MUSICAL COURIER
50
February 2, 1922
a high pitch and the fact that he was a former resident of Washington and a graduate of the Central High School there lent additional interest to the occasion. The press offered full recognition to Mr. Hughes’ high rank among present-day pianists, as evidenced by the following notice from the Washington Star of January 10:
Edwin Hughes proved himself a pianist of no mean powers in his recital at Central High School last night. The concert was the third in the course of recitals given under the auspices of the Washington Society of Fine Arts. Mr. Hughes is a Washingtonian by birth and has won for himself a place as one of the leading pianists of the day. His tone is virile and smooth and he played with great intelligence and musicianship.
Mr. Hughes’ program was quite varied, and the impression he made on the large and enthusiastic audience was evinced by sympathetic applause. In the first group Mr. Hughes was especially successful. His keen rhythmic sense, clear accentuations and unusually strong and distinct left hand work were displayed to special advantage. The third group, mostly dance melodies, was very interesting, the American music, especially the “ Zuni Indian Rain Dance,” being well worth the encore it received. Mr. Hughes has also been wonderfully successful as a teacher.
Artists Using Laura E. Morrill Method
Among the teachers throughout the country who are using the Laura E. Morrill method of vocal instruction mention might be made of Grace Crandall, Moncton, N. B., Can.; Grace Nott, York, Pa., and Jessie Pamplin, St Petersburg. Fla. Miss Nott recently gave a recital in
LAURA E. MORRILL,
vocal teacher of New York. -
York, assisted by Emma Bosshart, pianist, and Ethel Barton Johnson, violinist. Hornbeck’s “The Storm” was given its first hearing in America on this occasion. Miss Nott also sang two operatic arias, some interesting songs by American composers, as well as numbers by Haydn, Schubert, Liszt, etc. Eugenia Besnier, the French coloratura soprano, another artist-pupil of Mme, Morrill, recently appeared on the same program with Sascha Jacob-inoff, violinist, at the Academy of Music Foyer in Philadelphia.
Anne Roselle in Concert at Leominster
_ Anne Roselle, who won much favor with her presentation of Musetta in “La Bohême” at the Metropolitan recently, appeared in joint recital with Maurice Dambois in Leominster, Mass., on December 20. Miss Roselle’s musicianship was instantly recognized by the charming program which she offered at that time and she proved herself a program builder of rare discrimination. On this occasion she sang two numbers by Maximilian Pilzer, one of which —“Mother Dear”—is dedicated to Miss Roselle. She also included Walter Kramer’s latest triumph, “The Great Awakening,” as well as groups of Hungarian, Italian and modern French songs.
Canadian Singer Scores
Montreal, Can., January 14. 1922.—The many friends of Sarah Fischer, the Canadian soprano who was awarded the Strathcona prize and who is now studying singing at the Royal College of Music in London, were delighted to learn of her success, January 11, when she made her first English appearance at Wigmore Hall, London. Italian, French, German, Russian and English songs were included in her program. The Morning Post declared that she “has a very firm command of phrase, and utters long musical sentences as they should be uttered, without a break. All that she does one feels to be the outcome of a genuine musical gift.	M. J. M.
Klink Again Sings in “The Messiah”
Frieda Klink, contralto, scored recently in a performance of “The Messiah,” this time in Washington, D. C. “Miss Klink has a voice of fine tone and particularly pleasing in her deepest notes. In her runs, and in the legato of the passage, ‘He Shall Feed His Flock,’ she was especially fine.” This was the critical verdict of the Evening Star, and the other papers were not behind in their appreciation of the singer.
Patton Heard in Amityville
Fred Patton, “the king of baritones” (according to one of the New York dailies), sang in Amityville, L. I., on January 30.
not a custom of composers in general to do so, as they trust to the honesty of the established music publishers not to steal any ideas.
Permission Necessary.
“What are the rules with regard to setting to music a copyrighted poem? Is it necessary to secure permission from the publishers of the poem? Are they entitled to part of the profits if the song is published?”
