Books › Musical Courier 1928-05-10: Vol 96 Iss 19, 1928 › scan 37
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Musical Courier 1928-05-10: Vol 96 Iss 19, 1928
71 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 38. See the scan on archive.org.
1Maine Festival Takes on New Life Under Adelbert Sprague's Leadership
3New Interest Aroused in Annual Event and Sponsors Confident New Era in Musical Life of the Association Has Begun—Cleveland Orchestra, Under Sokoloff, a Valued Feature—University of Maine and High Schools Cooperate—Florence Austral, Allen McQuhae and John Amadio the Soloists—Over $7,000 Subscribed Toward New Endowment Fund
5Bangor, Me.—With the closing concert of the thirty-second annual Festival of the Eastern Maine Music Festival Association this part of the State enters upon a new era of musical life, which was apparently permanently disabled with the resignation of Director-in-Chief W. R. Chapman at the close of the thirtieth festival. Last year one concert was given, and directly afterwards plans were made for this event, changing the dates from October to May, so that the material at the musical department of the University of Maine and the high schools might be utilized.
7And so Adelbert Sprague, head of the university's music department and director of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, took over the directorship. The experiment has been a success, and although Mr. Sprague could not get in personal touch with the choruses, the directors came to Bangor and received his instructions to carry back to their own ensembles. The success of the festival was in no little measure due to his great leadership, and untiring efforts.
9The senior chorus, of 550 voices from fifteen cities and towns, was the largest ever heard at a festival here, and was beautifully balanced. There was a young people's chorus and glee club, numbering fully as many voices and splendidly trained. It was a triumph to secure the Cleveland Orchestra and Nikolai Sokoloff, conductor, for the entire series. It was the finest and largest aggregation of musicians ever in Maine. Florence Austral, dramatic soprano; John Amadio, flutist, and Allen McQuhae, tenor, were the soloists.
11As from the beginning, the festival began with the Hallelujah chorus, skilfully directed by Mr. Sprague, with the orchestra accompanying. Chorus numbers, beautifully accentuated, were all supported by the orchestra and included Brahms' great Song of Fate; To the Spirit of Music, by Percy Rector Stephens, and Under the Silver Stars, a Cuban folk song.
13The orchestra's first selection, with Mr. Sokoloff conducting, was Theme and Variations, Finale Polacca from Suite No. 3, Tchaikovsky—a great number under the inspired hand of Mr. Sokoloff. Throughout the entire festival the qualities of scintillation, of fiery dynamics or passionate tenderness, were marked. Dubussy's subtly contrasting Clouds and Festivals, the satirical, impertinent introduction and march from The Golden Cockerel of Rimsky-Korsakov (with Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty Waltz for an encore, concluded the instrumental numbers by the orchestra. As a background for Allen McQuhae's rendition of the aria, Una Furtiva Lagrima, from L'Elisir d'Amore, The orchestra was delightful. Mr. McQuhae is unusually pleasing and fully justifies all the encomiums bestowed upon him. A group of two lyrics, O Del Mio Amato Ben (Donaudy) and Wir Wandeltten (Brahms), was followed by the clever characterization of Au Pays (Holmes). Perhaps Mr. McQuhae was liked best in the typical Irish songs. He also sang The Hour, a modern lyric by Sol Alberti, his artistic accompanist.
15At the matinee on May 2 John Amadio, Australian flutist, was the soloist. He created a sensation, for his equal as a flutist is rarely found. The Waltz in D flat by Chopin, embroidered though it was with trills, runs and grace notes, and the sonata No. 4 of Bach, written especially for flute and piano, were but a prelude to an exhibition of remarkable technic.
17Rudolph Ringwall, assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted. Mr. Ringwall received a special reception, as he was formerly a resident of Bangor and a member of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. He directed with great brilliance. The reading of the prelude to The Mastersingers of Nuremberg was distinctive. Other orchestra selections, all very delightful, were Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda, by Ponchielli; Herbert's Irish Rhapsody; Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, and the grand finale, Sibelius' pulsating tone poem, Finlandia.
19It was an afternoon for youth, and the chorus of over 600 voices was made up entirely of young people from the grade and high schools. Under direction of Dorothy Brown Dean, they sang The Wood God Pan by A. S. Garbott; Youth, by Candyln, and In Springtime, by Delibes. In the final number, Under the Stars and Stripes, by Converse, the orchestra served as the tonal background. A girls' glee club of fifty voices was good in part renditions of Highland Love, by Forsyth, and Aye Wanken O, a Scottish air.
21The Festival reached its high peak in the final concert. As a program builder Mr. Sokoloff is a super-craftsman. The Prelude to Tristan and Isolde, rendered with dramatic intensity by the orchestra, was followed without break by Mme. Austral, singing Isolde's Love-Death. She gave a superb interpretation. A group of songs included Dreary Steppe by Gretchaninoff, showing her deep contralto-like tones; Floods of Spring, by Rachmaninoff, and Caecile, by Strauss, both highly dramatic, and Traeume durch die Daemmerung, by Strauss, purely lyric. The encore was a Strauss Serenade. When Mme. Austral sang the celebrated aria, Charmant Oisseau, from Perle du Brazil, Mr. Amadio played an exquisite flute accompaniment. The encore was a remarkable dramatic presentation of Brunhilde's song, the Battle Cry of the Valkyries from Siegfried, one of her favorite roles. She received an ovation.
