MUSICAL COURIER
54
February 16, 19 2 2
IV” and the Tschaikowsky “Miniature” overture from the “Nutcracker” suite, all lent their different colors and added interest. Beethoven’s “Theme and Variations” from string quartet, op. 18, No. 5 (for string orchestra), Casella’s symphonic fragments from “The Venetian Convent” ballet, and Smetana’s symphonic poem, “The River Moldau,” made up a full program of the greatest merit.
Fifteenth Concert of Sunday Series.
The fifteenth concert of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra Sunday series was opened by Emil Oberhoffer with the overture to “Oberon,” by Weber, on January 22. This was skilfully played. The “River Moldau,” by Smetana, followed, while a pleasing novelty for solo cello, two horns, harp and strings proved that Zandonai could write for that odd combination. This “Medieval Serenade” met with the audience’s instant approval. William Lindsay, Scotch pianist, now a member of the faculty of the University of Minnesota, was soloist in two numbers. The “Andante and Polonaise” by Chopin (orchestrated by Scharwenka) was not a grateful concert selection. Liapuno’s “Rhapsody on Folk Songs of the Ukraine” was played for the second time in America, and was a more pleasing number for the soloist.
Sturkow-Ryder With Orchestra.
Theodora Sturkow-Ryder, pianist, was one of the very acceptable soloists of the year. The Rimsky-Korsakoff concerto for piano and orchestra in C sharp minor was played in a magnetic manner, and gave us a very good idea of this interesting work. Her early training has made Sturkow-Ryder a pianist and interpreter of first rank. She received hearty applause.
The orchestra opened this concert, January 8, with the Liszt E maj or polonaise; then it gave a glorious reading to the Dvorak “New World” symphony. A complete change of color was given in the Herbert “Air de Ballet,” and the Grainger “Shepherd’s Hey” closed the afternoon with a cheerfulness that was refreshing. Mr. Oberhoffer brings forth new shadings every time he directs, and so fascinates the most faithful attendants at these concerts. He is never lacking in variety.
Mina Hager Scores.
The concert of January IS brought for our commendation Mina Hager, contralto, and she sang twice with success. Her singing of Ulrica’s “Invocation” from the “Masked Ball,” by Verdi, was a masterpiece. Her voice is rich and sweet, and Chicago has a fine contralto in Miss Hager.
The orchestra played with its usual finesse the “Magic Flute” overture, by Mozart; the Beethoven No. 1 symphony, Casella’s suite from the “Venetian Convent,” Cadman’s “Spring Song” from “Shanewis,” and a number from Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde.”
Notes.
On January 10, Eva Gautier, soprano, sang at the University of Minnesota Armory in a historical recital in costume of the country and period represented. This was the second of the chamber music course (first season), arranged for the University and successfully managed by Mrs. Carlyle Scott. The first number was December 1, when the Flon-zaley Quartet played. Miss Gautier made a charming appearance and sang artistically. The evening was one of pure joy. She was assisted by a wood wind choir from the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Henry Williams, harpist with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, and William Keller, violinist, with David Nyvall at the piano, appeared in recital at the Minnesota College, January 17. They are three artists of more than local fame.
On January 16, at the Church of the Redeemer, Mildred Langtree, contralto; Lillian Nippert-Zelle, violinist, and Katherine Hoffman, pianist, gave a splendid recital.
January 18, at the Lyric Theater, the Thursday Musical Club gave its fortnightly program. Frances Vincent-Coveny, soprano; Margaret Horn, violinist; Elsie Wolf, Mrs. James Bliss and Katherine Hoffman, pianists, appeared and made a favorable impression.
On January S the Thursday Musical Choral Club, with Hal Woodruff directing, gave the morning program at the Lyric Theater. Florence Graves Walter, pianist; Norman Stevens, bass, and Eugene Skaaden, accompanist, made this a noteworthy program.
Harold Lindau, tenor, was the soloist with the Arpi Club at the First Baptist Church, January 10, when that fine club of picked men’s voices sponsored the program. Mr. Lindau’s voice is acclaimed by many as unusually fine. The Arpi Club has some new voices and they sing as one man. Their program was well chosen. G. A. Sandberg is director.	R. A.
