Books › Musical Courier 1928-12-20: Vol 97 Iss 25, 1928 › scan 41
Scan 41
Musical Courier 1928-12-20: Vol 97 Iss 25, 1928
191 lines. Read by computer on 30 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 42. See the scan on archive.org.
1Music on the Air
3AN AGREEMENT
5We have always contended that the performances of artists over the radio is no criterion as to the real ability of the person, especially from the standpoint of the real quality of the voice. We are sometimes loath to pass judgment on those who do not seem to be doing well because we think that radio is too uncertain a mechanism to be entirely relied upon for accurate production, and it involves too many factors that can never be pinned down to any definite laws which should always be followed. This is what R. H. Manson, chief engineer of a prominent manufacturing firm, thinks on the subject:
7"The reproduction of voices, especially the male voices in a quartet, or a soprano, is a severe test of an instrument's ability to give accurate reproduction. Many radio listeners condemn a radio soprano as a poor radio performer because of the harshness and unnaturalness with which this voice is conveyed. This is caused by the lack of attention to the design of the high frequency end of the audio system. Likewise, if the audio system is deficient at the low end the male voice will not come through with natural fulness. Also, if the loud-speaker is deficient at this end the speaking voice will not come through naturally. Male singers are more resonant to some of the lower frequencies and give what is known as 'rain-barrel effects,' producing a kind of distortion that results in garbled reproduction. Of course, if the loud-speaker reproduction of a man's voice is poor, it is also poor on music, but unfortunately the ear is not able to give a direct comparison with the music produced before the microphone, and so fails to recognize the musical distortion."
9Mr. Manson sees the bad results from the standpoint of the instrument of radio; we see the tragic results from the standpoint of the artist, who is the real sufferer in the end, as the great majority of the public do not realize the difference as to when their instrument is bad or when the artist is poor. Thus it is only natural that the artist should be blamed.
11ON TURNING THE DIAL
13DECEMBER 10 TO 16—The week was rather uneventful. The first entertainment which we heard and thought worth recording was the Chicago Opera performance of Don Giovanni. Edith Mason did herself proud; hers is a lovely voice, pure and crystalline, and the music of Mozart fits it to perfection.
15The New York American featured a Christmas program, Friday, on which Paul Althouse sang. Mr. Althouse is not new to radio audiences; he has often appeared on the Atwater Kent programs and has always made an impression because of the excellent manner in which he sings. He has authority and a delivery which can be linked to the "grand style," something which is rare today because the heroic types are passing into history. He presented a group of songs and the aria, O Paradiso, from L'Africaine.
17The Damrosch, Roxy, and Philharmonic offerings were all symphony concerts which were enjoyed during the weekend. On Sunday evening the finals of the Atwater-Kent yearly contest were heard. The voices of the contestants, on the whole, were good; the males were far better than the females. What was noticeable was the poor musical training of some of the singers. Indeed it was a new version of Verdi that was given by the young lady who sang the Caro Nome—truly pitiful. However, the two first winners were good and will probably amount to something, with hard work back of them.
19MARGHERITA TIRINDELLI.
21Concerts at Mannes School Precede Christmas Recess
23Dr. Simeon Rumchiski was assisting artist at the second of the Sunday afternoon concerts, December 9, in the chamber music series which the David Mannes Music School has added this season to its courses. The series is being given by The Lenox String Quartet and assisting artists, with Leopold D. Mannes' preceding explanatory talks illustrated at the piano. The intimate recital hall was well filled with students and outside subscribers to the series.
25Two holiday performances, prior to the Christmas recess, were on December 17 and 18, of La Nativite, a group of old French Noels collected by Julien Tiersot, and dramatized, costumed, and directed for these occasions by Greta Torpadie and Frank Bibb of the vocal faculty.
27The holiday recess at the school begins December 23, and lasts through January 3.
29Martinelli Presents Greenwich House Pupils
31On December 14, the pupils of the Greenwich House Music School gave a presentation of the works of composers of the Italian Ospedali or People's Music Schools, of which music school settlements are the American counterpart, at the MacDowell Club under the patronage of Giovanni Martinelli. The concert was arranged by a distinguished committee, of which Mrs. Frank La Forge is chairman.
33Lucia Chagnon Returns from Europe
35Lucia Chagnon arrived in America on December 16 on the S. S. Paris, following a tour of Europe during the past summer. While abroad the young American soprano coached with Lilli Lehmann in Salzburg, and also concertized, among other places, in Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Frankfort, Munich, Vienna and Budapest. Miss Chagnon's appearances in the United States last year were a great success. So far this season recitals have been booked for Boston, January 19; New York, January 23 and March 6; Lexington, Va., January 24; Staunton, Va., January 25, and Chicago, February 20.
