14
MUSICAL C OU RI ЕВ	February 23, 1922
PARIS CELEBRATES TERCENTENARY
OF THE BIRTH OF MOLIERE
Lloyd George Hears “Faust”—New Orchestra Makes Its Appearance—A Rumanian Program—Charles Hackett Busy in Opera—The New Leschetizky Institute—Honegger et “Horace Victorieux”—Notes
is the purpose of Mme. Leschetizky to continue the work carried on for so many years by the master in Vienna in developing the highest ideals of pianistic art, adjusted to suit modern conditions. Associated with Mme. Leschetizky is John Heath, the American pianist and teacher, who was a pupil of Leschetizky for a number of years and has more recently been a member of the faculty of the Institute of Musical Art in New York, while at the same time appearing in concerts and recitals with much success.
Honegger et "Horace Victorieux.”
At the Theatre des Champs Elysees, Rolf de Mare’s Swedish Ballet holds sway with an extraordinarily varied repertory. ^ The star dancer of the ballet is Jean Borlin, and the splendid orchestra is under the direction of E. D. Inghel-brecht. Their important novelty of the week was the first production of the “Skating Rink,” story by Canudo, choreography by Borlin and music by Arthur Honegger. The score is strikingly original, colorful and full of picturesque movements.
Honegger, unknown before the war, in a short time has become the most talked of composer of France. He was born in Havre of Swiss parents. He began his musical studies with Robert Charles Martin in Havre, continued them at the Conservatory in Zurich, and finally in Paris under Gedalge and Widor. His work shows that his knowledge extends to almost every domain of music. He has written a number of songs, pieces for piano, for organ, for wind instruments, a string quartet, a number of sonatas for different instruments, several symphonic poems, a ballet, incidental music for the stage and a dramatic psalm. French musicians are either mortal enemies of Honegger or worshippers of Honegger, but he cannot be ignored. His music is played everywhere and there is always a lively demonstration for and against him. I recall the scene at the opera a few weeks ago when Serge Koussewitzky, the celebrated Russian conductor, gave the first performance in Paris of Honegger’s “Horace Victorieux,” considered by the composer as his best work. Hisses and catcalls mingled with the applause for several minutes after the performance of the work, but the applause finally drowned the catcalls and it became so frantic and insistent that Honegger, who was present, had to stand up in his box and bow his acknowledgment. “Horace Victorieux” is scheduled to be performed this season by Milinari in Rome, by Sir Henry Wood in London and by Rudolf Ganz in St. Louis.
Notes.
Mme. Jeanne Jouve, the Australian contralto, gave her third concert of the season at the Salle Playel Wednesday evening, January 18. She was supported by Madeleine de Valmalete, pianist, and Joseph Szigeti, the fine Hungarian violinist.
Andre Hekking, the cellist, professor of the Paris Conservatory, and Maurice Amour, pianist, gave a joint concert at the Salle Gaveau on Thursday evening, January 19. Their program was made up of works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Grieg.
Jacques Thibaud, the eminent French violinist, is making a most successful concert tour in the larger cities throughout France.
In all the stations of the Paris underground railway, the “Metro,” the posters advertising the concert of the great Russian, Mischa Elman, are still up, although the concert took place last December. Many of his Paris admirers wish that those posters would announce his reappearance here soon.	Theodore Bauer.
Gescheidt Pupils’ Monthly Glass
The regular monthly session of Adelaide Gescheidt’s voice analysis class and hour of song was held in her Carnegie Hall studio, New York, February 6.
On these evenings pttpils are presented in programs for artistic growth in their particular phases of voice development, and for experience necessary for a singing career. The program for Monday, February 6, was as follows:	Trio—“Te Sol Quest Anima,” from ‘‘Attila”
(Verdi), Nelle Wing and Messrs. House and Baer; soprano solos—“Chi Vuolo la Zingarella” (Paisiello), “To You” (Strauss), “Sandman” (Brahms), “Happy Song” (Del Riego), Grace Forbes; duets—Tuscan folksongs (Caracci-olli), Misses Drury and Jacques; soprano solos—“Bois Espais” (Lully), a pastoral, “Rosalinde” (Verracini), “Love Is the Wind” (MacFadyen), Carolyn Wick; baritone solos— “Chanson de Route” (Puget), “Les Berceaux” (Faure), Chanson Bachique aria, “Hamlet” (Thomas), Raymond Loder; soprano solos—“Non So Piu,” from “Marriage of Figaro” (Mozart), “Ah! Lo So,” from “Magic Flute” (Mozart), “Robin, Robin, Sing Me a Song” (Spross), Hazel Drury. At the piano was. Anne Tindale.
