February 9, 192 2
MUSICAL COURIER
42
A GENERAL EDUCATION
FOR MUSIC STUDENTS
Should a Music Student Who Intends to Make Music a Career Either as Artist or Teacher
Have a High School or College Education?
The Musical Courier in connection with its forum for the discussion of a general education for music students, sent out a list of questions to a large number of persons prominent in the world of music. Some of the answers are printed below. The questions were as follows:
QUESTION SHEET.
1.	Are the ages mentioned—between thirteen and seventeen, and between seventeen and twenty-one—very essential to the music student who wants to acquire a virtuoso technic, or can a virtuoso technic be acquired after twenty-one, with, of course, a certain amount of youthful training?
2.	Can a child give the time to school work as specified in our letter and still find time for the proper study of music ?
3.	Will a general education aid a musician to be a better musician?
4.	Should a distinction be made between players and teachers? Should not all music students aspire primarily to be players, not teachers? In other words, should a teacher teach who cannot play? And should these distinctions and considerations make a difference in the course of education to be pursued by students?
MME. VITTORIO ARIMONDI,
the distinguished vocal teacher of Chicago, who is now visiting in New York City as the guest of Rosa Raisa and her husband, Giacomo Rimini, and her pupil, Muriel McCormick. Mme. Arimondi tcill remain in the metropolis another two weeks, after ■which she will return to Chicago to resume her teaching in her sumptuous studios in the Fine Arts Building. (Elzin photo.) .
head-dress, and his quaint English, with his expressive voice, pleased everyone.
Geraldine E. Marwick has a fine soprano voice, clear and true, and sang arias from “Herodiade” and “Pagliacci,” with Ampico-in-the-Knabe accompaniment, in a manner which brought her big applause. The club choral sang choruses from “Die Meistersingers” and “Faust,” Mr. Sapio conducting as usual (Ferdinand Greenwald at the piano), and the operalogue—subject. “The Secret of Suzanne”— was presented by Havrah Hubbard, Edgar Bowman playing the music.-
The grand opera pageant, which followed, began with the entrance of the president, Baroness Katherine Evans von Klenner, a shining herald with trumpet leading the procession. In her blue-white-gold costume, with lyre and flowers, Mme. von Klenner represented Queen of Opera, a truly regal figure. Her satellites were Thomas N. Nixon, Francis Wright Clinton, Nathan Loth, Joseph Gutman, David Arthur Thomas, and Os-ke-non-ton, these representing national operas. Those following, as listed, were: “Daughter of the Regiment,” Mme. Sapio and group; “Traviata,” Art-gelique V. Orr and group; “Carmen,” Mrs. Owen Kildare and group; “Aida,” Katherine Noack Figue, Lelia Troland Gardner, Rossi-Diehl and group; “Butterfly,” Evadne P. Turner, Amelia Schiff, Eva F. Phipps and group; “Mignon,” Mrs. Nathan Loth, Josephine Smith and group; “Lucia,” Mrs. Charles Baker and group; “Martha,” Mary T. Nixon, Mrs. R. Weiss and group; “Hansel and Gretel,” Marion Avery and Katheryn Fendrick and group; “Merry Wives of Windsor,” Mrs. C. R. Meeks, Mrs. Rubsam and group; “Pagliacci,” (Nedda) ; Courty Rossi-Diehl; “Romeo and Juliet,” Mildred Holland and group; “Secret of Suzanne,” Havrah Hubbard.
Dancing was under the direction of H. C. Copinus, with music by Gunther, and was greatly enjoyed by the large throng. In an adjoining room pictures were taken of the various principals, and the affair will go down in the club’s history as quite the most delightful ever given by the National Opera Club of America.
Jeanne Gordon Glee Club Soloist
The University Glee Club, Dr. Arthur D. Woodruff conductor, gave its fifty-fifth private concert at the Metropolitan Opera House on January 24. Being a private concert it requires no public comment. The soloist of the evening, however, deserves a special word. Jeanne Gordon, the contralto, has been heard often enough in opera on this same stage, but rarely appears in concert in this city. She sang two groups, the first of which included “Jeanne D'Arc,” Bemberg; “Nebbie,” Respighi, and “Carnaval,” Fourdrain; and the second: “To You Dear Heart,” Morris Class; “Dreamin’ Time,” Lily Strickland, and “My Love is a Muleteer,” Di Nogero, besides which she gave the obligato solo in d’Albert’s “Medieval Hymn to Venus,” sung by •the club. Miss Gordon has a voice of exceptional richness and beauty and it is produced with entire freedom. Particularly effective among her songs was Fourdrain’s “Carnaval.” which she gave with much spirit, and Lily Strickland’s “Dreamin’ Time.” The great audience which filled the entire house responded with long applause to Miss Gordon’s singing and insisted upon extra numbers.
