33
WHAT THE JURY THINKS
[The music critics of the New York dailies constitute the jury in the appended extracts from criticisms which have appeared in our local newspapers. Many concerts and operas are given in the metropolis, and the following day the critics agree or disagree on the merits or demerits of the performer. However, on most occasions the writers do not agree, and this department is run for the purpose of reproducing some of the flat contradictions, showing that, after all, the review constitutes but the personal opinion of the critic who covers the performance.—Editor's Note.]
Amy Ellerman, Contralto, January 24
Sun
A rather sombre voice of somewhat monotonous color. .	.	.
Hardly enough breath support to carry her through the prolonged phrases of Wagner’s “Traeume.”
Evening Mail
It is more in a lack of power to create just the picture in the mind of the listener that her art shows need of growth.
World.
A variety in tone color quite unusual with contraltos. . . . “Traeume” was one of the best things she did.
Herald
The singer’s interpretations were good. Her pronunciation was clear, ,her skill in publishing through song the poetic color and feeling of text very credit- £ able.
Werner Josten, Accompanist for Harriet Van Emden, January 24
Evening Journal	Sun
Werner Josten was the sing- Miss Van Emden’s recital was er’s accompanist, and an extra-	held . . . with the rather too
ordinary good one.	“present help” of the composer,
Werner Josten, at the piano.
Edith Mason in “Butterfly,״ January 27
Evening Mail
Later (after the first act) there was no clutch of tragedy in her portrayal.
Globe
Pathos and winsome tenderness were in her impersonation of the little Japanese wife.
World
She . . . gave a . . . touching impersonation.
Evening Mail
But she was scarcely a convincing Butterfly.
Tribune
She made a charming creature out of Madame Butterfly.
Marie Ivogiin, Soprano, January 29
American	Globe
Mme. Ivogun’s voice is . . . Mme. Ivogiin’s . . . highest of a delicate flute-like timbre in notes were this time the merest lofty attitudes.	squeaks.
Julius Richter, Violinist, January 30
Tribune '	' Evening Mail
Julius Richter . . . displayed Due to absence of appeal in a tone of great smoothness and his tone, much of the time his of a silken quality that wooed success was only moderate, the ear.
ERNEST DAVIS
Tenor of Reengagements
Soloist New York Oratorio Society, Carnegie Hall, New York, February 21.
Will Be In the Middle West April and May
For available dates, address RAOUL BIAIS Metropolitan Opera House, 1425 Broadway, N. Y.
February 9, 1922	MUSICAL COURIER
DAVID BISPHAM AS I KNEW HIM
Emily Harford Avery, His Assistant and Accompanist for More Than Five Years, Gives Some Intimate Pictures of the
Celebrated Artist Recently Deceased
that for any length of time, although he was away frequently. The last year was a very busy one at the studio, and in addition he filled about forty engagements at a minimum. I played for nearly all of them, so you may be sure I did not have much time to be idle. Among those engagements were four with the Damrosch Orchestra and two with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
“It was great fun to travel with him, for he never missed anything when traveling nor allowed the rest of us to miss anything.
Late Only Once.
“And he never would be late. He would start a couple of hours ahead of time rather than be ten minutes late. That makes me think of a funny thing which happened last June. Helen Jeffrey, Mr. Bispham and I were in Pittsburgh, where we were to give several recital programs. Miss Beegle came for us in the afternoon of the first day and took us to the hall. It was a very hot day. .In the evening we decided we could find our way without any help, so we started in ample time. But something was wrong. Either we had not noticed the direction very carefully, or else all ways looked very much alike, for we walked, and we walked and we walked, and we asked this person and we asked that person and we looked in vain for our goal, but all to no purpose. The time was rapidly going and-we were beginning to get very much worried when we finally found a person who was able to help us. Then we found we had come out of a different door at the hotel and accordingly were moving in exactly the opposite direction to the one we should have taken. It all turned out all right, of course, although we were ten minutes late—the only time I ever knew Mr. Bispham to be late—and it seemed funny afterwards but it wasn’t quite so funny when we were so hot and so worried about the outcome.
Disliked to Have Anyone Afraid of Him.
“Like nfeny another man who has an exterior which at first might seem a little gruff, Mr. Bispham was unusually fond of people, and nothing displeased him more than to have someone afraid of him. Many times would-be pupils came to the studios so that he might hear their voices.
“ ‘Well, what have you to sing,’ he would say a little bruskly. Sometimes they had something—often nothing.
“ ‘Well, sing me a scale then,’ he would explain, and many times I have seen them so petrified with fright that they could not even do that. Then he would make some criticisms and they would be even more terrified.
“ ‘Ahem,’ he would say very solemnly, ‘I don’t think you are ready for me. Have some work with Miss Emily. When you get to the point where you are sure of yourself, we will have some lessons.’
A Founder of Debut Association.
“As you doubtless know, Mr. Bispham was one of the founders of the Debut Association, and its success was very dear to his heart. I am the official accompanist for the organization, for they wanted Mr. Bispham’s accompanist to do that work. Wasn’t it a sweet thought?”