It is necessary to secure permission before setting to music a copyrighted poem. Permission should be obtained from both author and publisher. In the case of a well known lyric writer, the song is generally published on a basis of division of royalties, say fifty-fifty or sixty per cent, for the composer and forty per cent, for the author, or whatever arrangement may be made. In the case of a little known poet, very likely a fixed sum may be asked for the use of the poem, say ten to twenty dollars.
Hanson's Publisher.
“Will you please inform me who publishes the music of Prof. Howard Harold Hanson, dean of the Conservatory of Music of the College of the Pacific at San Jose, Cal.? He has just been chosen a fellow in musical composition of the Frederick C. Juilliard Foundation, with a free course of three years of composition in Rome, Italy. I would be particularly interested in his piano compositions.”
All of Howard Harold Hanson’s published compositions, with the exception of one, are put out by the Composers’ Music Corporation of New York. The one exception is the first number of his “Scandinavian Suite,” “Vermeland,” which is published by the Musicians’ Publishing Company, Los Angeles, California. None of Prof. Hanson’s large orchestral works, such as his five symphonic poems, concerto, and so forth (upon which he won the Prix de Rome in the competition of the American Academy) have been published, although they have been played by various orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, etc.
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.
Russian National Music.
“This year we are studying Russian music in our club and find it of great interest. I should be glad to know a little more about the beginning of what is called the national music of Russia. Did it commence with folk song? As a subscriber I am taking advantage of your kind offer to answer questions in your Information Bureau.”
It is said that Glinka (born 1804, died 1857) was the founder of Russian national music. In 1832 he conceived a project for a national opera,	for which a	subject afterwards known as “A
Life for the Cza.M was׳ chosen. The libretto was prepared by Baron Rosen, an attaché of the court, and the opera was produced with extraordinary success at St. Petersburg in 1836. It was received with great enthusiasm by the Russians who felt that at last they had a school of music of their own. The scene of the story was laid in	the Russian	provinces in	the	seventeenth century. It is said	of him “that	he founded	his	school upon the
regular forms of	composition.	He utilized	the	national themes,
not as mere displays of color, but as regular parts of his music. In a word he made Russian music distinctive.”
Claussen Says Domesticity Aids Art
According to her own declaration, the keynote of Julia Claussen’s success is that she is primarily a wife, a mother and a home woman. These attributes have aided her talent in the development of her art.
“Of course I believe in marriage,” said the mezzo soprano of the Metropolitan Opera Company. “I have been married twenty-one years to the same husband and think it is the only life for any woman. How can an artist hope to give her art to the public until she has truly lived? And then, too, an artist needs home and husband and children to keep her mind off herself. If a musician has too much time to think of herself she becomes egotistical, and with a singer nothing is more fatal to her art. This is impossible if one has a family.”־
Incidentally, Mme. Claussen has two charming daughters, Sonja, age nineteen, who is about to be married to a very likable young man, and Bonja, age seventeen, whose preparation for a theatrical career is beginning in earnest this year. Both of the girls have inherited musical talent from their mother, the elder being a pianist of no mean ability, the younger a violinist.
When talking enthusiastically of her daughters, Mme. Claussen spoke of music in America.
“We of Sweden begin t-he study of classic music when very young. We may not enjoy or appreciate the masters when we first start, but we do learn soon to listen to the highest in musical art and unconsciously to develop taste for the best music. Nothing else satisfies, and this is true of the majority of the people, not only of the fortunate few. Here in America the young are surfeited with ragtime, they listen to it, they play it, it is the only kind of music the majority ever hear, and so for the masses there is not that appreciation which is found in some of the European countries. I know that the young people must have ragtime for their dances. When my daughters’ friends gather at our home, it is ragtime that is played. It may be delightful to dance to, but it is fearful for me to listen to it.”
Mme. Claussen concluded:
“In my home life I have been able to realize my highest development because I have found my business-man husband has been my balance wheel.”