Rothwell Leads Many American Novelties
Walter Henry Rothwell, the highly successful and popular conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, is adding also in the new year interesting novelties to his splendid repertory. Charles Wakefield Cadman’s “Oriental Rhapsody” from his “Omar Khayyam” suite, and “Three Russian Poems,” by Theodore Gordohn, a gifted Russian composer, living in Los Angeles, found conspicuously effective first performances during January. Lazare Samin-sky’s “Virgiliae,” a series of three Russian tone pictures, are to be heard soon. Two other novelties scheduled for early hearings are Bower’s “Chinese Romance” and “A California Suite,” by Frederick Jacobi, a Californian himself, born in San Francisco and well known in eastern music circles as an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera House. New to the southwest also will be Josef Holbrooke’s tone poem, “The Raven,” planned for the remaining part of the season. Conductor Rothwell recently received a long and interesting letter from the composer telling about the successful premiere of this work in Munich.
Mary Allen to Sing Santuzza with San Carlo
Mary Allen, who has been spending several weeks at her home in Ft. Smith, Ark., recently sang at the Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee, Okla., at which she made an excellent impression with her lovely voice and charm of manner. On January 30, she was scheduled to give a recital at the New Theater, Ft. Smith, and later appearances in Muskogee and Tulsa. Owing to Mrs. Allen’s success as Lola in “Cavalleria Rusticana” with the San Carlo Opera Company in Philadelphia, she will sing the principal role, Santuzza, in the same opera when it is performed in Buffalo in April.
FRIEDMAN TAKES MINNEAPOLIS BY STORM AT SYMPHONY CONCERT
Cathal O'Byrne Sings Program of Irish Songs—Roentgen Cello Soloist with Symphony at New Year Concert— Lashanska Heartily Welcomed—Sturkow-Ryder and Mina Hager Both Score
Minneapolis, Minn., January 25, 1922.—The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra concert of Friday evening, January 20, was an unusual one in many ways, and chiefly in its presentation to a Minneapolis audience of the great Polish pianist, Ignaz Friedman. It has become the custom —and rightly—to consider the artist as supplementary to the regular symphony program, but Mr. Friedman’s playing makes it impossible to think of anything else on the program first, though the orchestral numbers were especially fine.
The Chopin E minor concerto occupied the second half of the program—a concerto which, in the hands of many fine artists remains a mediocre composition; with Mr. Friedman’s interpretation it became the dazzling bit of intricately traced jewelry which Chopin must have meant it to be. Artists complain of the concerto as “ungrateful,” “weak,” etc., but under Mr. Friedman’s master sway it became a coherent, clearly intelligible, master composition with the appalling technical difficulties minimized. And the orchestra has never played a more satisfying accompaniment, though the artist’s freedom in his tempos sometimes kept the willing accompanists on the qui vive.
Responding to the storm of applause, Mr. Friedman played a bewitching waltz of his own, the “Butterfly” etude of Chopin and then the great A flat polonaise—played them as we have dreamed for years that maybe somebody could play them. Another encore, one of Chopin’s shorter waltzes, was given before the artist came down to earth and, with his coat on and hat in hand, said good-night while a train was being held for him. Even then the audience did not leave until the stage manager began putting out the lights.
The first part of the program had been built up well for the artist’s appearance and no audience has ever been in a more receptive mood. The lovely rondino in E flat major for wind instruments was the first number offered; then the D major symphony of Brahms, and finally the “Afternoon of a Faun,” by Debussy. All three numbers were well played, though the interpretation of the symphony did not quite hold up to that of the other two.
Cathal O’Byrne Sings Program of Irish Songs.
That Minneapolis Catholics are most interested in songs of Ireland was shown by the capacity house at the Auditorium on January 11 when Cathal O’Byrne sang a program of Irish folk songs of all types and ages. The concert, sponsored by the Men’s Club of the Church of the Incarnation and the Seton Guild, was a huge success, artistically and financially. Mr. O’,Byrne makes his success more by personality than by any serious claims to artistry in voice control, and he is doing a great service by his research in finding fine old Irish folk tunes and bringing them to audiences in general. He was ably assisted in the accompaniments by Frances Walsh. He sang many stings with no accompaniment in order not to spoil their antiquity by a modern setting.
Between the song groups Wilma Anderson Gilman gave variety to the program by several short and brilliant piano solos well adapted to please the miscellaneous audience. Various personal interests have kept Mrs. Gilman from the concert stage for several years, but her playing seems to have gained by the rest, and she swayed her audience with her complete mastery and poise.
