Books › Musical Courier 1928-05-10: Vol 96 Iss 19, 1928 › scan 34
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Musical Courier 1928-05-10: Vol 96 Iss 19, 1928
91 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1May 10, 1928
2MUSICAL COURIER
4Koussevitzky Receives Ovation as
5Boston Symphony Season Closes
7BOSTON.—The twenty-fourth pair of Boston Symphony concerts took place on April 27 and 28, in Symphony Hall. Mr. Koussevitzky's appearance on the platform was the signal for an extraordinary demonstration. The orchestra and the audience rose to greet him; the applause was spontaneous and long sustained. At the close of the concert there was renewed enthusiasm that soon developed into an ovation. It was a hearty and richly-merited tribute, for the brilliant Russian leader has indeed raised the Boston Symphony Orchestra to new heights of greatness.
9Being a gentleman of sensibility and taste, Mr. Koussevitzky refrained from arranging a spectacular program, and thereby a sensational farewell. After a stirring performance of Beethoven's overture to Egmont, the orchestra played, for the first time, a scherzo by one Lopatnikoff. A young Russian of 25 years, the composer left his country after the Revolution, spent some time in Finland, then went to Germany where he now lives. His scherzo is a commendably brief, workmanlike, pleasant music, stamped by qualities of craftsmanship and invention that will make his further efforts as a composer worth watching. A highly sensitive performance of Debussy's exquisite La Mer and Brahms' second symphony completed the program.
11Summarizing the season, we learn from that perfect statistician, Philip Hale, that Brahms and Ravel were represented each by seven works; Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Wagner, by four each; Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz, Handel, Strauss, Stravinsky and Tchaikowsky with three each; Bloch, Carpenter, Liadoff, Liszt, Mozart, Prokofieff, Schumann, Sibelius with two each; and that over 30 composers were represented by one work. Compositions by Beck, Converse, Hill, Lazar, Lopatnikoff, Lorenzetti, Martini, Piston and Tansman, were performed for the first time anywhere. American composers were not neglected, this category being represented by Bloch, Carpenter, Converse, Hill, Loeffler, D. G. Mason and Piston. Eminent musical personages participating in the course of the season for the first time here were Sir Thomas Beecham, Maurice Ravel, Bela Bartok and Tansman.
13Unquestionably the two outstanding events of the season were the American première of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex and, at a Pension Fund concert, Honegger's King David, the choruses for both performances having been prepared by the admirable Harvard leader, Archibald V. Davison. Mr. Koussevitzky has reason to be proud of his achievements during the past year.
15J. C.
17Ravinia Opera Season to Open on June 23
19Notable List of Artists and of Operas to Be Performed—Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Operas and Concerts—This Year to Surpass All Previous
20—Season to End September 3
22Announcement is made by Louis Eckstein, manager of the Ravinia Opera Company, that the coming season will start on Saturday evening, June 23 and will continue up to and including Monday evening, September 3. Every effort is being made by the management to excel the standard of former seasons, high as that was.
24The list of singers, it will be seen, contains the names of some of the foremost operatic stars of the present time; all those who assisted in making last summer a notable one in the history of the Ravinia Opera have been re-engaged, and in addition there will be some who, although absent for the past few years, had previously established themselves firmly in the affections of Ravinia audiences.
26The repertory for the 1928 season is unusually extensive. In addition to practically all the "standard" operas there will be representations of some European successes which may still be regarded as novelties; these include Puccini's La Rondine, given with great success at the Metropolitan last season, Henri Rabaud's Marouf and Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole. Also some interesting revivals are promised, among which may be mentioned Le Chemineau by Leroux, which met with much success in past Ravinia seasons. In addition to playing the orchestral scores in the operatic performances the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as heretofore, will be heard in concerts, in which the vocal artists of the company will be heard as soloists.
28The sopranos include Lucrezia Bori, Elisabeth Rethberg, Yvonne Gall, Florence Easton and Florence Macbeth. Mme. Bori is to join the company in August, and is expected to appear as Magda in La Rondine, a roll which won her such signal success at the Metropolitan last season. The role of Ruggero is reserved for Tito Schipa who created it when the opera had its world premiere at the San Carlo in Naples in 1918. Mme. Rethberg, who has been a great favorite in Ravinia the past three seasons, will be heard in numerous parts being equally at home in the Italian, French and German repertories.
