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MUSICAL COURIER
January IP, 1922
Ethel Newcomb in Hospital
Ethel Newcomb, concert pianist, who is the author of the book of reminiscenes, “Leschetizky As I Knew Him,” recently published, has been confined to the Presbyterian Hospital for several weeks. She has cancelled her concert tours until late in the spring.
Fine Artists at Euphony Society
Walter Greene, baritone; Mabel Beddoe, contralto, and Roderick White, violinist, gave the January program for the New York Euphony Society in the Astor Gallery at the Waldorf-Astoria, on Saturday, January 7.
TWO SCENES
from
“DIE WALKÜRE” Produced in Munich
a vitality increasing commensurately with the vast field of endeavor now opening up. Mrs. W. B. Nickels, chairman of the settlement work, has long been the dominating figure in the splendid accomplishment of Swope Settlement in her home town, Kansas City, Mo., and it is her one aim to spread throughout the country the same interest and enthusiasm among the clubs that obtain in the Kansas City Musical Club which supervises the music work under her guidance, as president.
Recently, too, Mrs. Nickels visited many of the settlements in the east, among them New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago, and is now rejoicing in the addition to her committee of two very representative people, Johann Grolle, of the Music Settlement School of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Catherine Saunders, of the Cleveland Music Settlement School. Mrs. Saunders has also had valuable experience in the Boston Southside Settlement, and Mr. Grolle is chairman of the music committee of the National Federation of Settlement Workers. With their co-operation Mrs. Nickels is planning an outline of work soon to be presented to the state chairman of settlement music, urging their immediate action.
De Kyzer in North Carolina
“Love Sends a Gift of Roses,” the new song by Open-shaw, was sung with such success at Greensboro, N. C., January 7, by Marie de Kyzer, that some of the audience requested her to repeat it at the end of her program. She sang four groups of songs, in Italian, French and English, among them numbers by the American composers, Alexander Russell, Deems Taylor, Logan and Openshaw. At the end of the program she had to sing four extra numbers, and is reengaged for next year at a double fee.
Quartet with Bruno Huhn at Cooper Union
On Sunday evening, January 8, the eighth free concert of the series being given by the People’s Institute brought forward Adele Parkhurst, soprano; Edna Indermaur, contralto; Judson House, tenor; Fred Patton, bass; with Bruno Huhn at the piano. They gave selections from “Lucia,” “La Forza del Destino,” “Tales of Hoffman” and “Rigoletto,” as well as groups of songs by Mr. Huhn and others, all of which were enthusiastically received by a capacity audience.
Drake Opens His Own Office
Charles Drake, for many years associated with the Wolf-sohn Bureau, who returned a short time ago from accompanying Heifetz on his Australian tour, has decided to go into the managerial business for himself. Mr. Drake will shortly announce the location of his office and the names of the artists whom he will handle.
MUNICH WAS A MODERNIZED “NIBELUNGEN RING”
First Woman Stage Manager Shows Original Ideas in Stage Settings Which Win Enthusiastic Approval of Munich Critics
—New Decorative Style a Success
tion (which was installed during last summer), with its indirect footlights, offers countless possibilities for the most subtle shadings. An air of indescribable sublimity and mysticism pervades the death prophesy in the second act, for instance; here indeed a higher world rises before one’s eyes. Regarding the whole, it must be said that the chief aim—a perfect unity between dramatic and musical content, the stage characters, the scene and the illumination—was reached, perhaps for the very first time.
The First Woman Stage Manager.
On this occasion the stage management was, for the first time in the history of the Munich Opera, placed into the hands of a woman, namely, Anna Bahr-Mildenburg, teacher of stage deportment and dramatic action at the Academy of Music. Frau Bahr-Mildenburg, once a famous singing actress noted for original ideas, proved herself equal to the task, although it must be admitted that on the whole there is still too much “acting” in the sense of gesture and mimic illustrattion. At least the first performance bore many earmarks of assiduous stage drill, which, I dare say, will disappear again in time and give way to more natural activity. The musical side of the production was also newly studied, and received minute attention at the hands of Bruno Walter, who gave an inspiring reading of the score. Walter brought every detail to light without a break in the whole; his interpretation was laden with dramatic force and tonal ecstasy. The cast was perfect only so far as the male roles are concerned. Paul Bender’s Wotan, Nicolai Reinfeld’s Siegmund and Julius Gless’ Hunding were, in appearance and voice, ideal Wagnerian types. Gabriele Englerth, of sympathetic, but not perfectly trained voice, could in no way compete with Berta Morena’s wonderful interpretation of Briinnhilde; Nelly Merz’s Sieglinde was average; Frieda Schreiber’s Fricka less than that. The audience, however, recognizing that a problem of the highest significance was, on the whole, solved to perfection, was very enthusiastic and spared no pains to show it.	Albert Noelte.
