January 12, 1922
TILLA GEMUNDER,
soprano, who will sing a return engagement as soloist for the next Euterpe Glut) affair, January 19.
soprano, with fine enunciation and excellent style, sang “Next Market Day” (Ulster melody) with such charm that the president requested a repetition, and showed other artistic attributes in a song, “Haensel and Gretel,” with fine high C and A.
Erwin Nyiregyhazi made a sensational success with his piano solos, playing the Liszt “Rigoletto” with super-sentiment and tremendous brilliancy. His glittering scales, spontaneity and ease of performance brought him a roar of applause before the last chords of some of the pieces.
The absence of Mrs. Samuel Gardner Estabrook, of the president’s staff, was noted, and felicitations on her convalescence, and flowers sent her. Other presidential announcements included the Mozart-Clinic Pageant, masquerade and carnival of January 24, and reference to coming concerts. Mr. Spross played fine accompaniments, especially to two of his own songs.
Philharmonic to Honor Brahms’ Memory
Josef Stransky will conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra in two performancees on Thursday evening (tonight), January 12, and Friday afternoon, January 13, which will have a special significance. The death of Johannes Brahms occurred in 1897, twenty-five years ago, and the first part of each of the concerts on Thursday and Friday at Carnegie Hall will be devoted to a memorial performance of a Brahms work. The first symphony, in C minor, will be given this (Thursday) evening and the fourth, in E minor, tomorrow afternoon. The remainder of the program "is identical for both performances and includes Strauss’ “Death and Transfiguration” and the overture to “Tannhäuser,” with a novelty by an American composer in Whitehorne’s symphonic fantasy, “In the Court of Pomegranates,” given in New York for the first time. The presentation of the Whitehorne composition will mark the performance of the ninety-fifth different orchestral work by an American composer given under Stransky’s direction at Philharmonic concerts, over sixty Americans contributing to this list in less than eleven years. This number is exclusive of the songs with orchestral and piano accompaniment which have been heard at the Philharmonic performances in that time, of which there have been some thirty-odd of American composition.
At the Philharmonic concert in Carnegie Hall on Sunday afternoon, January 15, Bronislaw Huberman will be the assisting artist, playing the Tschaikowsky violin concerto in D major. The symphony for that afternoon will be the eighth of Beethoven. Henry Hadley will conduct his tone poem, “The Ocean,” and the performance will conclude with Smetana’s symphonic poem, “Vltava.” Stransky will conduct all with the exception of the Hadley work.
Stanley on Transcontinental Tour
A transcontinental recital tour opens Helen Stanley’s season for 1922. On January 10 she was heard in Oklahoma City, and today, January 12, she sings in Fort Smith, after which she will go to California, where her engagements include recitals at Hollywood, Long Beach, Santa Barbara. San Francisco, Palo Alto, Sacramento, Bakersfield and Los Angeles.
Washington will be the next State visited, with recitals at Tacoma and Yakima. Then will follow an appearance at Portland, Ore. On her return East Mme. Stanley will fill a number of engagements in the Middle West. This tour will be the second one to the Coast that this popular soprano has made within two years. Imogen Peay will go with her as accompanist.
Rosemary Pfaff Returns to New York
Rosemary Pfaff, the young coloratura soprano, whose unusual voice and charming personality won for her so many friends and admirers here last year, is back in New York again. She left last August to join Fred Stone in “Tip Top” in Chicago, under the management of Dillingham. _ She was released from this contract in December and is being financed by two wealthy Chicago women for ten months’ serious study with her teachers here, in preparation for her debut in November.
Gerhardt to Sing at Wells College
Elena Gerhardt has been engaged for a recital at Wells College, Aurora, N. Y., on February 15.
MUSICAL COURIER
electrified, for the most lavish and profuse reports had preceded Kubelik’s playing. In the very last row up in the second gallery, or to use a colloquial expression, in
nigger-heaven,” sat a dark-haired Bohemian youth, who was then working his way during the day and burning much midnight oil studying the violin deep into the night. That concert was the turning point in Konecny’s career, for he then and there resolved to study with the great Bohemian master Sevcik who had taught Kubelik, even if he had to circle the globe to do so. Little did he imagine then that that was exactly what he would have to do.
