February 9, 19 2 2
MUSICAL COURIER
14
Miller a Well Equipped Vocal Teacher
McClurg Miller, vocal teacher of Pittsburgh, began the study of music at a very early age, the piano being the first instrument in which he became interested. When eighteen years old he took his first vocal lesson, and it was not long before he was engaged to sing in St. Peter’s P. E. Church and with the Mendelssohn Male Choir. Prior to entering the army, Mr. Miller was advised by Ralph B. Savage, his vocal instructor, to study as a teacher, for Mr. Savage believed that young Miller had the type of mind required to illustrate and impart knowledge to others. This exactly fittdH in with Mr. Miller’s own ambitions and from that time he and Mr. Savage worked together with that idea before them. When the war broke out the young singer
McCLURG MILLER,
vocal teacher, of Pittsburgh.
gave up his vocal studies and went to France as a “buck” in the 136th Machine Gun Battalion. 37th Division, returning to this country in the spring of 1919.
At that time Mr. Miller came to New York and studied every day with Alfredo Martino, who, realizing that Mr. Miller wanted to be a teacher, was more than generous and thoughtful in his manner of teaching, giving many “inside facts” and reasons which are unnecessary for the pupil who merely wishes to sing and who has not thought of teaching. In the autumn of 1919 Mr. Miller returned to Pittsburgh and continued his teaching both there and in Con-nellsville, Pa. He has returned to Mr. Martino each summer for two or three months, besides going to him now and then during the season for study and advice. Some of his most delightful work with him was in the study of the very early Italian classics, so difficult to sing in their great simplicity. During the past two summers Mr. Miller has been an assistant teacher at the Alfredo Martino studios in New York. Amotjg the Miller pupils who are now doing successful church and recital work are Elizabeth A. Buck, Mrs. Loreen Struble McCormick, Margaret Dull and R. H. McClintock. Mr. Miller has at various times written interesting articles on the study of voice.
Clara Clemens Scores with Orchestra
The long delayed appearance of Clara Clemens as soloist with her husband’s orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, took place in December at the fifth pair of subscription concerts. Scheduled to appear with the orchestra two years ago, a cold contracted singing at an open air concert for a Liberty Loan drive brought on an illness which only completely ended last spring. She sang Beethoven's “The Majesty of God,” Strauss’ ׳‘Serenade” and “Death the Releaser,” Handel’s “*Largo,” and Schubert’s "Erlking,” a taxing array of music which received intelligent and sensitive interpretation at her hands.
Ralph Homes in the Detroit Times remarked: “Madame Clemens is a conspicuous example of what the head may do to supplement the throat. Not many of our singers can equal her in sensing the significance of a song.” The Journal said of her that she sang “with all the quickened sympathy of an artistic spirit and the precision of extensive culture,” and the Free. Press proclaimed her as “an interpretative artist who has attained high repute.”
The News said in part:
The numbers which comprised Mine. Clemens’ program were chosen with a consummate taste which her several recitals have taught us to expect. . . . She convinces you that she has gone straight to the meaning of her music and is telling it to you in that way with subtle accent and shaded tone, reaching far beyond the printed symbols which may be found in the score.
The Detroit Saturday Night declared that: “Mme. Clemens deserves thanks for presenting us with such a grateful relief from the endless round of repetitions given by most concert singers. Her artistic insight into the possibilities of these son-gs and her revelation of them marked the high spot in her work of the evening.”
Ethel Clark Soloist at Teachers’ Luncheon
Ethel Clark, coloratura soprano, was the soloist at the annual luncheon of the Staten Island Teachers’ Association, held at the Hotel Commodore, January 21. Miss Clark sang "The Wind’s in the South,” by Scott; “Kerry Dances,” by Molloy; "Charmant Oiseau,” “La Perle de Bresil,” by David, and “The Little Brown Owl,” by Sanderson. Her audience expressed its appreciation by enthusiastic applause. Miss Clark is a pupil of Mme. Bacheller.
A Hurlbut Pupil in France
Paris, France, January 3, 1922.—The Marquis d’Abizzi, ; tenor, has made a number of successful concert appearances in France. He is especially successful in folk songs of his native Italy. He is a pupil of Harold Hurlbut, the well known de Reszke disciple.
to most of those present. His most extended offering was the Vieuxtemps concerto in D minor, of which he gave a most unhackneyed interpretation. Mr. Prihoda’s accompanist was Otto Eisen, who proved to be equal in rank to the best.
Course of Music Appreciation Lectures at Cleveland Institute.
The course of lectures on “The Appreciation of Music,” given by Ernest Bloch at the Cleveland Institute of Music on Wednesday afternoons at 4 o’clock, are always crowded. There are ten lectures in the course, one every fortnight, and Mr. Bloch’s ability to make the analysis of musical form interesting to the lay-minded is gratefully appreciated by his hearers.
A series of three illustrated recitals by Guy Maier was opened Saturday morning, January 14, at the Institute. A more delighted room full of young people it would be hard to find. Mr. Maier’s illustrations are always fetching, and when he closed with the “Juba Dance” and had all join in by foot-tapping and hand-clapping, all formality was ended, and even the older ones tried to catch the tricky rhythm.
These recitals are free to Institute students, but a limited number of visitors’ tickets are available.	M. B. P.
