Books › Musical Courier 1928-05-10: Vol 96 Iss 19, 1928 › scan 19
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Musical Courier 1928-05-10: Vol 96 Iss 19, 1928
72 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 20. See the scan on archive.org.
1Turandot Reaches Paris at Last
2One of the Best Performances of Recent Years—Vienna Opera to Bring Jeritza—Beecham Makes Paris Debut—Levitzki Returns in Triumph—Many Recitals
4PARIS.—Puccini's Turandot has at last migrated to Paris. After the excitement caused by this opera throughout Europe and America had long since died down, fresh propaganda was started in Paris. It took on such proportions that nothing short of super-human achievements could have satisfied Parisian expectations. No spectacle prepared by mere mortals, however lavish, could have been adequate. So it was inevitable that there should be some disappointment.
6Nevertheless the production was one of the best given at the Opera, in recent times, and hearty applause showed the public's appreciation. No pains were spared to make the setting spectacular and original, while the fantastic and colorful costumes provided a fairy-tale atmosphere.
8The Opéra's leading singers were cast for the première. Marise Beaumon gave an admirable performance of the Chinese princess and Georges Thill made a very creditable Kalaf, while Marcelle Denya, as Liu, sang charmingly. The orchestra sounded exceptionally well under the leadership of Philippe Gaubert, to whom much of the success was due.
10VIENNESE OPERA, WITH JERITZA
11A lively and widespread interest is being taken in the Vienna opera season which begins in May. As early as a month before the opening night all the performances were sold out at advanced prices, parquet seats costing as much as eight dollars, while even the gallery seats cost two dollars.
13One of the chief attractions of this season is undoubtedly the appearance of Maria Jeritza, who will sing in Tosca and the Rosenkavalier. Alfred Piccaver, the American tenor, of whom particularly glowing reports have been heard of late, is to appear in Fidelio, Don Giovanni and Tosca. Elisabeth Schumann will sing in Fidelio, the Rosenkavalier and the Walküre, while Helene Wildbrunn and Gunnar Graarud will be the two chief exponents of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, as well as the Walküre, in which Emil Schipper will sing Wotan. The popular bass, Richard Mayr will, of course, be the Baron Ochs in Rosenkavalier and will also be heard in practically all the other operas.
15MORE MOZART
16Another operatic undertaking is the Mozart cycle which will open on May 25 at the Théâtre de Champs Elysées. It is being given under the auspices of the Union Française de la Société Universelle du Théâtre and the operas comprise Don Giovanni and Così fan Tutte, to be sung in Italian, The Magic Flute, to be sung in German, and The Marriage of Figaro, which together with The Elopement from the Seraglio, will be sung in French.
18Bruno Walter is in supreme command of the musical end of the enterprise while Director F. Gémier, of the Odéon Theater and Max Reinhardt direct the scenic arrangements.
20BEECHAM MAKES PARIS DEBUT
21Sir Thomas Beecham, recently back from his first visit to the United States, has made his first appearance in Paris. As he had not yet quite recovered from the accident to his foot, he had to be carried into his seat at the conductor's desk at the Opéra. The orchestra was that of the Société des Concerts, formed exclusively of professors and prize-winners of the Paris Conservatoire, the body of musicians which Wagner himself classed as the finest conceivable. It celebrated its 100th birthday last year, but it was already forty-two years old in 1828, when it was officially organized under its present name by royal decree.
23Sir Thomas proved himself to be a born orchestral leader. He leads as naturally as ordinary mortals breathe, and he makes one feel his conception of the composition he is conducting. The program, which opened with Sir Edward Elgar's Cockaigne overture, followed by some compositions of Frederick Delius, was given an extraordinary performance which was enthusiastically applauded. Out of politeness to his French audience Sir Thomas included one French composition in his program—Vincent d'Indy's symphonic poem, Cevenot—which was exquisitely played; the rest of the evening was filled out with Wagner's Meistersinger prelude, a group of delightful excerpts from long forgotten operas by Handel (Theseus, II pastor Fido and Roddigo) and the C major symphony by Mozart, gloriously played. one of two readings
24Sir Thomas proved himself to be a born orchestral leader. He leads as naturally as ordinary mortals breathe, and he makes one feel his conception of the composition he is conducting. The program, which opened with Sir Edward Elgar's Cockaigne overture, followed by some compositions of Frederick Delius, was given an extraordinary performance which was enthusiastically applauded. Out of politeness to his French audience Sir Thomas included one French composition in his program—Vincent d'Indy's symphonic poem, Cevenot—which was exquisitely played; the rest of the evening was filled out with Wagner's Meistersinger prelude, a group of delightful excerpts from long forgotten operas by Handel (Theseus, Il pastor Fido and Roddigo) and the C major symphony by Mozart, gloriously played. one of two readings
26Sir Thomas's first concert in France may without a doubt be termed as an artistic triumph, though the vast auditorium of the Opéra was well-nigh empty, due to inadequate publicity. If the organizers had wished to make a secret of the event, it would have been difficult for them to discover more efficient means than those adopted. The fault was, however, in a great measure rectified by a second concert, which drew a fair-sized audience to the Opéra. The program this time included Mozart's symphony in C major, three ballet airs from Grétry's Zemire et Azor, Lord Berner's Orchestral Fugue in C minor and Grieg's piano concerto in A minor.