Popularity of Ralph Cox’s Songs
Ralph Cox’s songs appeared on a number of programs recently. Florence Otis won enthusiastic applause for her is noted) of “Somebodyshrdlushrdlucmfwypcmfwypcmfwh delightful singing of “Where Roses Blow,” at the Euterpe Society’s concert at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Marguer-ita Silva’s singing (with all the charm and vivacity for which the diva is noted) of “Somebody Loves Me” received hearty praise from the Women’s Press Club at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Mary Davis made a decided hit with “To a Hill-Top” at the St. Peters’ Choral Club concert, New York; Paul Reimers scored in “The Road’s Lament,” as the assisting artist to Nyiregyhazi, in Morristown, N. J.; Ethel Kincaid Dye sang “To a Hill-Top,” “Sylvia,” and “The End of Day,” before the Fortnightly Club of Gabon, Ohio.
Edwin Hughes Plays in Washington
Edwin Hughes, well known American pianist, was greeted by an audience of 2,000 when he appeared in recital at the Central High School auditorium in Washington, D. C., on the evening of January 9, under the auspices of the Fine Arts Society. The enthusiasm over Mr. Hughes’ playing reached
An Early Beginning.
“Is it true that Sir Edward Elgar began composing music at an early age? Did he continue to write from that time?”
It is quite true that Elgar in his twelfth year wrote the incidental music for a fairy play, “The Wand of Youth,” the play tuing performed entirely by members of the Elgar family, but it was not until forty years later, in 1907, that he recast the music for concert purposes in two suites. The first, op. a, was given in London in 1909. It was in 1889 that he went to London to “try his fortune,” but was unable to obtain a hearing, so at the end of two years he went to Malverne, where he devoted himself to teaching and composition. After that his works have appeared with more or less regularity every few years.
Pianist or Composer?
“I should like to know whether Eugen d’Albert is a pianist or a composer. I always thought he was a pianist, but someone spoke of him as a composer.	I should like to know
which one was right.”
As a matter of fact you are both right—d’Albert is a pianist and also a composer, but it is as a pianist that he is best known to the world, having been before the public since February 5, 1881, when he played at the Crystal Palace, London. He followed Von Billow’s example of playing a number of Beethoven sonatas on one program. It was at a Gewandhaus recital, November 20, 1893, that he played five Beethoven sonatas. It was said that “No pianist, except d’Albert, has successfully followed his (Von Bulow’s) lead in giving programs filled solely with the most difficult of Beethoven’s sonatas.” As a composer he has a long list of works, including nine operas, of which “Tiefland” is the best known. He is still active, ־ both as pianist and composer, but is more interested in his operatic composing now than in playing.
Copyright.
“I have just finished the composition of my first piece for the piano, and would indeed appreciate any information you could give me regarding:	(1) How to obtain a copyright,
and the approximate cost of same; piece is eighty bars; (2) How to go about publishing same, and a list of three or four of the best publishers in New York.
Send to the Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C., for blanks to be filled out. The fee is $1.00 for each number copyrighted. Send your manuscript to whatever publishing firm you think you would be most interested in. You do not state what the nature of your music is. Such a firm as Theodore Presser in Philadelphia is specially interested in teaching pieces that are not difficult. You will find the names and addresses of the New York publishers in the Musical Courier. We may add that if you copyright your composition before you send the manuscript to the publishers they will know that you are an inexperienced composer even before they look at the manuscript. It is
iMIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltlllllii!
I ALICE GARRIGUE MOTT |
|	Announces	|
ANOTHER TRIUMPH
־	for	m
LoDESCA LOVELAND
=	Dramatic Soprano
chosen as	=
America’s	Representative	Artist	|
ji	to tour	=
|	AUSTRALIA	and NEW	ZEALAND	f
OCTOBER, 1921 — MAY, 1922 ? Management: Ellison-White Bureau, Portland, Ore. |
= Studios: 172 West 79th Street	Telephone:	|
New York City	Schuyler 7993	?
!aוו■lllllllllllllllllllllll■ll■IIIIIR!illlllll!lllllllllllll■llllllllllllll■lllll■ll■ll■llallllllll|IIG!lllllll־
MEZZO-CONTRALTO
Voice Builder and Coach
studio: 235 West 102nd Street, New York Phone: River 6400
HARRIET FOSTER
Vocal instruction and repertoire; Opera and Songs, Italian, French and English.
Studio 853 Carnegie Hall, New York City.
Appointments by mail only.
CONSTANTINO YON
ELIZABETH QUAILE
M
225 West End Ave., New York
Assistant to HAROLD BAUER