N. F. M. C. Supports Settlement Work
An important and far-reaching activity of the National Federation of Music Clubs is that of the Music Settlement Department, which, within the last two years, has taken on
Munich, December 8, 1921.—A rather unusual kind of sensation has kept musical Munich astir for the last ten days. It leaked out that our National Opera intended to give Wagner’s “Nibelungen Ring” in a wholly new decorative style. Dame Rumor even had it that the whole “Ring” would be given without any decorations at all ; the scenic equipment used hitherto was to be replaced by plain drap-ings such as were in use on the Shakespearean stage. One can well imagine the chagrin and disgust of the staunch old Wagnerites at hearing such news. For these good people Wagner’s remarks pertaining to scenery and stage directions, as set down fifty and more years ago, are sacrosanct, and it is a rather difficult task to convince them that the master’s ever progressive and revolutionary spirit would have been the first to grasp and make use of the highly developed technical means, especially in the department of stage illumination, which warrant scenic effects such as were hardly dreamed of half a century ago.
In the face of such latent opposition, it was indeed a great risk to lay hands on what is commonly called “hallowed tradition” and courageously do away with such scenic implements as have had their day and proven themselves obnoxious to modern taste. Besides, the younger generation of opera goers—those who were not imbued with a tradition that unscrupulously silenced each and every attempt at criticism—claims its right.
The “youngsters” could not see the necessity of clinging to a style of Wagner presentation which so little corresponded with their own taste and opinion of plausible scenic form, and which, as mere outward form, always has been and always will be subject to such changes as are demanded by advancing culture and technical development. They could not be ignored, especially as the future welfare of Wagnerian works, after all, depends largely upon the view which an uprising generation takes regarding them.
These may have been the reason why our opera at last rent the cloth between yesterday and today, trusting to its own good judgment, to its piety, which has ever characterized its point of view towards Wagner, and to the good will of those who love in Wagner more the contents and inner spirit than the outer form.
The beginning was made with “Die Walkiire.” Leo Pasetti, the celebrated scene painter, and Adolf Linnebach, an authority on stage illumination, two artists of ac-
Vecsey Leaves for the South
Ferenc Vecsey has left New York in order to make his first appearance in the South, on Sunday, January 22, at Charleston, S. C, under the management of Maud W. Gibbon.
(Above) Act II—Truly a Uglier world, immensity, height and a sense of mystery were the aims of the scenic artist in designing the second act of “Die Walkiire (Below) Act III—Briinnhilde1 s Bock, the bold conception of the Munich artist most admired by critics and public.
knowledged repute and artistic foresight, were engaged for the purpose of inventing a stage setting which would not only do justice to the naturalism and monumental mysticism of the “Ring” drama, but also to its musical exactions. Together with Lothar Weber, the technical stage director, they created scenic pictures of wonderful beauty and monumental dimensions.
The first act has experienced but little alteration, the main weight being laid upon the production of a gloomy, almost sinister, atmosphere, laden with anxious suspense. This atmosphere is almost painfully high strung and the listener actually hungers for the first glimpse of spring, which finally breaks with splendor into Hunding’s hall.
A Higher Realism.
The scenic pictures of the secondn and third acts give the impression of immense heights, dense fogs and clouds streaming and pushing upwards from below. All unnecessary details are left away; height and immeasurable expansion in mammoth lines are the keynote. The most striking innovation, however, consists of the welled, rock-like stage floor, which is overtopped by giant boulders. The smooth stage parquet has entirely disappeared, and the foot now finds those hindrances which are natural to a terrain of pronounced rocky formation. The steps and movements of the actors, therefore, appear more natural since the hindrances are no more fictitious, but absolute, and the momentous strides, for instance, of Siegmund and Wotain, have lost their improbability.
The Valkyries no longer climb hidden stairs to reach the top of their rocky outlook, but ascend a somewhat flat ledge of rock with rather steep incline; the effect is quite startling, since the up and downward rush of the Valkyries—now unhampered by treacherous stairs—gives the scene an impression of great liveliness and wild excitation.
Of unspeakable beauty are the light effects, which are always in exact keeping with the dramatic situation without being obtrusively intentional. The new system of illumina-