28LEVITZKI RETURNS IN TRIUMPH
29Levitzki returned to Paris on March 30, to give the extra recital his previous success here warranted. The great critic, which is the public, decided that Levitzki was a pianist whom Paris wished to hear. There are lesser critics who write for newspapers, for instance, who find that Levitzki plays some work too fast, another too slow, another this and that and so on. But the outstanding feature of the pianist's career is that he pleases his hearers and rouses them to demonstrations of enthusiasm. A pianist who plays Rubinstein's Staccato étude so easily and then plays Liszt's sixth rhapsody by way of encore, is certainly a supreme master of wrist technic. His Bach playing was a model of clearness, and several of the Chopin numbers were as delicate as bric-a-brac.
31The pianist, Richard Zöllner, from Germany, began his recital in the Debussy hall with Busoni's arrangement of Bach's violin Chaconne,—a work which proved to be of a greater sound volume than the smallness of the hall warranted. The performance was clear and well phrased, however. Two small compositions by Schubert were noticeable for the simple reason that Schubert, even in the centenary year of his death, is not receiving much recognition in Paris. Liszt's Mephisto Valse was excellently played, but again the hall was too small for such heroic tones.
33WAGNER STILL DRAWS
34While listening to the more or less perfunctory performance of a Wagnerian program in the Théâtre Mogador on a recent Saturday afternoon and observing that everybody present appeared to know all the music by heart, I recalled the angry riots which Lamoureux caused when he tried to give, and did give, Lohengrin in 1887. The Parisians of today seem to have forgotten the recent world war more quickly than they forgot the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. German music and German songs in the original language are to be heard at nearly every concert.
36POPULAR POULET CONCERTS
37The concerts directed by Gaston Poulet in the large Pleyel Hall on Sunday afternoons are having a popular success. Last Sunday I heard an excellent performance of Liszt's Faust symphony, which was tremendously applauded. Poulet has a good orchestra, and he directs with authority as well as musical intelligence. Moreover he is young. In the words of Artemus Ward, his future is before him. He is one of the powers in French music at present, one strong proof of which is that he draws a very large public every time he appears.
39Robert Casadesus, whom many people consider the leader among French pianists, gave another of his recitals in the large Pleyel Hall during the last week of March. I am compelled to admire his clean, brilliant, well-nuanced playing, but I find his tone too dry for my taste. A more singing tone and a better legato would make him a still greater artist. With orchestra in a concerto this staccato style of his does not matter so much, for the orchestra sustains where he does not.
41Gerard Hekking, professor of cello at the Conservatoire, had the assistance of Isidor Philipp in sonatas by Beethoven and Saint-Saëns at a recital in the Salle Erard. The tone of the cellist is broad, powerful—too rough at times perhaps—and he does justice to the various styles of his program. Seldom does the very busy Professor Philipp condescend to appear in public now, though I used to hear him often years ago. He never ceases to do all he can to keep alive the memory of his revered master, Saint-Saëns.
43IMMENSE AUDIENCE FOR ELMAN
44Mischa Elman drew an immense audience into the large Salle Gaveau on March 28. Enthusiasm was rampant, as well it might be, for Elman is unsurpassed for his full, rich, vibrant tone which appeals to music lovers the world over. Ernst's thankless concerto in F sharp, perhaps the most difficult concerto written for the violin, was faultlessly played. Those exacting pages in octaves were perfectly in tune, as I have never before heard them played. To me the most musically enjoyable work on the program was Beethoven's early sonata in F, which Elman and Van Gool played with a delightful lyrical purity. Of course extra numbers were demanded and given in abundance.
46Marcel Dupré brought his March activities to an end with an organ recital consisting entirely of his own compositions. Did not another organist, J. S. Bach, also play his own works? Perhaps future generations will know Dupré as a composer, and that he was also a great organist.
48RECITAL BY MECHANICAL VIOLIN
49A recital by music played by the violinista, the mechanical violin, in the Pleyel Hall confirmed me in the remarks I made about this instrument when I heard it in the work rooms more than a year ago. Everything is right except the life which the human touch through the bow arm gives to the violin tone. It is a wonderful achievement of ingenuity nevertheless. Every note is correctly played, and played in tune. But the tone to my ear is as dead as the wooden words of a parrot when it demands the perennial cracker.
51The Fisk Jubilee Singers continue to draw their enthusiastic friends in great numbers whenever they announce a concert. Salle Gaveau, Salle Pleyel, no matter what hall, is always full. On the last days of March they sang again their spirituals, sacred, humorous and sentimental, to an immense audience in the Pleyel Hall.
53Both Rhené-Baton and Gaubert have recently conducted Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. I went to the Conservatoire on the first day of April to hear Gaubert perform it, and also to listen to the singing of Hilda Roosevelt, whose name has appeared on many Parisian programs of late. I am bound to say that I liked the singer much better than the songs by Canteloube, which she sang. The Saint-Saëns symphony with organ ended the concert. Strange; but this work of the great French master does not grow on me. Is the fault mine or the composer's? Somebody must like it, for it is played often enough.
55OPHELIA SCORES
56One of the most brilliant, dashing, attractive young pianists I have heard for many a day is Ophelia do Nascimento from Brazil. She has had four years' training under Max Pauer in Leipzig, which is probably exactly what her Iberian temperament required. At any rate she made a small sensation, and was recalled time and again to the platform by her delighted hearers. The most imposing work on the program was Liszt's B minor sonata; that fish, fowl, and flesh work which the mighty pianist compounded of all the styles with which he was familiar. The pianist from Brazil blended the various moods into a consistent whole. She also gave an admirable performance of Busoni's arrangement of Bach's D minor organ fugue, a work so powerful and full that the Salle des Agriculteurs was overwhelmed with tonal volume. I am not too fond of Busonified Bach at best. The plain J. S. variety of Bach is good enough, especially in a small hall. The recital ended with Stravinsky's Danse Russe from Petrouchka.
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59May 10, 1928
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