MUSICAL COURIER
40
January 12, 1922
Claudia Muzio Tells of Her Recent Buenos Aires and Mexico City Triumphs
Distinguished Soprano Returns Again to New York Ready and Anxious to Resume Her Duties at the Metropolitan—Her Success in “Traviata”
CLAUDIA MUZIO,
who made her debut at the Colon, Buenos Aires, as Violetta in “Traviata” and scored a most justifiable triumph.
her in the role. At least, it would be somewhat of a novelty! Judging from the opinions of the Buenos Aires press, she is more than capable in essaying the part.
After “Traviata” the soprano scored veritable triumphs in “Aida,” “Tosca,” “Andre Chenier,” “Monna Vanna,” “Trovatore,” “Lohengrin,” “Lorley,” “Boheme,” “Pagliacci,” “Rosenkavalier,” and a number of other roles of her extensive repertory.
Miss Muzio was rather proud of the fact that she had sung “Rosenkavalier” in Buenos Aires under Strauss’ baton. Also in commenting upon the musical public of Buenos Aires, she found them "wonderfully inspiring and exceedingly musical.”
Her operatic engagement in Mexico City, following the close of the South American season, she describes as “the most thrilling experience of my life.” The audiences are, like the South Americans, very musical and appreciative, but can be just the opposite if an artist fails to come up to their standard. Political conditions in Mexico, the singer stated, are now pretty fair in comparison to what a state of chaos they were in formerly. The climate is ideal and it seemed strange to Muzio to celebrate a warm, sunny Christmas there. Although the soprano and her mother succeeded in getting a Christmas tree, much of the Yuletide spirit was lacking.
When near the end of the interview, the writer inquired how long it took Muzio to learn a new role. She replied:
“At the most, fifteen days! Last season I brushed up ‘Lorley,’ which I had not sung in several years, in seven days. I had sung it, however, many times before, just as I did ‘Aida,’ ‘Tosca,’ ‘Andre Chenier’ and the rest. ‘Aida,’
“־׳׳i ' HE divine and incomparable Muzio”
—as the young Metropolitan Opera soprano was called in Mexico—is again in New York, fresh from triumphs in Buenos Aires—at the Colon—and more recently in Mexico City.
It was a very slender but splendidly healthy-looking Claudia Muzio that greeted the Musical Courier representative a day after her arrival in New York—“her second home.” It goes without saying that Italy, her native country, comes first She will, perhaps, visit it for a period of three or four months next summer, which will be the first time the diva has been able to stay there for so long a time in six years.
‘‘Sixty performances since you left here last May!” exclaimed the writer, “and yet you do not seem to have suffered any under the strain!”
“But why?” persisted Muzio, with a shrug of her shoulder; “I am happiest when I am singing or working. With me nothing else counts—the outside pleasures. Maybe it is a mistake to shut yourself away from the world, but, nevertheless, I have always done it.”
“Yes, I remember when you first sang at the Metropolitan ! You worked with Conductor Papi a good many hours each day!”
“Then I was learning many new roles, but now I have completed—or almost so—my repertory. I do not have to work so hard now, but I am always doing exercises and polishing up on my roles. You see, too, when one’s voice is properly placed, the rest is quite easy.”
“To get back, Miss Muzio, to South America, you had sung there previously and are, I understand, an idol with the people!” said the writer, only giving the views of several other artists who had sung there at the Colon with Muzio.
“Yes,” she smiled happily, “they like me very much. Last summer was my third season at the Colon, and my debut this last time was in ‘Traviata !’ ”
‘“Traviata!’” echoed the writer, knowing Muzio was a dramatic and not a coloratura soprano.
“Yes,” she replied, “and I had tremendous success in it.”
“How did you happen to select that role?”
“Well, once at the beginning of my career in Italy I had sung it before. I even did Gilda in ‘Rigoletto,’ but ever since I did Violetta I have always longed to sing it again. You know, of course, that Verdi did not intend it for a coloratura—the score will show that! So last season at the Colon I again sang the role and I am hoping to sing it soon again.”
“At the Metropolitan?”
“That I do not know. Gatti-Casazza is the one to decide such a question.”
And it is to be hoped that the far-seeing general-director will give Miss Muzio a chance to let New Yorkers hear
by the way, I sang for the first time at the Metropolitan.”
And here it must be added that the role of the enslaved Princess is one of her best. Las Noticias, of Mexico City, in reviewing her performance of this role, said: “Claudia Muzio! Henceforth from today, on remembering the best Aida of our life, we will have her name on our lips.”
Very soon, now, Claudia Muzio, who “belongs to that type of singers . . . so admired and so rare, as I have said before” (critic of El Universal), “where voice, mind and soul work together to bring about a perfect impression,” will rej oin the Metropolitan Opera Company for the balance of the season.
J.V.
Sinding Luncheon
While in New York for the Christmas holidays, Per Nielsen, director of the department of music at Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pa., gave a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria on December 31 for Christian Sinding, the Norwegian composer, and Mrs. Sinding. A distinguished gathering of musicians attended, among them being Mr. and Mrs. Artur Bo-danzky and Roberto Mo-ranzoni, the last two mentioned conductors at the Metropolitan Opera; Marie Sundelius, Rafaelo Diaz and Mario Laurenti, all of the Metropolitan forces; Liv Nansen, a daughter of the famous Arctic explorer; Greta Torpadie, soprano; Oliver Denton, pianist; A. Walter Kramer, composer; Tuss McLaughry, of the faculty of Westminster College, and Raoul Vidas, the French violinist.
Women’s Orchestra
The Women’s Symphony Orchestra of Philadelphia will give its first concert at Swarthmore (a suburb of Philadelphia) on Thursday, January 19, with Florence Haenle, violinist (concertmaster), and John Barclay, the English baritone, as soloists. This orchestra, which is creating a stir in musical circles, is making rap_id strides in completing its personnel as well as developing its efficiency.
Vecsey to Play at Metropolitan
Ferenc Vecsey, the Hungarian violinist, who has just returned from a triumphant tour in Cuba, giving three concerts in Havana alone, has been engaged as the special soloist for the Metropolitan’s concert on Sunday, January IS. On this occasion Mr. Vecsey will play Tschaikowsky’s concerto in D major with the orchestra, under the baton of Giuseppe Bamboschek
Amy Ellerman’s New York Recital
Amy Ellerman, the well known contralto, will give a song recital in Aeolian Hall. New York, on the afternoon of January 24. It will be remembered that Miss Ellerman recently returned from a long and very successful concert tour with Calvin Coxe, the tenor.
Look Out for Him!
A man representing himself as R. Grünewald, of New Orleans, obtained a loan on Christmas eve from a music publisher under the plea that he had met with an automobile accident in which most of his papers of identification were destroyed in a satchel under the seat. His correct answers concerning musical people not alone in New Orleans but in Memphis and surrounding country were accepted as proof of the authenticity of his claim. A letter since received from the Louis Grünewald Company, of New Orleans, states that “There is no R. Grünewald connected with this firm.” The man in question was of medium build, about thirty-seven years old, approximately five feet ten, and clean shaven.
THEODORA
STURKOW-
RYDER
614 Cable Bldg. 4715 Lake Park Ave. CHICAGO
New York Repreientative,
E. A. BERGEN,
Hotel Albcnnarle, 85th Street.