February 9, 1922
PEORIA INAUGURATES A SUNDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY SERIES
Peoria, 111., January 20, 1922.—The latest move in loeál musical circles is the inauguration of Sunday afternoon symphony concerts. The orchestra of fifty pieces includes the twenty-piece orchestra of the Madison Theater, Peoria’s largest moving picture house, and thirty local musicians, both men and women. This organization is directed by Jacques Beaucaire, leader of the Madison Orchestra, who has done much, in the one year that he has been in the city, to raise the standard of music for the public, by giving high class overtures preceding the picture program at that theater.
The concerts are held between two and three o’clock,; at the sacrifice of one performance. The admission is the same as the regular price of the Madison Theater show, and patrons of the concert are allowed to remain for the pictures. On Sunday crowds of people began gathering more than an hour before time for the second concert, to begin. By the time the program began every seat (2,000) was taken and many had been turned away. The audience represented all classes.
The Civic Music Association presented Pavlowa on December 29, in Mohammed Temple. The incomparable one and her. ballet were greeted by a large audience.
The Amateur Musical Club presented the Philharmonic String Quartet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on January 10 in Central Christian Church. These four artists—George Dasch, first violin; Carl Brueckner, cellist; Fritz Itte, viola, and Otto Roehrbqrn, violin, furnished a delightful program.
Claudia Elyda Burkhalter, Teacher of piano with the Plowe Conservatory of Music, presented her pupils in recital January 18 at the Woman’s Club.
Ingenius Bentzar, baritone, teacher of voice culture in Bradley Conservatory of Music, gave his first public recital in Peoria in Bradley Hall, assisted by Ignatius Tello, violinist, and Dorothy Fowler Bentzar, accompanist, also of the Bradley Conservatory. Mr. Bentzar has a voice of nice quality, which is especially good in sustained and pianissimo passages. Mr. Tello plays well and his numbers were heartily encored. Mrs. Bentzar gave excellent support to the artists.
Joseph P. Belsley, a lad of fifteen years, has just won the $100 annual scholarship given by the Amateur Musical Club to the young music student in voice, piano or violin, who shows the greatest talent. Young Besley plays the piano and is studying with Bertrand Huston.
Anna Groff-Bryant, of the School of Three Arts in Galesburg, began her duties here today as visiting director of the music department of the Academy of Our Lady. M.J.S.
Diaz Sings at Vanderbilt Residence
Rafaelo Diaz, tenor of the Metropolitan Opera, sang at the residence of Cornelius Vanderbilt recently, for a benefit of the Greer Memorial House of Hope Farm, Duchess County. _ Mr. Diaz enjoyed a great success by his rendition of Spanish and English songs.
MUSICAL COURIER
event, for it was all too unusual to find a choral body that will in any way measure up to the standard of proficiency found in symphonic bodies.
Harpist and Chanteuse in Recital.
Carlos Salzedo, harpist, and Mona Gondre, chanteuse, were presented in a joint recital at the Hotel Statler, January 10, by the Detroit Concert Bureau. Mile Gongre proved to be decidedly entertaining and amusing, full of daintiness and charm.
Gratifying Reception for Godowsky.
January 17 the Philharmonic-Central Concert Company presented Leopold Godowsky in recital at Arcadia. His program was a rather unusual one, opening with the twelve symphonic studies of Schumann; his own arrangements of compositions of Rameau, Corelli and Loeilly; Chopin’s B flat minor sonata, op. 35, barcarolle and scherzo in B minor, op. 20. His last group consisted of “On Wings of Song,” Mendelssohn-Liszt; serenade, Rubinstein; concert study, Poldini; “En Automne,” Moszkowsky, and tarantella, by Liszt. The great variety of expression, the contrasting delicacy and power demanded by such a program was accomplished with an ease and assurance that delighted the most critical and made the evening eminently satisfactory to all who enjoy piano recitals of whom there were many in the audience. The artist’s reception was a gratifying one.
Tuesday Musical Morning Concerts.
The fourth morning concert of the Tuesday Musicale given.at Memorial Hall, January 3, presented Alice Whit-beck Gurche, pianist; Harriet Story Macfarlane, contralto ; ,Janet Ives, Helen Willert, Rebecca Selik and Josephine Sanford, who played a quartet in F major for violins; _ and Lois Johnston Gilchrest, soprano. The fifth morning program, January 17, was given by Marie Schaper Davis, pianist, who played a Debussy suite; Carol Stilson Turner, contralto; Helen Burr Brand, harpist, and Mrs. Leslie G. Lamborn, soprano, each of whom contributed a grouj) of solos. _ The program closed with a trio, op. 72 (Godard), for piano, violin and cello, played by Ada Gordon, Bernard Sturm and Charles Findley.	J. M. S.
New York American Conservatory Concert
Messrs. Hein and Fraemcke, associated in the direction of the affiliated New York American Conservatory of Music and the New York College of Music, succeed in filling Carnegie Chamber Music Hall with overflowing audiences when they give faculty or pupils’ concerts there. This was again the case on January 27, when a program of a dozen numbers was heard, the music comprising piano, violin, harp, vocal solos, a trio for piano, violin and cello, and the sextet from “Lucia.” In this music were associated Luella Lindsay, Miss Martieson, Carl Oberbrunner, Helen Kamp, Marie Opfinger, Belmont Fisher, Hertha Beck, Marie Pirrone, Marie Gewehr, May G. Thomson, Alice W'irth, Antoinette Meyer, Estella Stratton, Evelyn Schiff, Frederick Gummick (tenor, who has a fine natural voice), Ignatius Polazi, Howard Dederick and Max von Zwey-dorff. May Thomson’s harp solo showed advanced technics and Antoinette Meyer, soprano, made a decided hit.