30Yvonne Gall, who last year came from the great French opera houses to sing a limited engagement during the closing weeks of the Ravinia season, is to be with the company this entire season, and there is little doubt that she will duplicate her success in Louise and other roles which she sang last summer. She is cast for the leading soprano parts of Marouf, L'Heure Espagnole and Le Chemineau.
32Florence Easton returns after an absence of several seasons. This sterling artist is very popular with Ravinia patrons, and her versatility makes it possible to present her in a great number of roles. Florence Macbeth, who has been a member of the company for several seasons, is also to return, and will be heard in many coloratura parts. The presence of Iva Bourskaya and Julia Claussen is an assurance that the mezzo-soprano and contralto roles will be in excellent hands. Both are established favorites in Ravinia.
34Among the tenors Martinelli and Edward Johnson will be cordially welcomed back, as will Tito Schipa, who has not been in Ravinia for five years. He is to appear during August in many of his finest roles. Other favorites are Armand Tokatyan and Jose Mojica.
36The baritone section will be headed by Giuseppe Danise, fresh from his Metropolitan successes, and Mario Basiola, who since his Ravinia debut four years ago has been well established in the regard of the public. Desire Defrere, will be given full opportunity to appear in the parts in which he excels. Leon Rothier, French basso and Virgilio Lazzari, a basso of the Italian school, both of whom are Ravinia veterans, are again on the list. Vittorio Trevisan will have many of the basso-buffo roles.
38Gennaro Papi, Louis Hasselmans and Wilfrid Pelletier have been re-engaged as operatic conductors, and Eric De Lamarter will, as in the past, preside at the concerts. The ballet will be headed by Ruth Page who will have Edwin Strawbridge as her associate. Desire Defrere is the stage manager. The chorus has been chosen with the greatest care, and promises to be on the same plane of excellence as heretofore.
40The complete roster of artists, alphabetically arranged, follows; also the list of operas to be given:
41Sopranos—Lucrezia Bori (in August), Florence Easton, Helen Freund, Yvonne Gall, Florence Macbeth, Margery Maxwell, Elisabeth Rethberg; mezzo-sopranos and contraltos—Ina Bourskaya, Julia Claussen, Anna Correnti, Philine Falco, Gladys Swarthout; tenors—Mario Chamelie, Edward Johnson, Giovanni Martinelli, Jose Mojica, Giordano Paltrinieri, Tito Schipa (in August), Armand Tokatyan; baritones—Mario Basiola, George Cehanovsky, Giuseppe Danise, Louis D'Angelo, Desire Defrere; bassos—Paolo Ananian, Virgilio Lazzari, Leon Rothier, Vittorio Trevisan; premiere danseuse—Ruth Page; premiere danseur—Edwin Strawbridge; conductors—Louis Hasselmans, Gennaro Papi, Wilfrid Pelletier; concert conductor—Eric DeLamarter; chorus master—Giacomo Spadoni; stage manager—Desire Defrere.
43The repertory will include: Aida, Andrea Chenier, Ballo in Maschera, The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Don Pasquale, Faust, Fredora, Fra Diavolo, Il Trovatore, The Jewels of the Madonna, La Boheme, La Juive, Lakme, L'Amico Fritz, L'Amore dei Tre Re, La Navarraise, La Vida Breve, L'Elisir d'Amore, Lohengrin, Louise, Lucia, Madame Butterfly, Manon (Massenet) Manon Lescaut, Martha, Mignon, Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah, The Secret of Suzanne, The Tales of Hoffman, Thias, Tosca, La Traviata, La Rondine, Marouf, Le Chemineau, L'Heure Espagnole.
45New York Concerts
46(Continued from page 10)
47with taste and due appreciation of the musical content and textual significance.
49Miss Von Steuben was accompanied by Harold Genther at the piano and by Samuel Kliachko, cellist, the latter supplying for several numbers obligatos which were arranged by Hugo Frey. The performance of Wagner's Träume was very effective. In it Miss Von Steuben's soprano sounded particularly colorful and she received, as for that matter she did throughout the afternoon, much hearty response from her friendly audience.
