussive effects. Ruthlessly logical, the work has power, but of a cerebral rather than an emotional nature. There is no questioning Mr. Bartok's contrapuntal mastery, his command of technical resource. Mais, as we say in Paris, a quoi bon? Tonal sensuousness, deep feeling, beauty in recognizable form—these appear to be sternly avoided; and what emerges sounds clever enough—but machine-made. Courtesy to a distinguished visitor was manifested by generous hand-clapping and several recalls for the composer.
7Mr. Koussevitzky opened the program with a delightful reading of the colorful, melodious, exotic music that Rimsky-Korsakoff wrote for his introduction and march from Coq d'Or. And, as antidote to the austere concerto of Bartok, the Russian leader went to the other emotional extreme and gave the obviously pleased audience his incomparable interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Pathetic Symphony. At his best in this type of music, Mr. Koussevitzky revealed in overwhelming fashion the agony and sadness with which the work is permeated, its wistful memories of momentary happiness, its stirring lamentation over the end that is inevitable. Such a reading belongs to the ages: a word to the more enterprising of the recording companies should be sufficient. And the same might be said of the scintillating performance of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé by Mr. Koussevitzky and his great orchestra, A. D. 1928. But let us not get started on any such list: the paper is pressed for space.
9To return to concert-chronicling: Mr. Liebling enjoyed a splendid success on Monday night when, ably supported by Mr. Koussevitzky, he treated a capacity audience to a brilliant performance of Liszt's E flat piano concerto. He played it in the grand manner—with breadth of style and eloquence of expression—and, although the work is quite threadbare to modern ears and minds in matters musical, he managed to bring out a great deal of beauty and charm in his admirable interpretation of it. Recalls in plenty were Mr. Liebling's well-earned reward.
11Bach's concerto in F major, with Messrs. Burgin, Laurent, Gillet and Magee as soloists, and the first symphony of Sibelius—both familiar to Symphony patrons—comprised the balance of the Monday evening program.
13DAI BUELL
15Following up her recent success as recitalist in Chicago and as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Dai Buell, the well-known pianist of this city, gave a Symphony Hall recital on February 21 that yielded manifest pleasure to a warmly appreciative audience. Always an interesting program maker, Miss Buell is to be commended for her unhackneyed and well-assorted list of pieces. Of particular note was the inclusion in her program of numbers by Vuillemin, LeFlem and Aubert, for their first performance in Boston. From Vuillemin came four fragments out of a suite, En Kernéo, inspired by the composer's native Brittany—Bagpipes, The Tipsy Fisherman, Notre Dame de Kérinec. And Again the Bagpipes—music descriptive and songful. Charming also, in their way, and a welcome addition to the lighter pianistic repertory, were Le Flem's April and Aubert's Gobline. Endowed with imagination and with a facile technique, Miss Buell did full justice to these diverting pieces and was vigorously applauded by her listeners. Giving uncommon pleasure, also, were the pianist's finely conceived interpretations of Rameau's ever-lovely Gavotte Variee, Schumann's Arabesque and Ravel's Jeux d'Eau, as well as her spirited playing of the prelude and fugue in E major of Bach. Miss Buell's command of technic and tone, together with her genuine musical feeling, were further displayed in Liszt's Harmonies du Soir and in various items from Chopin—two movements from the B minor sonata, two studies, the Berceuse and a ballade.
17A FULL THURSDAY
19Three concerts of an evening would probably bring a contemptuous short from your hardened New York reviewers, but it does keep a lone reporter on the jump. Thursday evening of last week offered a variety of attractions for Boston—The Harvard Glee Club, with the thrice admirable Pablo Casals as soloist, at Symphony Hall; Camille Girouard, baritone from the studio of Vincent V. Hubbard, in recital at Jordan Hall, and Bernardo Siegel, pianist, at Steinert Hall.
21The Harvard singers, under the able direction of Dr. Davison, renewed old pleasures in an interesting program comprising old numbers by Lassus, Weelkes and Handel; the Requiem of Fauré; a group of English and Scotch folk songs, and other numbers. Mr. Casals exhibited his distinguished art in pieces by Bach, Breval, Fauré, Granados and Popper.
23At his recital in Jordan Hall, Mr. Girouard, skilfully accompanied by Margaret Kent Hubbard, deepened the favorable impression that he made here last season. To begin with, his program reflected credit on his discernment and taste. Opening with four lieder of Schubert, which he sang with responsive imagination—witness, for example, his moving interpretation of Die Stadt—he then presented three songs of Hahn, the aria, Salome! Salome! from Massenet's Herodiade, and, for an additional French number, the charming little Il Neige of Bemberg. There followed a group out of Dvorak: two of the Bibliothèque Lieder and three Gypsy songs, and, for final numbers, three admirable songs by the lamented Griffes. In his singing of this excellent program, Mr. Girouard demonstrated that he had made substantial progress during the past year. His voice has gained in freedom and warmth, his singing in expressiveness. Although still most effective in songs of gentle sentiment his eloquent singing of The Lament of Ian the Proud, one of Griffes' finest accomplishments, indicated that the singer has it in him to do justice to music of an impassioned nature. His audience was very cordial.
25At Steinert Hall an audience of fair size applauded with enthusiasm the playing of Mr. Siegel who gave a pleasure-
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29Rudolph Ganz Elected a Vice-President of the Chicago Musical College
31World Renowned Pianist, Conductor, Teacher and Composer Also Becomes a Regular Member of the Faculty
33Firmly established as an artist of the first rank among pianists, Mr. Ganz was invited to conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as guest-conductor in 1921; his success was so compelling and immediate that he was appointed permanent conductor of that organization, which post he held until 1927, when he resigned. He also appeared as conductor at the Stadium concerts in New York and at the Hollywood Bowl in California.
35Mr. Ganz is a "world-wide" musician and artist. He is known everywhere. He is a composer at once prolific and important in his more than two hundred songs and piano compositions. His wide research has brought erudition both artistic and practical; he is a master of technic and interpretation; he is a classicist and a modernist, at home in both schools; he is versatile to a degree rarely found in any specialist; but he is never sensational nor commonplace. In short, Rudolph Ganz is a real man, a real musician, a scholar, a great artist and withal, as might be expected, he is a great teacher who has had years of experience.
37His engagement by the Chicago Musical College marks another step forward in American educational endeavor in American art, and constitutes another noteworthy achievement in the further advancement of the college. The complete list of officers now is as follows: Herbert Witherspoon, president; Leon Sametini, and Rudolph Ganz, vice-presidents, and Carl D. Kinsey, manager.
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