January 26, 1922
58
MUSICAL COURIER
REPLIES TO INQUIRERS
Answers to letters received in this department are published as promptly as possible. The large number of inquiries and the limitation of space are responsible for any delay. The letters are answered seriatim.
Erlanger, Composer.
Can you inform me if there were two French composers by the name of Erlanger, and if so which one wrote the opera
less, the heroine of ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’?”
Yes, there was Camille Erlanger, born in Paris in 1863, and Baron Frederic Erlanger, also born in Paris, 1868. The latter is the composer of Tess,” produced at Naples in 1906.
Why Do They Go?
“It has always been a matter of speculation to me as to why so many people go to the opera. It seems almost incredible there is so large a musical community; that is, a community that knows and understands music. But that may not be a fair criticism because concerts also have large audiences. Only some way the opera seems different. It is a more expensive form of amusement; even obtaining tickets requires some effort such as standing in line, yet night after night opera houses are packed, with an apparently inexhaustible series of audiences and this goes on for months. I should be glad to have your opinion on the subject.”
There is a variety of reasons for the large attendance at the opera, not all of them musical ones. Possibly the first reason of all and the one with the strongest appeal is, that it is fashionable. Names of those well known in •society are the names to be found in the list of box owners. Does not the curiosity to see the members of this charmed circle attract not only our city but our country cousins? Then the names of the singers are a great attraction, not their personality, nor the opera. The question often is: “who is going to sing tonight?” not what opera, and then comes the remark that shows the real reason for either going or staying away: “Oh I have heard him sing, I’ll wait to hear some one else.” This class wants to be able to say at the end of the season that they have heard all the great artists. The operas are a secondary consideration; not always can the name be remembered. Some people think it gives them a rather superior air to say: “I was at the opera last night. But with all the silly reasons that exist for going to the opera, it must be remembered there are hundreds and thousands who go from pure love of music, and who make many sacrifices to save up the money for their tickets.
“Manon/׳
“As 1 *ive i״ a small town where there is no library, it is difficult for me to obtain necessary data when writing a paper about a musician or composer, although I have quite a good musical library of my own, but occasionally find that it is incomplete. At the present moment I am trying to find out if there is more than one opera founded on the Abbe Prevost’s famous book Manon Lescaut.’ If there is it will be considered a great favor if you will give me any details about it.”
As a matter of fact there have been three operas with the libretto founded on the Abbe Prévost s book:	“Manon Lescaut,” 1856 by
Auber; Manon,” 1884, Massenet, and again “Manon Lescaut,” Puccini. Auber s opera was not a success and is not even mentioned by many authorities, having been laid on the shelf many years before Massenet used the story. The latter’s opera is said to be one of his most completely successful works,” and is the one that is best known to the opera-going public. The libretto of Puccini s opera is entirely different from the one used by Massenet, it has, however, achieved a considerable success, although the re-view speaks of its being very uneven musically. Of the three operas it is Massenet s that has been the most successful.
Annie Louise Cary.
“Will you kindly inform me when it was that Annie Louise Cary retired from the stage? It seems to me I have heard she was still in full possession of her powers as a singer when she did retire. How old was she at the time?”
It has recently been stated that the last public appearance of Annie Louise Cary was at the music festival given under the aus-prnes of the Oratorio Society of New York in 1881, under the leadership of Dr. Leopold Damrosch, his son Walter taking part as organist of the occasion. It has always been said it was at the height of her career as a singer, and the public at the time deplored her retirement At the time of her retirement (1882) to marry C. M. .Raymond, she was only forty years old. She died only a tew months ago at her home in Norwalk, Conn.
“Le Roi d׳Ys/׳
“Is it true that ‘Le Roi d’Ys’ was sung in New York the other evening for the first time in America?”
• 1Ï?’ th^ ifirst Performance of the opera in America was given in New Orleans, January 23, 1890, two years after it was produced m Paris. New York had to wait thirty-three years before hearing 1t—and could very well have waited thirty-three more without missing much.
in 1892 in Madison Square Garden. At this festival, the Rubinstein Club sang the “Lost Chord,” which has since been a request number on the last concert program each season. For the first five years the Rubinstein Club gave its concerts in Chickering Hall, then for one season in Carnegie Hall, for five years in the Madison Square Garden concert hall, and when the ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria was opened by Seidl’s orchestra the club gave the second concert in the beautiful room which has been its home ever since.