Rudolph Polk Commended by Berlin Press
It is no small matter for an American to go abroad and win success as a violinist in the land where first rate violinists are as numerous as anti-Volsteaders are in America, and a good many of those who have the temerity to undertake this feat of conquest come back to their native land with more wisdom than glory. Europe, especially Germany, knows by long and frequent experience what is good and what is not. In seemingly endless review the fiddlers flock to Berlin’s flaming hearth, there to be wisely roasted and toasted and done to a turn by the weary and careworn critics whose measuring rods are spiked with thorns.
All the more credit, therefoce, to the occasional American who ventures into the furnace and comes out again not alone hale and hearty but also gold plated, not with paper marks but with the far more valuable marks of the public press approval of the leading critics. One of the latest to accomplish this thing is Rudolph Polk, who played at the Sing-akademie in November, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra under the distinguished leadership of Prof. Richard Hagel.
Mr. Polk is not unknown to American audiences. He has been frequently heard in New York, his last New York recital having been in Aeolian Hall on January 24, 1921. He has also played in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, etc. His education was received partly in this country and partly abroad. His New York teachers were Pasternack and Lichtenberg, and in Berlin he studied for a number of years with Henri Marteau at the Royal Academy, graduating with high honors and winning the coveted Joachim prize.
Following his latest Berlin appearance the press was uniformly favorable. Not a single paper failed to give him full credit for his masterly and all-embracing technic, and several of them heralded him as one of the coming leaders among violinists of our day. Vorwaerts says: “Hand in hand with the best of violinists Rudolph Polk marches upward”—a phrase which reflects the general tendency of the press. The Signale says of him that he is “a notable violinist whose playing is unusually sympathetic and appealing.” and commends his high culture and the beauty and nobility of his tone. The Lokal-Anzeiger remarks that he possesses great, ability and knows his art thoroughly from beginning
RUDOLPH POLK,
violinist.
to end, commenting particularly upon the solidity of the foundation upon which his art rests. Germania calls attention to the clarity of his technic and the excellence of his tone and “a certain elegance in the handling of the bow.” And the Deutsche Zeitung declares that he is “one of those musicians whose playing gives pleasure at all times.”
He played on this occasion the Nardini concerto in E minor, Bruch’s Scotch fantasie and Tschaikowsky’s concerto in D major. His success both with the press and with the public was immediate and gives every promise of a successful career.	P•
LASHANSKA AND PRIHODA APPEAR AT CLEVELAND MORNING MUSICALE
Guy Maier Gives Series of Illustrated Recitals at Cleveland Institute
Cleveland, Ohio, January 16, 1922—Patrons of the Morning Musicales for the last ten years seemed to agree that the program presented by Huida Lashanska, soprano, and Vasa Prihoda, violinist, was the most delightful one ever heard here. Mme. Lashanska looked like the celebrated painting of Lorna Doone, and her singing was beyond criticism. Her voice is as warm and lovely in its lower register as the best contralto, and the purity and clarity of the upper register impeccable. It is a voice that reminds one of the great Nórdica. She sang old Italian, modern French, Russian and German equally well. It was a very catholic program. Her last two songs were by her very accomplished accompanist, Bernard Josten.	.
Vasa Prihoda is a violinist to be reckoned with. He ;s young and very dramatic in his playing, and, of course, his technic is of the present day perfection. The presence of a number of professional violinists in the audience gave evidence that he was better known to his fellow craftsmen than
The Victor Engages Only the World’s Greatest Artists to Make Red Seal Records. In the 1922 Victor Red Seal Catalogue
HAIMS
KINDLER
IS THE ONLY ,CELLO SOLOIST
A few of this season’s criticisms:
St. Louis Globe Democrat (Jan. 7, 1922):
“Hans Kindler, prime concert ,cellist, carried off most of the honors with his impeccable playing.”
St. Louis Star (Jan. 7, 1922):
“Kindler is one of the greatest ,cellists in the world. It is impossible to imagine more beautiful ,cello playing.”
St. Louis Times (Jan. 7. 1922):
“Hans Kindler, whom we hailed a year ago as a rival to the laurels of Casals, returned with a still deeper and broader art to St. Louis last night. In his music he reminded us of the Rodin Thinker.”
St. Louis Post Dispatch (Jan. 7, 1922):
“Hans Kindler established once more his right to be considered one of the world’s masters of his instrument, so opulent a tone did he wield, and so endlessly did he enrich and color it with an infinity of shadings, to say nothing of his immense skill of bow and fingers.”
Pittsburgh Sun (Dec. 6, 1921):
“A triumph for Hans Kindler.”
Pittsburgh Post (Dec. 6, 1921):
“Hans Kindler is o *cellist in a thousand.”
New York American (Dec. 17, 1921):
“Kindler played with beautiful tone and splendid technique.”
Philadelphia Bulletin (Dec. 20, 1921):
“Kindler’s playing was more beautiful than ever.”
Chicago Tribune (Dec. 2, 1921):
“Hans Kindler showed himself again an excellent 'cellist in every respect.”
Washington Times (Nov. 5, 1921):
“The audience gave him an ovation.
Engagements tor 1922-23 now being booked by
CONCERT MANAGEMENT ARTHUR JUDSON
Pennsylvania Building, Philadelphia