/anuary 26, 1922 39 a story writer, is taken from “O Henryanna,” of Doubleday, Page Company. Taken all in all, this is a notable addition to America’s literature of poetry and song and deserves widespread recognition. ___________ Attractive Greetings from Winnipeg The Men’s Musical Club of Winnipeg. Canada, sent out an attractive holiday greeting this year. G. F. Coombes is the author of a verse which is worth repeating: By old Red River’s ice-locked stream full soon The Christmas bells will-peal their jocund tune! O friends afar (whom Music’s power inspires, Co-worshippers at Music’s altar-fires), Linked to our hearts in loving memory, Tho’ severed by long leagues of land or sea, May those sweet bells our Christmas greetings bear, Scattering their joyous music everywhere, And wake in your glad hearts an echo true Remembering us as we remember you! Norman Douglas is president of this club, George S. Mathieson is the secretary, and C. B. Clement the treasurer. Recital at Helen Moller’s Theater The next recital of the series being held at Helen Moller’s “Little-Theater Within a Theater” will be held on Sunday evening, January 29, at 9 o’clock. MUSICAL COURIER without ever having had a stage rehearsal even with piano, to say nothing of orchestra. It was no easy matter, with the complicated movements which the Walkiires are obliged to perform to say nothing of the difficult music cues, but Miss Bradley proved her artistic equipment by acquitting herself without a mistake. Her second appearance with the company took place at the first Brooklvn performance of “Louise” on Tuesday evening, January 17, when she sang the roles of the Street Sweeper in the Montmarte scene and the Forewoman in the sewingroom scene. Miss Bradley, the possessor of a contralto voice of unusual depth and power, is engaged for a number of festivals this spring. For Little Players and Singers A FOREST JUBILEE By Helen L. Cramm Op. 31 Price, $1.00 postpail The animals of the forest come together, as told in the preface, for a reunion and entertain each other with songs and other musical selections for which a prize is to be awarded. Their music is tuneful and bright, and well adapted to be played by small fingers and to entertain young minds. Large notes help in the reading; and the verses printed between the staves fit the music exactly so they can be sung also, besides telling an interesting story of each notable singer. OLIVER DITSON COMPANY 178179־ Tremont St., Boston 10 Order of your local dealer “The Crucible” Likely to Rival Success of “Inter Nos.” What singers want to know about a song is: Is it vocal, is it singable, will it touch the heart of the public? And what the public wants to know is whether it is simple enough to be handled by the average amateur singer and the average amateur pianist? That is the rarest of rare combinations, and when the reviewer finds it in his path he feels that he must let all the world know about it and hear about it and get acquainted with it. Such a song is “The Crucible,” by Alexander MacFad-yen. It is set to a poem by O. Henry, greatest of American story writers, who knew the human heart and all that is in it and felt the feelings that we all feel but are unable to express. This poem is a poem of feeling—a heart poem. There is a sort of refrain to each verse which tells the story: “But when the striving is ended, tenderly, unbeguiled, turn to a woman and a woman’s heart and to children, the heart of a child.” And each of the three verses tells of man’s conflict with the world in its various phases, in striking contrast with this tender home motive, a contrast that the composer has clearly and vividly portrayed in his musical setting. It is a love song of appealing tenderness combined with a war song and a work song that will stir the blood of every real he-man and bring tears to every mother-woman. It presents a melody of great beauty with a good, flowing rhythm, and, in parts, of high dramatic fervor. It is a song for singers as well as for the home circle and is going to rival the success of the same composer’s “Inter Nos,” one of America’s masterpieces. MacFadyen has dedicated “The Crucible” to Carolina Lazzari, but she will not be the only one to sing it. Indeed, it is hard to imagine any one of the great American concert artists not including this work in his or her repertory. A program will be amiss without it and no artist who hopes to get close to the hearts_ of an audience will care to forego the powerful aid that this thrilling poem and no less thrilling music will furnish. The song is of medium range and there are optional notes that will make it grateful for the amateur. It is published by the John Church Company and issued, as is usual with this company’s editions, in excellent form, on heavy paper with large type, clearly spaced and easy to read. The poem, which will cause some surprise, for it is not widely known that O. Henry was a poet as well as AMERICAN ACADEMY ol DRAMATIC ARTS, Founded 1884 _. . ... FRANKLIN H. SARGENT, President e leading institution for Dramatic and Expressional Training in America. Connected with Charles Frohmann’s Empire For information apply to Secretary, 155 Carnegie Hall, New York. Theater Companies. Eminent Conductor- Coaching:, Accompanying: ^ Studio : 315 West 98th Street, New York City PAPALARDO Well Known Pianist SECOND RECITAL Carnegie Hall, New York March 13 ( All Chopin Program) MALKIN HAENSEL & JONES, Managers STEINWAY PIANO SOPRANO Direction; J. H. FITZPATRICK, Windsor-Clifton Hotel, Chicago, 111. i @i|?Qil>Mattl) JttSttfui? ERNEST BLOCH, Musical Director 3146 EUCLID AVE., CLEVELAND, OHIO