St. Olaf Choir Closes Tour
After a triumphant tour, in the course of. which the St. Olaf Choir traveled several thousand miles and sang before 90,000 persons, the members of the choir resumed their studies at St. Olaf’s College, Northfield, Minn., on February 6. Thirty cities were visited and thirty-one concerts given. In addition several thousand dollars were realized from the trip which, instead of being divided among the participants, numbering sixty-four men and women, was placed in the music fund of the college.
Nellie Cornish in New York
Nellie •Cornish, founder and director of the Cornish School of Music at Seattle, Wash., has been in New York for the last ten days interviewing candidates for places on the regular faculty of the school and for the summer sessions. Last Sunday afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Sergei Kliban-sky gave a reception for her at their home, which was attended by a large number of persons prominent in musical New York. Mr. Klibansky conducts the master class in voice at the school’s summer term. Miss Cornish will return home, the end of this week.
thorough grounding in the principles and in the technic of his art.
Edward Johnson
1.	Speaking from the singer's standpoint, intensive study to acquire a virtuoso, technic is unwise between the age of thirteen and seventeen, for physiological reasons. It is quite possible to acquire such a technic after the adolescent period, assuming that music has. had a normal share in the student’s life and education theretofore.
2.	If a fundamental study of music is included in the school curriculum, and is supplemented by a home environment of love and appreciation of music, the musical growth of a child should be entirely compatible
with the regular amount of school work.
3.	Surely a general education is essential to a musician. General knowledge in all lines can not but broaden one’s scope and understanding of one’s own specialty.
4.	Teaching is as much an individual art as performance. Many superb players or singers are totally unable to impart their knowledge to others. On the contrary, many mediocre performers are born teachers. Therefore, beyond a certain point of study, the course of training should vary. Needless to say, the ability to perform well is a great asset to a teacher; but the endless preparation necessary to the public performer is not essential.
greeted by the audience. She presented the club’s greetings to the honor guests, these being presidents of other clubs; mentioned the “three competitors” of the evening, namely, the Metropolitan, the Chicago Opera, and “the flu” (audible smiles) ; called attention to the propaganda, of this club, entirely operatic in its aim; and mentioned her amazement on hearing such fine accompaniments to opera arias rendered by the Ampico, which would later in the program accompany Geraldine E. Marwick.
Os-ke-non-ton, Mohawk Indian, with three members of the tribe, including his sister, Princess Chinquilla, appeared in costume (with a splendid tepee in the background) in full Indian regalia. He sang Flegier’s “Love Song” and Handel’s “Largo” with two French horns accompanying (Ger-
Miss Berry, Havrah Hubbard, Mme. von Klenner (as Goddess of Music in “Secret of Suzanne") and Edgar Bowmen. (Albert Dupont Atelier photo■)
Mabel Garrison
There can be no question but that a general education helps to make a better musician. The resulting breadth of view and keener analytical faculties in themselves are invaluable assets in an artistic career.
While it may not be necessary for the student to acquire a virtuoso technic before the age of seventeen, yet a certain amount of work is indispensable not only.on his chosen instrument, but also for secondary studies such as ear training and harmonic analysis.
A singer may acquire his technic at a later age than an instrumentalist, but even the singer, in order to become a musician, should be able to play the piano well and to have some knowledge of harmony.
The problem of time is indeed a difficult one, and in every case must be solved by the individual. I certainly advise against such sacrifices as must be made unless the student is musical by nature—too much precious time is consumed in acquiring things which the musically talented grasp almost by intuition.
A student should prepare for his career with the utmost thoroughness whether he eventually intends to teach or play. Even the best prepared teachers revise and improve their methods after a certain amount of experience gained at the expense of pupils. Then consider the time wasted in groping for effective means by one who has not had a
An audience, filling the grand ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, heard an original and interesting program, with many novelties, at the annual opera evening and operatic costume ball, January 26, Causing President Von Klenner to beam with satisfaction, and her faithful satellites
Baroness Katharine Evans von Klenner, president of the Rational Opera Club of America and ex-president of the lVOman’s Press Club, with (left) Lowen Kildare as Herald.
trude E. Clarke at the piano), in musical fashion. Later, the four Indians gave dances with accompanying Indian music to reflect their happiness. In an intermission she appeared on a phonograph, a recitation, using the tom-tom as obligato, on the stage, attired in a magnificent blue and white cos-	etc., and vastly interested the large audience. Os-ke-non-
tume with gold braid and ornaments, and was heartily	ton’s gorgeous Indian costume, with full-length feather
NATIONAL OPERA CLUB ANNUAL
OPERATIC EVENING AND COSTUME BALL