37Miss Chagnon, who is of French-Canadian parentage, comes from Rhode Island. Her musical education began at the age of eight with the study of piano, but when it was discovered that she possessed a voice worthy of development, the line of endeavor was altered to suit the new conditions. In addition to a voice of unusual quality, Miss Chagnon possesses a winsome personality and a tenacity of purpose which make for success in reaching her goal.
39New York Concert Announcements
41Thursday, December 20
42MORNING
43Haarlem Philharmonic Society, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
44AFTERNOON
45Philharmonic-Symphony Society, Carnegie Hall.
46EVENING
47La Argentina, dance, Town Hall.
49Friday, December 21
50MORNING
51Biltmore Morning Musicals, Hotel Biltmore.
52EVENING
53David and Clara Mannes, Washington Irving High School.
54Philharmonic-Symphony Society, Carnegie Hall.
55Henderson High pupils' piano recital, Steinway Hall.
56Mount Holyoke Carol Choir, Town Hall.
58Saturday, December 22
59MORNING
60Philharmonic-Symphony Society Children's Concert, Carnegie Hall.
61AFTERNOON
62The English Singers, Town Hall.
63EVENING
64Solomon Pinslmer, composition recital, Engineering Auditorium.
65Wellesley College Choir, Town Hall.
67Sunday, December 23
68AFTERNOON
69Philharmonic-Symphony Society, Carnegie Hall.
70Adesdi Chorus, Charles Hopkins Theater.
71Pasquale Taraffo, guitar, Gallo Theater.
72Society of the Friends of Music, Town Hall.
73EVENING
74Paul Whitehead and orchestra, Carnegie Hall.
75La Argentina, dance, Gallo Theater.
77Wednesday, December 26
78EVENING
79Oratorio Society of New York, Carnegie Hall.
80La Argentina, dance, Town Hall.
81Bernard Lebow, pupils' piano recital, Steinway Hall.
83Thursday, December 27
84MORNING
85Charlotte Lund, young people's opera recital, Town Hall.
87Chicago Opera
89(Continued from page 37)
91(no line here) one of two readings
92OTELLO, DECEMBER 13
94Another repetition of Otello brought together the same star cast that performed in other hearings of the powerful Verdi score.
96RIGOLETTO, DECEMBER 15 (MATINEE)
98With the exception of Margherita Salvi, who for her second appearance in Chicago sang the role of Gilda, the cast for Rigoletto was similar to the one heard recently at the Auditorium.
100Bonelli once again rose to great heights in the title role, singing the difficult part with nobility of tone and winning salvos of applause after his various scenes.
102Charles Hackett once again was a handsome Duke, in which part he reaped the deserved plaudits of a more than satisfied audience.
104Howard Preston, Virgilio Lazzari, Alice D'Hermanoy, Lucille Meusel, Constance Eberhardt and Ada Paggi, in their usual roles did meritorious work.
106Margherita Salvi, who made such a successful debut as Rosina in The Barber, has been endowed by nature with a lovely personality and that personality beamed in all its splendor as Gilda. Many daughters of the jester have appeared on the Auditorium stage, but none, as far as memory can recall, looked as young, as beautiful or as attractive to the eye as the young lady who hails from Spain, and who is winning the highest recognition from the Chicago public. She was well gowned, showed that she understands the stage and acted the part with savoir faire.
108Moranzoni was at the conductor's desk, from where he directed a performance entirely to his credit and to that of the company.
110SAMSON AND DELILAH, DECEMBER 15 (EVENING)
112The sixth week of grand opera here came to a happy conclusion with a repetition of Samson and Delilah, scheduled to be given at popular prices with the same cast heard previously at full tariff, so well headed by Cyrena Van Gordon, Charles Marshall and Edouard Cotreuil, with Henry Weber conducting.
114RENE DEVRIES.
116Hail Ye Tyme of Holie Days Programmed
118Gena Branscombe's Hail Ye Tyme of Holie Dayes is an especially appropriate number for programs presented during the present holiday season. It was featured at the concert given by the Orpheus Club in the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, on December 5, and the impression carried away by the critic of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin was that the chorus lent a festival atmosphere to the concert.
120HOTEL GREAT NORTHERN
121118 WEST 57th STREET NEW YORK CITY
122The Leading Hotel on "Music Row"
123Situated a few doors below Carnegie Hall and Studios opposite Steinway Building and Chickering Hall, this hotel is strategically located for those interested artistically and commercially in music.