Mrs. Franklyn B. Sanders, Executive Director VIRGINIA GILL Soprano •‘A Voice ol Distinctive Charm” Now Boohing for Season 1921-1922 CONCERT—ORATORIO—OPERA Address: 1014 Division Street ״ . --------------- Camden, New Jersey FAUSTO CAVALLINI Leading Tenor with Scotti Grand Opera Company Address: care ALFREDO MARTINO, 329 West 85th Street New York Author of the book “The Mechanism of the Human Voice.” Former teacher of ROSA PONSELLE. Teacher of FAUSTO CAVALLINI, leading tenor with Scotti Grand Opera Co.; IRENE WELSH, leading soprano with the Italian Lyric Federation. Send for leaflet 329 West 85th Street New York MARTINO A. L F R E D О WHAT THE JURY THINKS [The music critics of the New York dailies constitute the jury in the appended extracts from criticisms which have appeared in our local newspapers. Many concerts and operas are given in the metropolis, and the following day the critics agree or disagree on the merits or demerits of the performer. However, on most occasions the writers do not agree, and this department is run for the purpose of reproducing some of the flat contradictions, showing that, after all, the review constitutes but the personal opinion of the critic who covers the performance.—Editor’s Note.] Leon Sametini, Violinist, January 11 World. Dutch Violinist Fails to Impress.—(Headline.) World His high tones were shrill and often they whistled. The quality of his tone wavered and introduced jarring effects. World His rhythms and phrasing could scarcely be felt. Tribune Leon Sametini Makes Favorable Impression on Audience.— (Headline.) T ribune His tone was generally smooth and full and especially clear and pleasing in high notes. Herald He played with . . . good rhythm and ease and abandon of style. Harold Morris, Pianist, January 11 Evening Mail Times The lovely lyrical themes in The romantic spirit of Schu- G minor sonata of Schumann mann’s fiery sonata in G minor were brought out most appeal- escaped him. ingly. Berthe Erza, Soprano, January 13 Herald World Miss Erza is the possessor of Her voice was harsh in tim-a voice of excellent natural bre, particularly in her lower quality. It has warmth, tender- head tones, ness and power. Josef Hofmann, Pianist, January 14 American Often, to be sure, the . . . physical impulses . . . mani- fested in conspicuous feats of digital dexterity and muscular prowess — were forced upon one’s notice too insistently. Pianist, January 15 Sun His forte passages are often insecure and blurred. Herald In some portions of his work his playing was unquestionably deficient in clearness and he pedalled with very muddy results. World His command of tone is decidedly limited. The essential color of his tone remains unvarying. Herald But he stormed tremendously through Chopin’s A flat ballade. T imes A crashing forte that never sinned against the instrument or seemed other than musical. Alexander Siloti, Evening World Siloti’s tremendous technic is unquestioned; also his skill in tonal coloring and in his management of dynamics. American Nor has Siloti lost any of his skill in pedalling, a feature of piano playing to which he always has devoted special attention. World His use of the pedal is marked by welcome reticence. Herald It was found then (twenty-four years ago) that his best accomplishment was his variety of color. It still seemed to be dazzling. He is still a colorist. Times He played with a truly poetical introspection . . . three etudes and the A flat ballade by Chopin—and in these latter made no violent attempt to demonstrate the “greater Chopin,’’ which sometimes means the louder Chopin. Rudolf Jung, Tenor, January 15 World Probably one of the most tiresome recitals that has ever been given. . . . Schubert’s music . . . must be sung . . . by a singer who is able to summon intense feeling into his imagination and to communicate it to his voice. Mr. Jung, however, cannot do it. Evening World His singing has commendable traits, noticeably sincerity, and a regard for the expression of sentiment and deep feeling. . . . This work (Schubert) enabled the singer to run the emotional gamut, a near - herculean job, and the tenor came through the ordeal creditably. Ruth Deyo, Pianist, January 16 Herald Tribune She employs a musical tone Her touch was dry and lack- gencrally well colored and she ing in depth and color, has lyric feeling. Tribune Miss Deyo disclosed little more than conventional pianistic attainments. Times Miss Deyo’s playing is that of musician and an artist. Artur Schnabel, Pianist, January 16 1 Herald He seemed to place little value on sensuous warmth or variety of color. Herald He played most of the time with a hard and therefore cold tone. Sun His colors are nunurous, but they are all made to contrast. World He can do anything that he wishes with a piano in coloring tones. Evening Mail Delicate beauty of tone. Tribune Those (tones) of Beethoven, as played by Mr. Schnabel, detracted themselves from the instrument and became embodied beauty vitalized by feeling. Myra Hess, Pianist, January 17 American Miss Hess is not given to poetic contemplation and never allows her feelings to melt in sentimental reverie. Her spirit does not dwell in the realm of romance. Tribune She possesses not only fancy, but the higher gift which is imagination. Her expositions are not merely intellectual, they are poetical also. Miss Bradley’s Chance Came Grace Bradley, like so many of the other singers of the Metropolitan Opera Company, had to wait a long time for a chance to appear. Then came a “Walkiire” performance. Krimgerde was ill and Miss Bradley had to jump in to sing the role at the beginning of the third act