10
DETROIT HEARS FINE MUSIC
Detroit Symphony, St. Olaf Choir and Godowsky Among Attractions
Detroit, Mich., January 20; 1922.—The seventh pair of subscription concerts of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was given at Orchestra Hall, January 12 and 13. The symphony was the D minor of Cesar Franck and the orchestra, led by Mr. Gabrilowitsch, gave it a magnificent rendition., The beauty of the thematic material was clearly indicated throughout, and the finale was given with a brilliancy that aroused the audience to a great pitch of enthusiasm. The program was opened with Gretry’s ballet suite from “Cephale et Procris,” arranged by Felix Mottl.
Symphony Choir in Verdi’s “Requiem.”
One of the outstanding musical events of the season was the presentation of Verdi’s “Requiem” at Orchestra Hall, January 7 and 8. The new symphony choir of three hundred voices, a splendid quartet of soloists, and the orchestra, under the leadership of Mr. Gabrilowitsch, proved to be a combination from which great things can be expected. Much curiosity was felt regarding the first appearance of the newly formed symphony choir which has been rehearsing for several weeks under the direction of Stephen Townsend. The choir acquitted itself admirably for a newly recruited chorus. In spite of the fact that the women’s voices outnumbered the men’s, so skilful was the directing that a good balance of parts was maintained. The choir was very responsive to the conductor, subduing itself into a musical background for the soloists or giving splendid volume when required. The soloists—Florence Hinkle, Merle Alcock, Lambert Murphy, and Royal Dadmun ■—were eminently satisfactory, as was the work of the orchestra. The solemnity of the “Dies Irae,” the pathos of the “Lachrymosa,” the haunting beauty of the “Agnus Dei” will long remain in the memory of those who heard the “Requiem.” As no applause was allowed except at the close of each part, a religious atmosphere was maintained throughout and the program was a beautiful and fitting tribute to the fallen dead of the late war.
St. Olaf’s Choir at Arcadia.
That distinguished choral body, the St. Olaf Choir, from Northfield, Minn., paid its second visit to Detroit in its appearance at Arcadia, Thursday evening, January 5. The choir has been increased from fifty-two to sixty-four voices this season, but the same fine balance of tone, precision of attack, true intonation and artistic finish were evident. Under its leader, F. Melius Christiansen, the choir has attained a unity rare except in small choral bodies. Its work, unaccompanied throughout the evening, speaks for the ability of the director, for only a choir confident of its efficiency would dare attempt such a program of a capella numbers. The program included Bach’s motet, “The Spirit Also Help-eth Us,” Hassler’s “O Sacred Head,” Schumann’s “Yea Tho’ Thru Death’s Gloomy Vale” and “Lord How Long.” Schreck’s motet for Advent was so splendidly rendered that an encore was demanded. Mr. Christiansen’s “A Christmas Song” was also enthusiastically received. It is to be hoped that the visit of the choir will be an annual
THE HERBERT WITHERSPOON STUDIOS
44 West 86th Street, New York
Another Witherspoon Artist Makes Success at Her New York Recital, Tuesday Afternoon, January 24th
cAMY ELLERMAN
CONTRALTO
Achieved a Real Success, as the Following Press Notices Will Testify.
of time intelligently applied, her skill in publishing through song the poetic color and feeling of text very creditable.
The Evening Journal:
“She_ is a contralto with a voice of very considerable power. Frequently displayed much adroitness in vocalization.”
New York Tribune:
“Miss Ellerman’s contralto voice had considerable range and strength, with clear and resonant higher notes. She sang with expression.”
Katherine Spaeth in The Evening Mail:
“The contralto’s voice is a pleasing one of sympathetic quality, used at most moments with vocal authority.
“Brahms’ ‘Gestillte Sehnsucht’ and ‘Geistliches. Wiegenlied’ had nobility of feeling.”
The New York Times:
“In two of Brahms’ songs with viola obbligato by Hugo Kortschak, the ‘Geistliches Wiegenlied’ especially achieving a rare blend of vocal and instrumental tone-color.”
Deems Taylor in The World:
“Miss Ellerman’s voice is rich in quality and good throughout its range. It is a large voice. She handled it in general with considerable skill, displaying a variety in tone color quite unusual with contraltos. Her interpretations were marked by sincerity and emotional power.”
W. J. Henderson in The New York Herald:
“tier voice is one of considerable natural beauty and richness, but very flexible in the medium. Her production was generally good, and frequently of a high order of technical excellence, giving lovely results in tone. Her pronunciation was clear, her use of dynamics and changes
At the recent extraordinary performance of the Verdi Requiem in Detroit, Michigan, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, conductor, three of the quartet were singers from the HERBERT WITHERSPOON STUDIOS:
LAMBERT MURPHY
Tenor
MERLE ALCOCK
Contralto
FLORENCE HINKLE
Soprano
Mr. Witherspoon will teach at the Chicago Musical College this summer from June 28th to August 1st, 1922