MUSICAL COURIER
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February 2, 19 2 2
and melody with intricate modern harmonies and instrumentation.
Many New Pianists.
There have also been some good new pianists of late. Nathalie Raclisse, a Parisienne who has been living in Stockholm for some time; the Swedes, Olof Wibergh and Zelnika Morales-Asplund were the best. The last named once more proved what an effective composition Stenhammar’s concerto in D minor is. The young German pianist, Wilhelm Kempff, was as magnetic as last season. He always plays to full houses. His playing is now titanic, now dreamy; often he is in danger of wallowing in dynamic contrasts. This time, however, he refrained from his usual improvisations, and instead gave some of his own compositions, which have not as yet proved convincing.
Czechland's Singing Teachers.
A truly notable even in our musical life was occasioned by the visit of the Teachers’ Singing Society of Prague. Our country is certainly known for its good male choruses, but never have we heard such a superior choral technic of truly instrumental perfection as that of these Czech teachers, who, moreover, greatly impressed us by their irresistible temperament. Their repertory, comprising such names as Smetana, Dvorak, Forster, Nôvak and Janacek, gave us an illuminating insight into the spirit of their people.
Andreas Hallén, the nestor of Swedish music, pioneer and disciple of Wagner, who just celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday, had his own Christmas oratorio sung in his honor, under the baton of David Ahlen. This work, which is also known in America, fuses a sort of antique Bachian style with a certain Wagnerian flavor, but draws a distinct national character, from the use of some beautiful Swedish Christmas hymns.	Herman Glimstedt.
Jeanne de Mare Talks on Modern French Music
Jeanne de Mare gave her third talk on modern French music at the home of Mrs. William I. Washburn on Friday afternoon, January 13. Miss de Mare spoke of Gabriel Fauré, of his pupils, Roger Ducasse, Florent Schmitt and Maurice Ravel, emphasizing the realistic tendencies of the latter, tendencies diametrically opposed to the mysticism and spirituality of Debussy and which prepare the way for the younger school (les six). She also spoke of Paul Dukas, playing the last movement of his passionate E flat sonata, of de Séverac, Albert Roussel and A. Magnard.
John Barclay gave an engrossing interpretation vital and subtle of “Poeme,” Albéric Magnard; “Il Pleure Dans Mon Coeur,” Florent Schmitt, and two numbers by Fauré. Fie had an excellent partner in Frederick Bristol, who played the piano part with artistry and who showed the same finished phrasing and glowing tone color in two Ravel selections. Mrs. A. Nikoloric gave a brilliant interpretation of the Fauré first impromptu.
A. K. Virgil Memorial Fund
In response to the desire expressed by many friends, musicians, teachers and students, that they be given an opportunity to show in some tangible form their affection for the late A. K. Virgil and thlir appreciation of his earnest and untiring efforts in the ciuse of educational reform in the teaching of music, it is proposed to raise a memorial fund, the proceeds to be devoted to the erection of a monument on his grave, or to some other suitable memorial.
Mrs. Virgil, in conformity with his views, desires that the individual subscription should not exceed $1, and that it should be a purely voluntary contribution. United States and Canadian subscriptions should be sent to Agnes Taylor, Treasurer Virgil Memorial Fund, care Virgil School of Music, St. Petersburg, Fla; English subscriptions (five shillings) to Dorothy Dodd, S3 Elsworthy road, Hampstead, N. W. 3, London, England.
VERDI’S “MACBETH” IN REVISED
FORM REVIVED AT STOCKHOLM
orous. baton there was given, as already recorded in the Musical Courier, a Brahms cycle in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the master’s death. The Brahms violin concerto, by the way, which in the festival was played by little Tossy Spiwakowsky, had an incomparably better interpretation at the hands of Toscha Seidel, who also gave several successful recitals here.
Schneevoigt, as usual, made his audiences acquainted with some striking novelties during the first part of the season. He gave Debussy’s tone painting, “La Mer,” and Reger’s four tone poems, after Arnold Bocklin, in which the German composer shows a surprising approach to the methods of the modern French impressionists. A well sounding and well made “Sinfonia Svastika” of the Dane, Louis Glass, is also worth mentioning.
Nils Grevillius Brings Novelties Home.
The talented young Swede, Nils Grevillius, who was formerly second conductor of the Concert Society and the Royal Opera, and who appeared in Paris and elsewhere as conductor of the Swedish ballet, has come back from abroad and conducted some concerts with striking success. He has certainly matured remarkably since his activity on native soil. He, too, brought out some novelties, among them Alfredo Casella’s “Italy,” an effective rhapsody based on national tunes, which begins with a gloomily passionate lento and culminates in the noisy popular song, “Funiculi-Funicula.” He also introduced Ravel’s “Tombeau de Couperin,” an orchestration of his last piano suite, consisting
s? IPESCIA
VOCAL TEACHER and COACH
&
Teacher of Olga Carrara of Chicago and Scotti Grand Opera Companies
Studio : 52 West 89th Street, New York City
Phone: River 10123
N. Val Peavey and Adolph Schmidt Fleard
N. Val Peavey, pianist, and Adolph Schmidt, violinist, both Americans, are being booked by their manager for a spring tour in Nova Scotia and Canada. They will appear in New York, Boston and East Orange (N. J.), with Marion Armstrong, Scotch-Canadian soprano. These young artists have had marked success in concert during the past season. They are under the management of Bety Tillotson, who is now active as an independent manager.
of old French dance forms, garbed in fastidious and piquant Ravelian harmonies and tone colors.
