NEW YORK, THURSDAY,
February 16, 1922.
|V\USICAL(ÔURIER
VOL. LXXXIV—No. 7. Whole No. 2184.
which the same amount as the prize will be paid; thereafter there will be a prize competition one year and a commissioned work the next. Miss Clarke, &e well known viola player, has been adjudged second place—which, unfortunately for her, carried no reward—in the last two competitions, that of 1921 being won by H. Waldo Warner’s trio, and that of 1920 by Ernest Bloch’s viola sonata.
PIERRE MONTEUX RE-ENGAGED TO CONDUCT
BOSTON SYMPHONY FOR TWO MORE SEASONS
Trustees of Hub City Orchestra Extend His Contract to Include Seasons of 1922-23 and 1923-24—Large Audiences Hear Edith Bullard, Rudolph Reuter and E. Robert Schmitz—People's Symphony Concert
is not iiidined to force so as to “break through,” and received much and well deserved applause but—seven Bach (Continued on page 57)
Muratore Convalescing
Lucien Muratore, premier tenor of the Chicago Opera Association, left the Audubon Sanitarium last Thursday at 2:30 in the afternoon, well on the road to recovery from the appendicitis operation he underwent February 13. Walking
= Morse Photo
IDA GEER WELLER,
the mezzo-contralto, who gave a successful song recital in Aeolian Hall on the evening of\ February 7. Hiss Weller possesses a voice of very fine quality and sings with much style. She was enthusiastically received by a large audience. An equally warm reception was given this artist at her recent Boston recital, when the critics compared her with Julia Gulp and]
Elena Gerhardt.
with a cane and using the arm of his friend, Rene Devries, as a support, he walked from the hospital down to his limousine and again to his apartment in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Escorting him from the hospital was also his wife, Lina Cavalieri-Muratore, who for the last ten days had not set foot out doors, being always in attendance at the hospital and helping the nurses in their duties. Dr. Rene Bourdin, his private physician and secretary, also returned to the Ritz from the hospital with Muratore. Without doubt Muratore will be heard again in New York this season at least once before the Chicago Company closes its season here. His voice is in no way impaired.
Berkshire Prize Plans Changed
Mrs. F. S. Coolidge, founder of the annual Berkshire Chamber Music Festival at Pittsfield, Mass,, announces that hereafter the Berkshire Chamber Music Prize of $1,000 will only be offered in alternate years. The present competition, which closes on April 15 next, is for a string quartet, and the successful composition will be played at the festival next September. For the festival of 1923 Mrs. Coolidge has already commissioned a work from Rebecca Clarke, for
Boston, Mass., February 11, 1922.—The trustees of Boston Symphony Orchestra have voted unanimously to extend the contract of Pierre Monteux, the orchestra’s conductor, to include the seasons of 1922-23 and 1923-24. Mr. Monteux has signed the contract.
When Dr. Muck retired from the orchestra there was still about a month of the season remaining, which was completed by the assistant conductor. Mr. Rabaud was engaged for the next season, but being unable to reach Boston for the first concerts, the management of the Metropolitan Opera kindly granted leave of absence to Mr. Monteux to prepare programs, rehearse the orchestra and give the first two pair of concerts.
Then followed one season of Mr. Rabaud, then Mr. Monteux was engaged as conductor, followed by the effort to unionize the orchestra, the loss of many members, and rebuilding into the splendid organization which now is an honor to Boston and the whole country.
A special series of five Monday evening concerts have been instituted, the seats for which were all sold at once; also a series of concerts for young people, which fill the hall to its limit: The concerts at Harvard University have also been increased from eight to nine.
The orchestra has visited Lynn,
Brockton, Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill, Fall River, Portland, Me. University concerts this year, besides the Harvard concerts, include performances at Yale, Cornell, Smith,
Middlebury and the University of Vermont.
Before coming to Boston, Mr.
Monteux had already won fame both here and abroad. First publicly prominent in chamber music in Paris, he became well known as conductor of the Concerts Colonne, The Opera,
The Theatre des Champs Elysees, the Chatelet and Odeon, and his own “Concerts Monteux,” also the orchestras of Covent Garden and Drury Lane Theater in London, and the opera houses of Berlin, Vienna and Budapest.
Recital of Songs by Edith Bullard.
February 7, in Jordan Hall, Edith Bullard, soprano, assisted by Rolland Tapley, violinist, and Maurice Hoffman, accompanist, gave an interesting recital of songs and pieces for violin.
The program was as follows:
“Botschaft,” Brahms; “Gesang Wey-la’-s,” Wolf; “Joseph, Lieber Joseph Mein,” Fourteenth century Weihn-achtslied; “Lebesfeier,” Weingartner;
“La Partenza,” Beethoven; “O Ces-sate di Piagarmi” and “Gia II Sole dal Gange,” Scarlatti; “Nebbie,”
Resphighi, presented by Miss Bullard;
“Slavonic Fantasie,” Dvorak-Kreisler;
“Forsaken,” Winternitz ; “La Chasse,”
Cartier-Kreisler; “Scherzo-Taran-telle,” Wieniawski, by Mr. Tapley;
“Roses Funebres,” Sibelius; “Contemplation,” Widor; “Chanson Valaque,” Kerveguen; “Hymne au Soleil,” Georges; “Le Nil, Leroux”
(obligato by Mr. Tapley) ; “In the Harem,” Bantock; “Morning Song,”
Parker; “The Angels are Stooping,”
Hoffman; “Song of the Open,” La Forge, by Miss Bullard.