124Room with private bath (for one) $3.50-4.00-4.50-5.00
125(for two) $4.50-5.00-5.50-6.00
126Parlor, bedroom and bath $6.00-7.00-8.00-9.00
128MUSICAL COURIER
130December 20, 1928
132AMUSEMENTS
13450th St. & 7th Ave.
135Under the Personal Direction of S. L. ROYAL (Roxy)
136Beg. Sat. Dec. 22
137WILLIAM FOX presents
138"PREP and PEP"
139with NANCY DREXEL and DAVID ROLLINS
141World's Greatest Theatre. People of discriminating taste enjoy Roxy's, with the best in motion pictures and divertissements. Roxy Symphony Orchestra of 110, Roxy Ballet Corps. Soloists. 32 Roxyettes.
143Music and the Movies
145The Strand
147(no line here) one of two readings
148Lilac Time, with Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper, is being held over at The Strand for the second week.
150Roxy
152(no line here) one of two readings
153This seems to be the week of hold-overs, for the Roxy, too, is housing a repeat, The End of St. Petersburg, with the same surrounding stage bill and an added Movietone news of the King of Spain making an address to the American people, which is splendid.
155Capitol
157(no line here) one of two readings
158White Shadows, the picture of the South Seas, is drawing capacity audiences to the Capitol for the second week.
160Notes
162(no line here) one of two readings
163Fannie Brice, in My Man, arrives at the Warner Theater on December 21. And Al Jolson in the Singing Fool recently opened the new Regal Theater at Marble Arch in London.
165Gallo's First Musical Comedy
167(no line here) one of two readings
168Fortune Gallo is sponsoring his first musical comedy, Yankee Doodle, the book of which is by Junius Jones and the lyrics by Kenneth Millican and Shafter Howard. The latter is also the composer. The cast includes: Basil Ruysdael, James B. Carson, Sudworth Fraser, Berta Donn, Flavia Arcarda, William Seabury and Mabel Weeks. The show will open in Newark in January and is due at the Gallo Theater a couple of weeks later.
170Emma Otero at Rubinstein Club
172(no line here) one of two readings
173The December 11 concert, forty-second season, of the Rubinstein Club, Dr. William Rogers Chapman, conductor, was especially noteworthy in that it was the New York debut of Emma Otero, Cuban coloratura soprano, a protegee of General Machado, President of the Cuban Republic, and pupil of Maestro Enrico Rosati. The young girl, said to be but eighteen years of age, has poise and a winsome personality, which, coupled with natural gifts for singing and a precocious technic, won her rousing applause and encores. The florid arias from Dinorah and Barber of Seville showed her extended range and command of scale, arpeggio and trill, all done with no observable effort. Songs by Donizetti and Jolmelli, with a double encore, Girometta, and Chavelitos, as well as Last Rose of Summer (one verse in Italian, one in English), all proved her popularity. Her instructor, Maestro Rosati, played splendid supporting accompaniments, and shared applause with the prima donna. Tenor Gigli, the Cuban consul general and his family, Julius Witmark, and other prominent New Yorkers, occupied boxes, and during the intermission were grouped about the youthful Otero for a flashlight picture.
175The chorus, with Kathryn Kerin-Child at the piano, and Louis R. Dressler, organist, sang works by Schubert, Risher, Herbert, Truette, and others, and an American Ode, by Richard Kountz, who was present, was well sung; Wick's Woodland Magic was by all odds the most refined and effective of all the choral music. A large audience attended and enjoyed the concert and also the ball which followed.
177Hazel Longman and Beatrice Wickens Give Program
179(no line here) one of two readings
180Hazel Longman, soprano, was assisted by Beatrice Wickens, pianist, at her matinee recital, December 9, at the Brooklyn Little Theater, a capacity audience listening to the artist with many expressions of pleasure. Miss Longman, whose Steinway Hall recital last season was a success, sang songs in Italian, German and several especially appropriate Christmas songs, the latter by Cornelius and Reger. A charming singer, she easily won encores after each group, her sweet voice and refined expression gaining general admiration; two encores were Danny Boy and Song of India. Miss Wickens played Chopin and Liszt works brilliantly, adding an encore, and the general effect of the affair was one of artistic merit.
182Helen Hoerle With Keith-Albee
184(no line here) one of two readings
185Helen Hoerle, publicity director of the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau of New York, Inc., for the last two and a half years, has joined the Keith-Albee Orpheum publicity department to handle special artists' publicity.
187Philip Scharf Arrives
189(no line here) one of two readings
190Philip Scharf, American violinist, and his father returned to this country on the President Harding, after having spent some time abroad, where the young man was touring and winning decided success.
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