A few concerts have also been conducted by José Eiben-schiitz, formerly conductor in Hamburg, now Christiania, and the Danish conductor, Schnedler-Petersen, who gave a rather spiritual but attractive symphony, “The Four Temperaments,” by his countryman, Carl Nielsen. Another conductor recently heard here is H. M. Melchers, a Swede, who formerly lived in Paris and who has also presented himself as a composer showing the influence of Strauss.
New Chamber Music.
The Stockholm Chamber Music Society presented, among other modern Swedish music, a string quartet by Edvin Kallstenius, a harmonically daring yet not formless work, which was played by the excellent Sven Kjellstrôm Quartet. Foreign ensembles were represented by the Budapest Quartet, whose animated and wonderfully harmonious ensemble has won them a host of admirers in this country, and the Sevcik Quartet, which played here for the first time this season and also displayed a high artistic standard.
Among visiting instrumentalists, the Spanish violinist, Joan Manén, was especially noteworthy. He played his own compositions, the most interesting among which was his violin concerto, uniting characteristic Spanish rhythm
Stockholm, December 19, 1921.—The first operatic première of the Stockholm season was Verdi’s “Macbeth,” an almost forgotten work, the revival of which aroused great interest, although it naturally failed to create a great popular success. !There exist, as is. known, two versions of the work, of which the later belongs to the transition period of “Don Carlos.” Dr. Helmer Key, editor of the “Svenska Dagbladet,” has now revised the opera in conjunction with Armas Jarnefelt, director of the Royal Opera, taking the second version of the work as a basis and cutting out such parts as would seem old-fashioned or could in any way obstruct the action. Many scenes have been shortened or transposed for the sake of a better effect.
As “Macbeth” is produced now it reveals the composer’s dramatic sense much better than the old version. Now and then there are deeply pathetic touches, and flashes of real, gripping power. Still, the composer failed to create a complete, living whole, and the opera is more like a string of loosely connected scenes than a drama with a logical development and a psychological sequence of action. The effect is, moreover, blurred somewhat through a certain mixture of styles, for the earlier Verdi is not free from trivial turns.
The two principal characters of the opera were well rendered by Mme. Whitefield-Althén and Mr. Richter, and the splendid basso of the very youthful Mr. Andresen attracted particular attention. The staging of Harald Andrées followed a modern, often fantastic style, and the décors by Thorolf Janson were distinguished by broad conventionalized design. The general stage effect, however, was hindered somewhat by the predominating darknesses.
A Host of Singers.
After the incomparable Mme. Jeritza and the wonderful Russian baritone, Baklanoff, who visited us last spring and fall, we have now as a guest the distinguished Parisian prima donna, Yvonne Gall, who is appearing as Tosca, Juliet, and as Marguerite in “Faust.”
Among the concerj singers, Battistini, as usual, won the palm, and it was most unwise of the young Italian baritone, Lug:i Montesanto, to appear right after him, for although his baritone is superb, his technic, and especially the unsubtle, theatrical mannerisms of his expression, made him appear greatly to his disadvantage by comparison. Montesanto was best in the simple folk songs, in which his troubadour temperament produced a refreshing effect.
Dmitri Smirnoff, the well known Russian tenor, also gave some recitals in which he charmed the audience with his expressive manner, though the very mixed program testified to a rather mistaken opinion of our public’s taste.
Kate Rantza, a Danish singer now connected with the Vienna Volksoper, who charmed Stockholm as an operetta star about ten years ago, has now turned up again as a serious singer, and was quite successful as Isolde. She also gave some concerts, however, with less success. A far better concert singer, Lula Mysz-Gmeiner, of Berlin, was at her best in the quiet Mahler songs. A more soulful yet simple and touching interpretation of the kindertoten-lieder can hardly be conceived.
Hanna Granfelt, a Finnish singer, who has lately been engaged at the Berlin Opera, has recently given a recital consisting exclusively of songs by Armas Jarnefelt. Some of the songs, such as “Sunday” and “Sunshine,” are already quite popular here because of their easy melodiousness. Jarnefelt, by the way, on this occasion proved himself to be a very fine accompanist.
Swedish songs, which are probably best represented by those of Ture Rangstrom and Josef Eriksson, have been given by two local singers, the warm voiced Augustin Kock, already well known abroad, and the fascinating Harald Falkmar, who keeps his audience spellbound by the plastic intensity of his diction.
Schnéevoigt the Victor.
The bulk of our symphony concerts is made up by those of the Stockholm Concert Society. Its efficiency, however, was greatly hampered this year through a conflict between the old board of directors and the orchestra, on account of Conductor Schnéevoigt. Schnéevoigt consented to continue as conductor only on certain conditions which the board refused to accept. On hearing this, the orchestra declared its solidarity with the popular conductor, and only after a radical change in the administration had been effected did Schnéevoigt resume the conductorship. Under his ever vig-
AN OUTSTANDING RECORD
MIROVITCH
Engaged for Five Appearances in Boston This Season
OCTOBER 12th—SYMPHONY HALL.—AUS. AMERICAN LEGION
NOVEMBER 18th—SOLOIST, HARVARD MUSICAL ASSOCIATION
FEBRUARY 13th—SOLOIST, BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MARCH 11th—RECITAL, SYMPHONY HALL
APRIL 4th—SOLOIST, BOSTON SYMPHONY QUARTETTE
Booking Now — Months of October, November and December, 1922
January, February and March, 1923, Booked Solid
Checkering Piano
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