Miss Bullard, who is an artist pupil of Arthur J. Hubbard, eminent Boston teacher, has a fine stage presence, showed a little nervousness at first, but in a short time found herself, and proceeded to give her large audience great pleasure in listening to her voice, of excellent quality, sufficient and dis-criminately used volume, intelligent interpretation, variety of nuance, characterizing a selection of songs ranging from Brahms and Beethoven to Bantock and LaForge. Hearty applause greeted the song by Mr. Hoffman.
Mr. Tapley played his pieces in a manly, straightforward way, and he, as well as Miss Bullard, added numbers to the program. Mr. Hoffman proved a careful accompanist.
Piano Recital by Rudolph Reuter.
February 6, in Jordan Hall, Rudolph Reuter, pianist, gave a recital of music for piano to an audience by no means as large as his artistry deserved. The program: preludes in G, C, G, B flat, A flat, F and D, Bach; sonata in B flat, Schubert; “Carnaval,” op. 9, Schumann; “Berceuse,” Henselt; “Rübezahl,” Korngold; prelude in G, Rachmaninoff; “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Granados; “Troika,” Tschaikowsky; nocturne in B, op. 62, No. 1, Chopin; “Waldesrauschen,” “Eglogue,” rhapsodie No. 15, Liszt.
Mr. Reuter has a facile technic, an always beautiful tone,
The Chicago Opera-Gadski Suit
In regard to the suit brought last week by Johanna Gadski against the Chicago Opera Association, Mme. Gadski issued the following statement:
It was with the greatest reluctance that I finally־ yielded to the pressure of advisers and friends to protect my career, my family and my good name from continued libel by bringing action which will place responsibility where it belongs for those who continue to spread slander and infamous misstatements about me to the injury of my position in the social and artistic world. The attitude of the Chicago O’pera Company after the success of my concerts in New York, St. Louis, and Washington, could not have been a matter of vocal or dramatic merit, but must have been based on the influence of cruel lies that still find tongues to carry and ears to listen. While the war lasted I recognized the futility of steps to put an end to this defamatory campaign; I accepted it as my part of the great sacrifices which war requires of individuals. When peace was declared, I sought to renew my concert work and did so with pleasurable success, but immediately there was a renewal of the old stories, both in social and artistic circles which found repetition in some publications. The repetitions especially included that vicious invention that some sort of celebration had occurred at my home, where the sinking of the Lusitania was made a matter of jest and rejoicing. This statement upon its first publication met with my immediate and emphatic denial, and I thought that would be sufficient. The recent outbursts have made it evident that_ I can no longer submit quietly and patiently while this defamation goes on, and I am forced to the unpleasant task of instructing my attorneys to seek the origin of this continued slander wherever it occurs and place upon the authors the responsibility for my unjust sufferings. (Signed) Johanna Gadski Tauscher.
F. T. Kelsey, of Lewis & Kelsey, attorneys for the Chicago Opera Association, made the following statement :
The complaint in Mme. Gadski’s action was served at noon today (February 9). It appears to be based solely on a ten line extract from a newspaper article stated to have been published the early part of December, 1921, and which, it is claimed, was inspired by the opera association. The Chicago Opera Association had nothing whatsoever to do with the publication of the article in question. The suit came as a great surprise to the Opera Association, since Mme. Gadski, prior to its commencement, never even intimated that the Opera Association had said or done anything derogatory to her reputation and standing. The first intimation of such a claim was the recent published articles. The Opera Association has treated Mme. Gadski with the utmost consideration and fairness, and it seems unfortunate that she has seen fit to bring a suit of this character.
Josef Schwarz Marries
On Saturday last, February 11, Josef Schwarz, the Russian baritone, who came to this country for the first time last year as a member of the Chicago Opera Association and as a concert singer, was married at 68 Park avenue to Mrs. Clara Sielcken, widow of Herman Sielcken, formerly a member of the firm of Grossman & Sielcken, wholesale coffee dealers. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Joseph Fort Newton, pastor of the Church of the Divine Paternity. Mrs. Schwarz is a native of Bremen, Germany, and her first husband, whom she divorced, was Adolph Wendroth Schwarz, who was born in Riga, Russia, was also married before. Mr. and Mrs. Schwarz, at the end of the opera season, will go on a honeymoon trip to California and to Honolulu.
The Endicott Prizes
Through the generosity of H. Wendell Endicott, of the board of trustees of the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, Mass., the following prizes are offered to be competed for by students of the Conservatory during the present school year:
Class 1. One hundred and fifty dollars for the best composition for orchestra, not to exceed five minutes in performing time.
Class 2. One hundred dollars for the best composition in the form of a movement of a string quartet.
Class 3. One. hundred dollars for the best unaccompanied chorus or short composition for chorus with accompaniment.
Class 4. Fifty dollars for the best composition for pianoforte or for another instrument with pianoforte accompaniment.
Class 5. Fifty dollars for the best set of three songs.
For circular describing, the conditions of the competition, address the general manager, Ralph L. Flanders.
Gurci Seeks Papal Annulment
Luigi Curd, the artist, former husband of Amelita Galli-Curci, and who is now in Italy with his second wife, daughter of P. A. Tirindelli, the well known musician of Cincinnati and New York, has applied to the Papal Tribunal in Rome for an ecclesiastical annulment of his marriage to the famous singer. An absolute divorce was granted her under the laws of Illinois in Chicago, January, 1920.