A few years after that memorable concert Konecny set his face West, travelling to San Francisco, and from there taking ship for the Far East, stopping briefly at Honolulu, sojourning a short while in Japan, touching at Shanghai and Hong Kong, finally landing at Manila, P. I. There he remained for a while as it was necessary to earn the much needed funds wherewith to continue toward the East to Europe to study with Sevcik. Incidentally he created a furore at his debut in Manila, making many friends with his violin.
Resuming his voyage he passed through the Straits of Singapore, visiting the oriental cities of Colombo, Penang, Singapore, etc., thence on across the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean to Italy, briefly stopping at Naples and Genoa. From thence across the Dolomite Alps to Vienna, where, after a voyage of two years, he was finally admitted into the presence of the kind and genial Bohemian master. Sevcik admitted him among his scholars, and Konecny shortly afterwards left for Pisek, Bohemia, where the master conducted his private class, thus once more setting foot upon the soil of his forebears, and incidentally realizing the ambition of his life.
Professor Sevcik had among his scholars in those days violinists from every quarter of the globe—from England, Australia, France, Russia, Spain, Germany, Austria, Canada, and most of them from the United States. But Konecny has the distinction of having been the only one who literally traveled around the world to study with Sevcik, because on his return to the United States he had encircled the globe.
Konecny has played in every part of the United States since, his tours taking him to most of the leading cities. His reception both by the public and press has been enthusiastic everywhere. This is not surprising, as he prides himself in upholding the high ideals and tradition of that Bohemian master who has produced many of the greatest Violinists of the present generation.
Konecny is not only an artist, but also a scholar with a liberal education; a linguist with five languages to his credit; an athlete and a soldier who, though over draft age, volunteered and served in the Great War, and after the armistice gave ninety concerts in France for the Amer-can and Allied soldiers; he is a member of the American Legion, and last but not least, he is his own business man-affer, plans his own tours, and is his own personal representative in the field.
The F sharp minor concerto of Ernst,׳ the Russian airs of Wieniawski, a Bach gavotte, etc., are some of the numbers played by him this season.
Mozart Society Musicale, Lunch and Dance
The foregoing caption does not completely describe the third Saturday affair of the Mozart Society of New York, Mrs. Noble McConnell, founder and president, for in addition to the musicale, luncheon and dance, a five-reel “movie” was given, “Don’t Get Personal,” with Marie Prevost. The president stated at the outset that “a picture” would be a regular feature of the monthly musicales; it was greatly enjoyed by the company which filled every inch of room on the Mozart floor of the Hotel Astor, January 7. This might well be said, in fact, of every feature, including the usual highly original, entertaining, instructive_ and droll remarks by President McConnell, who was in her usual good humor, and radiated human kindness, combined with unique efficiency and tact. Paul Ryman, tenor of agreeable voice, clear articulation and presence, sang especially well Curran’s beautiful “Dawn,” the composer, discovered in the audience, being called to the platform and honored by special applause. Clara Deeks,
Josef Konecny’s Career as a Violinist
Josef Konecny, the son of humble Bohemian people (his father was a blacksmith), came to this country at an early age with his parents. The love of the Bohemians for music, and especially the violin, is proverbial. So it was but nat-
JOSEF KONECNY,
violinist, who is his own business manager.
ural that ])art of his boyhood was spent in assiduously practising the violin under the guidance of local teachers.
It was in the month of January, 1901, however, that the great event in Konecny’s life took place, for it was then that Kubelik made his sensational debut in Chicago. The vast auditorium was packed to its capacity with an expectant multitude. The very atmosphere seemed to be
JOSEF KONECNY
Bohemian Violin Virtuoso En Tour
Assisted by—
MARY TRIS ־ Concert Pianiste ESTHER LUELLA LASH ־ Soprano
(Concerning his playing of the Paganini D Major and Wieniawski D Minor Concertos):
“A worthy pupil “A violin virtu-
£.s,־vS?i-,i£:	**
sical America, New rank. Music York.	News, Chicago.
Address:	KONECNY CONCERT DIRECTION,
4445 Irving Park Boulevard, Chicago
Personal Representative: HAROLD MANNING,
En route.
“Artistry of superb order.”—Star, Indianapolis.
BARITONE
Director of Westminster College of Music, New Wilmington, Pa. Available for Concerts and Recitals
PER NIELSEN
“THE AVIATOR”
(“COME FLY WITH ME״)
Tenor or Soprano
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