. . . The first accompanist was Louis R. Dressier. . . . Other accompanists were Erskine H. Mead, William Luton Wood, Albert Greenhalgh, Victor Harris, Emile Levy, Florence Brown Lansky, Charles Gilbert Spross, Bidkar Leete and Alice M. Shaw who has been for^ the past seven years a favorite with every member.
The Club has presented nearly all the famous singers of the Metropolitan Opera Company, besides introducing many young singers who afterwards became famous. Lillian Blauvelt, Alma Gluck, Evan Williams, Cecil Fanning and Hans Kronold made their first appearance in New York here. Josef Hofmann, when a child prodigy; also Schumann-Heink, Amato and Rappold appeared early in their careers. Heifetz’ first recital after his debut in New f l Vt Vvlth ^ £ubinste!n Club, and in recent years Galli-Curci, J ohn McCormack, Rosa Raisa, Rosa Ponselle, artists seldom heard m club concerts, have all given recitals for the club.
The following list gives the־ names of those who have been with at	.twenty-five years or more and are on the Roll of Honor:
Mrs. William Rogers Chapman, Emma Peyton Patterson Isabel Langstroth Hedden, Babetta Huss, Jean S. Taylor, Miriam Henry Benjamin Jessamine Hallenbeck Kavanagh, Freda Jebb Colter, Kate William Horry, Mrs. Harold Avery, Eloise E. Hermance, Virginia Goddard Lawrence and Mrs. Louis E. Manley.
ALICE HACKETT
PIANIST
1510 Third Ave. N., Fort Dodge, Iowa
MURATORE OBJECTS TO GARDEN
(Continued from page 5)
this year three new roles—Samson, Avito and Araquil, the first in “Samson and Delilah,” the second in “The Love of the Three Kings,” and the last in “La Navarraise.” Mr. Muratore spent his summer vacation learning those roles and has sung two of them with great success. “La Navarraise,” not having been produced this season by the Chicago Opera Association, he was not heard in that.
Miss Garden, having accepted Muratore’s contract without reading it, was very much surprised to find that there was in it a clause whereby he had the exclusive right to roles he had sung during the season. Thus she was unable to give “Samson” with another tenor, Mr. Muratore refusing. to relinquish a role which he had sung only twice and which was not quite “in his voice,” as, after all, it is only m singing a part more than twice that an artist finds in it all its possibilities. His refusal was justifiable, inasmuch as he was willing,- without any compensation whatever, financial or moral, to give up three of his most cherished roles, those of Faust in Gounod’s opera of that name, Des Grieux in Massenet’s “Manon,” and Herod in Strauss’ "Salome.” In the last named opera Muratore made this season one of the greatest hits of his career, yet this role was the only one the management accepted to take away from him, giving the part to Riccardo Martin, who, up to date, has not sung it, through no fault of Muratore, but owing to the bigotry of some patrons of the opera who objected to Salome. Mr. Martin was billed in Chicago for the third performance of the work, but it was not performed for a third time.
Mr Muratore opened the New York season in “Samson et Dalila” on Monday evening (a report appears in another column), scoring the same success he had won in Chicago. He will, it is certain, fulfill all the obligations of his present contract and go with the company on tour. But next year is another story. Either Mr. Muratore will not be with the Civic Opera Association or Miss Garden will not. D
Hill Songs Heard in Washington
Songs by Mabel Wood Hill, recently sung by Mme. Hugh at a private New York hearing, were repeated by her before several large audiences in Washington recently, one of them being at the home of the Ohio Congressional Representative. The success of these songs was immense, and small wonder, for they are highly original, characterful and effectiye. Mme. Hugli (American by birth) sings them with just the right spirit, and with the composer at the Plano , an ideal combination is attained. “The Land of Heart s Desire ’ is a symphonic tone poem composed by Mrs. Hill, which Conductor Kriens has now in rehearsal with his orchestra._ It is said to contain much of great interest, showing a high feeling for orchestral effects.