23Festival chorus numbers, with Mr. Sprague directing and the orchestra accompanying, were Cesar Franck's Psalm 150, and the great cantata, I Hear America Singing, by Percy Rector Stephens, with two shorter pieces of scarcely less importance. Orchestral selections were Wolf-Ferrari's overture to The Secret of Susanne, and Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor by Borodin, played with a dash and brilliancy that brought rounds of applause and cheers. Encores were Coppelia, by Delebes and Shepherds Hey, arranged by Percy Grainger. Demands for more selections were insistent. Finally the entire audience and chorus arose to its feet and Mr. Sokoloff, with that gleam of humor so characteristic of the man, observed that as everyone was standing they might as well sing The Star Spangled Banner, and so, conducting magnificently as usual, the festival came to an end.
25The chorus accompanist was Wilbur S. Cochrane and for the young people, Frances Arnold.
27Plans are under way for a big endowment fund. In the short time since the start it has reached over $7,000. The Association officers, all deserving of much credit are: president, Clarence C. Stetson; secretary, Wilfred A. Hennessey; treasurer, Sarah P. Emery; executive committee, Frank R. Atwood, William Mc. C Sawyer, Wilfred A. Finnegan, Adelbert W. Sprague, Mr. Stetson, Harry W. Libbey, and Louis C. Stearns.
29L. N. F.
31JOHN DOANE
32The Art of Singing
34Seven years of study with his own voice, fifteen years of coaching prominent artists and the astonishing effect on a voice of a few common sense suggestions have convinced him that there is no so called "method" in vocal instruction.
36Mr. Doane is en route to Europe for a five months sojourn in Paris, London and Berlin, where he knows a few eminent vocal masters who have many valuable ideas, and he will remain with these teachers until he masters their salient points. When he returns to New York, he will be ready to convey to students the benefit of his post-graduate series of conferences with Europe's best musicians. Mr. Doane desires his pupils to keep pace with him in becoming acquainted with the newer developments in the modern study of vocal problems.
38Singing in all of its phases—production; complete preparation for concert, oratorio and opera; diction in English, French, German and Italian; Program-making, Style and Interpretation.
40Remember—no "method,"—each voice a completely individual problem.
42Reopens Studio September 10
43at 6 East 36 Street
44New York City
45Telephone: Caledonia 8026
47ANCA SEIDLOVA
48Czecho-Slovak Pianiste
49Management: Emilie Sarter, 113 W. 57th St., New York
50STEINWAY PIANO
52CARL M. ROEDER
53Will Conduct a SUMMER COURSE for Pianists and Teachers at the
54BARRINGTON SCHOOL
55GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS.
56An opportunity for study combined with recreation in the delightful Berkshire Hills
57Address—603-604 Carnegie Hall, New York
59Della Samoiloff Sings Stabat Mater in Rome
60In addition to her recent operatic appearances in Rome during Ottavio Scotto's season there, Della Samoiloff, American dramatic soprano, and a member of the Chicago Civic Opera, achieved considerable success in her appearances in the Stabat Mater, under the baton of Molinari. Said the critic of Meridiano: "Della Samoiloff ably sustained the part of the soprano, and in the vibrating Inflammatus produced some brilliant and limpid high notes for which she was applauded with great warmth." L'Impero spoke of the warmth, color and manner of attack in her Inflammatus solo which was "given with great passion and vigor."
62Mannes School Artist Recital Series Ends
63The final artist recital of this year was given at the David Mannes Musical School with Frank Sheridan and Leopold Mannes in a two-piano program. They opened with Mozart's sonata in D major, and continued with Brahms' variations on a theme by Haydn, Mason's Divertimento (march and fugue), a waltz by Rachmaninoff (which was requested as an encore at the end of the program), and Godowsky's contrapuntal paraphrase on Weber's Invitation to the Dance.
65Among other fine artists who contributed toward making these recitals at the school of the highest type were Katherine Bacon and the Lenox String Quartet, which, together with Frank Sheridan, gave an evening of chamber music. Two special concerts were given, one by the Society of Ancient Instruments of Paris and another by Walter Gieseking and Mario Corti.
67Pilzer Conducts at Mecca Temple
68Since severing his connection with the Roxy organization, Maximilian Pilzer, violinist and conductor, has conducted at various times and on May 1, directed the symphony orchestra at Mecca Temple.
70As in past seasons Mr. Pilzer has also been engaged again by Mr. Naumberg to conduct in Central Park on July 4 and September 5. These symphonic concerts have given much pleasure to music lovers.
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