Roentgen Again Soloist With Symphony.
The first concert of the new year occurred on January 1 at the Auditorium, when the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra played an interesting program. It began with the symphonic poem No. 3, “Les Preludes,” by Liszt, and then followed the Cadman “Thunderbird” suite, that fascinating Svendsen number, “Carnaval in Paris,” and two Sibelius numbers—“Vaise Triste” and “Finlandia.” In all of these Mr. Oberhoffer rose far above his average directing, and the players responded to the forceful personality of the director and gave a vivid reading of each number.
Engelbert Roentgen, solo cellist with the orchestra, was soloist, and chose two numbers with which to attract his audience—the “Waldesruhe,” by Dvorak, and Saint-Saëns’ “Allegro Appassionato.” This is his second season as solo cellist here, and each appearance further verifies the fine judgment of the orchestra directors in contracting with so fine an artist. His instrument is a veritable organ in his capable hands. He was the recipient of generous applause.
Lashanska Heartily Welcomed.
On January 6 the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra had as soloist Hulda Lashanska. She was a very gratifying artist in Massenet’s “Pleurez, pleurez, mes yeux” and Charpentier’s “Depuis le jour.” She was given very hearty applause.
Weidig’s concert overture in F major, op. 65, which is dedicated to Mr. Oberhoffer and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, opened the program, and was a work of great merit and thoroughly enjoyed. D’lndy’s symphonic variations, op. 42, to “Istar,” made fascinating reading with the kaleidoscopic tonal pictures, all of which Mr. Oberhoffer and his men brought out. The Tschaikowsky No. 6 symphony closed this program. This work has never been played better by this orchestra, and music lovers here feel ever prouder of the wonderful progress shown in tonal balance and in perfect nuances.
Third Young People’s Concert.
The third concert of the Young People’s series took place Friday afternoon, January 13, at the auditorium, with Mr. Oberhoffer directing and giving explanations of the compositions played by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Each appearance of Mr. Oberhoffer as interpreter, either verbally or musically, makes Minneapolis realize more the fine "director we have in our midst. His talks are the result of many hours’ study, for they are short and to the point, and give the children who pack the auditorium a splendid idea in word pictures what the music tells them from the orchestra, so that these concerts are highly educational.
Elgar’s march, “Pomp and Circumstance, opened the program; Massenet’s “The grand violins of King Louis
EMILY HARFORD AVERY
Accompanist and Coach
DAVID BISF״HAIVf
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ROXAS
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HENRY F. SEIBERT
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Trinity Church,......Reading, Pa.
Allen McQUHAE
Tenor
Management MUSIC LEAGUE OF AMERICA 8 East 34th Street, New York
GEORGIELLA LAY
PIANIST
Interpretative Programs Manacemsst: HARRY H. HALL. 101 Park Ave.. Room, 1111 New Tsrk City
John BLAND TESOR
ARTHUR R. HARTINGTON, Assistant Master of Calvary Choir	VOICE PRODUCTION
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MRS. EDWARD MacDOWELL
Programs of MacDowell Music
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STEIN WAY PIANO
GARIBALDI ARRIGHI
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SOUSA AND HIS BAND
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA, Conductor
Now Booking Season 1921
HARRY ASKIN, Mgr.
14*1 Broadway	Naw York
I INI AMERICA 1922
FREEMANTEL
Tenor
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GIUSEPPE
AGOSTINI
Original Rudolfo in “Boheme”
GUEST-ARTIST SAN CARLO OPERA COMPANY UNTIL MAY.
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and
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PRESENT FOR SEASON 1921-22
Ellen Beach Yaw. coloratura soprano; Hermina West, dramatic soprano; Lydia Lyndgren, dramatic soprano; Franklin Cannon, the distinguished pianist; Ann Thompson and Earl Meeker, pianist and baritone, in joint recitals; Marguerita Sylva, mezzo soprano; Antonio Rocca, dramatic tenor; Georgiella Lay, pianist, interpretative program•; André Polah, Belgian violinist; Mrs. George Lee Bready, in opera recitals; Jessie Masters, All-American contralto; Leila Topping, pianist and Vladimir Dubinsky, cellist in joint recitals.