51MAY 4
52Juilliard School of Music
53That the third orchestral concert of the graduate school of the Juilliard School of Music drew a third capacity audience to Town Hall on May 4 testifies sufficiently to the ability of an excellent group of young musicians to satisfy a critical and discriminating New York audience. Albert Stoessel is the director whose magnetic baton inspires these young players to their best efforts and to successful performances. Corelli's Christmas Concerto (Concerto Grosso, No. 8) introduced the program, with Thomas Mancini and Harry Fagin, violinists, and Katherine Fletcher, cellist, the solo artists, leading the ensemble with assurance and finish. Two reliable young players—Muriel Kerr, pianist, and Sadie Schwartz, violinist—were the soloists in the Chausson concerto for piano and violin with accompaniment of string orchestra. Grace Divine, contralto, displayed a beautiful contralto voice and sang with fine artistry four songs by Brahms, accompanied at the piano by Viola Peters. She well merited the enthusiastic reception accorded her. A colorful reading of Tchaikowsky's Serenade for string orchestra, op. 48, concluded the program.
55MAY 5
56Neighborhood Playhouse and Cleveland Orchestra
57(See story on page 7)
59MAY 6
60Copland-Sessions Concert
61Another of the series of concerts by the two young American composers, Copland and Sessions, was given at the Edyth Totten Theater on May 6, the assisting artists being a strong quartet consisting of Wolfe Wolfsohn, Edwin Ideler, Herbert Borodkin and Lucien Schmitt; Richard Buhlig, John Duke and Aaron Copland, pianists. The program included a sonata for violin and piano by Robert Delaney, a piano sonata by Roger Sessions, two pieces for string quartet by Aaron Copland, piano pieces by Ruth Crawford, Adolph Weiss and Dane Rudhyar and a quintet for piano and strings by W. Quincy Porter.
63SERGEI KLIBANSKY,
64vocal authority, who leaves for Europe this week, with a group of vocal students, and will teach in Berlin and Dresden, then going to Switzerland for the summer. Conductor Otto Klemperer is especially interested in the Klibansky teaching, for his wife, the soprano, is a Klibansky pupil. As have so many others in America, Mr. Klemperer calls Klibansky a "Master of Vocal Art."
66Musical Courier Forum
67Camping for Musicians
68To the Musical Courier:
69I appealed to the editor of this magazine to help musicians and me by announcing that I need a camp musician.
70I am tremendously impressed with two points: (1) the efficiency of the MUSICAL COURIER as an advertising medium; (2) musicians have but little knowledge of or desire for water and land sports for a vacation—they are not "sporty." We are swamped with all sorts of musical ability but not one has made a point of love of camp.
71Fellow musicians (Oh, I'm only an amateur), let me suggest the joys of "getting into the swim" in literal sense. Play a program of "fun and frolic" in the great out-of-doors. It is good for "sharps" and "flats"—the whole scale of Old Mother Nature's harmony.
72(Signed) EDWARD F. BIGELOW, Arcadia, Sound Beach, Conn.
74Victor Zuzdo to Return to New York in Fall
75New York, May 1, 1928
76To the Musical Courier:
77In one of the April issues of the MUSICAL COURIER there was an announcement of my being re-engaged by the Chicago Musical College to teach a special summer violin class. That is correct. However, the additional statement of my staying there permanently for the season of 1928-29 is erroneous. Next fall I will return to New York to stay all winter and give instruction at my studio as in former years. Kindly give space to this correction in your next issue and oblige
78(Signed) VICTOR KUZDO.
80Not the First
81To the Musical Courier:
82I wish to correct an error made in the issue of the MUSICAL COURIER of April 5, 1928, regarding the program to be sung by Miss Lucille Chalfant at Carnegie Hall, Friday, April 13. It was stated that the aria No, no, che non sei copate, by Mozart, would be sung at that occasion for the first time in New York. Miss Helen Taylor, at her debut at Town Hall, November 14, sang this aria, and I would appreciate your commenting on that fact.
83(Signed) MADELEINE WALSHER
85Obituary
86CARLO GIORNI
87Carlo Giorni, painter, and grandson of Thorwaldsen, the Danish sculptor, died in Rome, Italy, on May 1, at the age of seventy-eight. He is survived by his wife, the former Linda Bergner of Philadelphia, Pa., well-known in Europe as a lieder singer and singing teacher, and by two sons, Aurelio, pianist of the Elshuco Trio and composer, of New York, and Marcello, of Philadelphia, Pa.
89MRS. KATHERINE TANDLER
90Mrs. Katherine Tandler, wife of Adolph Tandler, died at her home in Venice, Cal. She was born in Vienna and went to Los Angeles with her husband when he was director of the Kaiser's Royal Quartet. Mr. Tandler is now director of the Little Symphony and Mrs. Tandler had been closely associated with her husband's career. Besides her husband, Mrs. Tandler leaves her son, Adolph, Jr., and Helen Tandler.
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