“And besides that, you are keeping up the work of the Bispham studios, pursuing his methods of instructions?”
“Yes, and I get so much comfort out of it. I feel as though he were there, saying ‘That’s right, Emily, just keep on working; there’s nothing like work after all.’ ”
H. R. F.
Telegrams Attest Namara’s Concert Successes
Again Marguerite Namara’s managers, Haensel & Jones, have been the recipient of telegrams attesting to the success of that prima donna in recent concerts: “You may be interested to know what a tremendous ‘hit’ Namara made in Memphis in concert last Monday night before a very select critical audience. We are hoping to secure a return engagement.” Thus ran the first telegram from the American Legion of the Tennessee city, under date of January 20.
The second telegram was even more enthusiastic. This
MARGUERITE NAMARA.
soprano.
was from the Rockford Art Club, of the city in Illinois, where Mme. Namara-sang in recital after her Memphis engagement :
“Madame Namara’s recital here Wednesday evening was by the unanimous opinion of the public and of musical critics one of the greatest successes, artistically and musically, ever given in Rockford. The charm and beauty of the young singer, combined with the sense ■of the dramatic with which she sang her opera selections, won for her sincere appreciation and applause. Her voice of pure lyric, bell-like quality, thrilled her audience, and her gracious manner and winning informality combined with her ability to play the accompaniments to her charming encores, brought much praise. Eve'ry song־was delightful and everyone expressed the hope of hearing her again.”
WITH each recurring New Year, there comes the thought of those who have left this sphere of human knowledge since the world joyously acclaimed a new set of figures for the calendar. Among those whom the musical world could ill afford to lose was David Bispham, who died last fall. Like every great man, he was no sooner dead than a great host of stories about him appeared from all directions, until one became quite confused, so many and varied were they. One of the surest ways to learn a person’s character is to work with him day after day, year after year ; so for the truth about the real David Bispham the person who had worked with him for more than five years, as accompanist and assistant, was sought. Her name is Emily Harford Avery, and she proved to be one
EMILY HARFORD AVERY, who has taken over the studio of the late David Bispham.
of those people whose happy disposition is at once evidenced in her merry smile and the twinkle in her eye, which became pensive when I stated my errand.
Laughed at Mark Twain Just Before He Died.
“Oh,_ it was so terrible to have him go so soon,” she said with a sigh, “and it was sudden in spite of the fact that he had not been well. I had no idea he was really so ill. The day before he died he talked of his plans and what he would do when he got better. I made the nurse promise to telephone me if anything went wrong and then went home, but not before I had promised to bring my husband and dine with him the next day, which was Sunday. And then before we could get there the message came to hurry, but even so it was too late and he was dead when we arrived. It seems to me that one of the saddest things about any death is that one is always wondering if things would have turned out differently if we had acted in any other way than as we did.
“And on Friday—he died on Sunday—we read Mark Twain’s ‘Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’ which was one of his favorite books, and had such a happy time laughing over its funny situations.
“He meant so much to those who really knew him, and his wonderful personality was so vital that even to this day it seems to me as though he is still there, directing the whole performance at the studios as in the days gone by.
Wanted to Do Straight Drama.
“It was the middle of August when he complained of not feeling well. He had been working quite strenuously and I thought a little vacation would do him good, but I could not persuade him to go away. He just would not give up. Even when he was so sick, his brain kept working, working, and after he had been delirious he looked up at me once and said, ‘Emiline, I’ve always said I did not want to die until I had done straight legitimate drama on the stage.’ What could I do but assure him that he would still have that opportunity.”
His Works and Library.
“That reminds me that we have had several inquiries regarding works he wrote. Do you know whether he left any books on his singing and methods aside from his very interesting autobiography ?”
“No, I do not think so. He had, however, prepared a very interesting work on programs which I believe Theodore Presser is to publish. It contains three typical programs— one for men, one for women and one for either. They are by French, English and modern composers, with interesting illustrations. He also wrote a very interesting and instructive preface which offers much of practical value.
“Mr. Bispham had a very interesting library of his own and was punctilious about keeping a record of his programs and the many clippings which concerned him. Indeed, he had his programs from his very first appearance bound. His was a varied collection, with first editions, lovely manuscripts, every opera score, and other treasures dear to the heart of a collector. I do hope that it will be possible to have this collection kept together and put to some practical good for the use of musicians generally. I know it would be his wish. Then there are all of his operatic costumes which would make a most interesting permanent exhibit. It would be a nice idea, it seems to me, to do something like that which was done with the Booth collection which is now at the Players’ Club”—an idea to which I registered hearty approval.
How It Happened.
“Tell me, how did you meet Mr. Bispham and how did you happen to have the good fortune to get the opportunity to work with him,” I questioned.
“It was one summer in the Catskills. We both happened to be up there and Mr. Bispham had brought ‘Elijah’ with him to study before an appearance at Ocean Grove. It was necessary to do quite a bit of transposing which I was able to do for him at sight, and he was so pleased that he became interested in my work. Later when he began to teach he sent me a telegram.. Of course, I.was delighted and came to study and work with him. I never did get away after