Pavloska in Concerts
Irene Pavloska, mezzo soprano of the Chicago Opera Association, has been engaged for a concert of the Orpheus Club at Battle Creek, Mich., on February 6. Miss Pavloska will also give a joint recital with Willem Willeke, cellist, at London, Ontario, on February 16.
Rubinstein’s Thirty-fifth Anniversary Banquet
On Tuesday evening, January 17, Mr. and Mrs. William Rogers Chapman, conductor and president of the New York Rubinstein Club, were the guests of honor at a banquet which marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the organization, which was founded by Mr. Chapman. The grand ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria was tastefully decorated, credit for its beauty being due Mrs. Jesse W. Hedden and the ladies of her committee. A list of those at the honor table included, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Amerman, Mary Jordan Baker, Helen Barrett, Mrs. Charles G. Braxmar, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander H Candlish, Mrs. Alfred W. Cochran, Mrs. Walter Gray Crump, Bishop and Mrs. J. H. Darlington, Clara Novello Davies, Louis R. Dressier, John M. Fulton, Mrs. Tesse W Hedden, Victor Herbert, Mrs. Louis E. Manley, W׳. F. Mel-huish, Jr., Luella Meluis, Marie Novello, Emma Payton Patterson, Rosa Ponselle, Dr. and Mrs. Eugene H. Porter, Mrs. Gustav Gordon Schick, Airs. John Hudson Storer’ Mrs. Charles F. Terhune and Anna S. Wilson.
Mrs. Alexander H. Candlish gave a very gracious and charming greeting, after which the toastmaster was introduced and the invocation given by Rev. Dr. Vandewater, in the unavoidable absence of Bishop Darlington. Even the chef seemed to be endued with the spirit of the occasion, for the dinner was one to make glad the heart of an epicure. At the close of the dinner itself there were speeches by Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, Mrs. Candlish, Mrs. Louis E. Manley and Mary Jordan Baker, interspersed with vocal numbers by Mme. Meluis and Louis R. Dressier, organist. Mme. Meluis’ beautiful voice and winsome personality charmed her auditors and they insisted upon extras, which were graciously given. During the course of the evening a purse of gold was presented to Mr. and Mrs Chapman by Mrs. Candlish on behalf of the club, which owes so much to the faithful labors of these indefatigable workers for the cause of music.
At the close of the program the floor was cleared and dancing was in order until the wee sma’ hours of the morning, the music being furnished by the Waldorf-Astoria orchestra, which also provided the excellent program which was given during the dinner itself.
Handsome program books were distributed, the color scheme being in the club colors, red and gold, and the cover containing the club emblem. In addition to the list of the present officers, those who served thirty-five years ago were also listed, together with the first choral members, only two of whom are still on that roster, Mrs. Chapman and Emma Peyton Patterson. There was also a history of the club, from which the following passages are quoted:
In 1886, W. R. Chapman was teaching music in thirteen public sch°ols m New York City, and was organist and choir director in the Church of the Covenant, Park Avenue and 35th Street. He had organized a chorus of men’s voices, the Musurgia, and was full of enthusiasm over choral work. A class of Normal School girl graduates desired to continue their work with him, and after several months of rehearsal together the effect was so pleasing that Mr. Chapman invited the leading musical people and some of his church friends to hear them at a musicale given in the rooms of the Society for Ethical Culture in 54th Street. Annie Louise Cary Raymond was among the number, and when she said: “Make this a womans singing club and I will sing with you,” the Rubinstein Club was born and its success assured. Prominent church singers jomed. . . . As a boy Mr. Chapman admired Rubinstein. He was the first great pianist that he ever heard. . . . When he had the opportunity to organize and name a club many years after, he wanted to call !t Rubinstein.” Strange as it may seem, this was the first club to be named for this great man, and greatly pleased him as his letters stated, received only a short time before his death.
In 1888 Mr. Chapman united the Musurgia and Rubinstein clubs, adding other voices, and forming the Metropolitan Musical Society whose concerts were given in the Metropolitan Opera House for several seasons, giving the choral music at the great Patti festival
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