Kochanski’s Unusual Popularity
Paul _ Kochanski, the young Polish violinist, has made thirty-eight public appearances in recital and with orchestra since his return to this country late last October. This record does not take into consideration this artist’s numerous private musicales and “at homes,” such as his recent hearing at the White House at the invitation of the President and Mrs. Harding.
In New York alone Mr. Kochanski has been heard a dozen times this season in recital and including engagements with the New York Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras. Out of town he has made some twenty-six appearances comprising hearings in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Rochester, Buffalo, Scranton, Chicago, Hartford, Cambridge, Boston, Wilmington, Toronto, Kitchener (Ont.), Cleveland, Milwaukee, Troy and Danbury in recital, and with the Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and the New York symphony orchestras.
Mr. Kochanski has also appeared this season with the Beethoven Association in the Hotel Ambassador series, the Hotel Biltmore series, and the Metropolitan Opera concerts.
Concert at Cooper Union
The third concert by the American Orchestral Society was given at Cooper Union, Sunday evening, February 12. The program included the overture to “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by Mendelssohn; the first symphony of Brahms, and the “Rienzi” overture by Wagner. The concerts are given weekly and are under the auspices of the People’s Institute, free to the public. The hall was again filled, while many were turned away. Dirk Foch conducted. The next orchestral concert will be given on March 12.
hours (Saturday and Sunday) four of the principal orchestras in Paris performed the “Eroika” of Beethoven; during the same time three of them played “Le Peri,” by Paul Dukas. I call it cruelty to the reviewer.
Rumanian.
A very interesting musicale, the program of which was made up entirely of Rumanian music, was given last Wednesday evening by the “Courrier Franco-Roumain” at the hall of the old Conservatory of Music. The figure most in view was Georges Boskoff, a young Rumanian composer and pianist. He interpreted a number of his own works, which, while showing a Wagnerian, Russian and modern French influence, also revealed the Rumanian national spirit as well as the personal genius of the young musician. By far the most striking piece was a “Dance in the Rumanian Spirit,” in which the increasing enthusiasm of the peasant dancers is suggested by a constantly accelerating time and the figures of the dance by changes of rhythm. It is worthy of a Diaghi-leff’s choreography. A “Waltz in the Viennese Spirit” gave evidence of the same feeling for the movements of the dance. Other Rumanian composers represented on the program were Enesco, Golestan, Alessandresco, Dima, Stephanesco and Nonna- Otesco.
Charles Hackett Busy in Opera.
Charles Hackett, the splendid American tenor, was a visitor to the new office of the Musical Courier in Paris. .Mr. Hackett came here from Milan to sign contracts with Raoul Ginsbourg, the director of the Opera in Monte Carlo. Hackett will appear as Cavaradossi in “Tosca” in Monte Carlo the first week in February. While in Paris Mr. Hackett had an interview with Mr. Rouche, director of the opera, to arrange the repertory in which he is to appear here in April.
The New Leschetizky Institute.
An educational institute of great importance opened in Paris a few days ago. It is the Leschetizky Institute of Piano, under the personal direction of Mme. Theodore Leschetizky, widow of the famous master, who died in Austria in November, 1915. Mme. Leschetizky, nee Marie Gabrielle Rosbarska, comes of a distinguished Polish family, and for a number of years previous to her marriage to Leschetizky was one of his most talented pupils and assistant teachers in Vienna. Previous to the war, Mme. Leschetizky made frequent concert appearances on the Continent. She is a woman of great personal charm, and speaks French, English and German besides her own native language. In establishing the Leschetizky Institute of Piano in Paris it
Paris, January 20, 1922.—Paris, in fact, the whole of France, was celebrating the tercentenary of the birth of Moliere, the “father of the French comedy.” Every theater, opera house or dramatic theater, whether owned or subsidized by the state or owned and managed by private individuals, presented a Molière play, or an act of one—or at least a speech was made during the intermission, eulogizing the great author. The nation was paying a wonderful homage to one of its great men who died more than two centuries ago, while the same nation was cursing and ready to crucify one of its greatest living statesmen, Aristide Briand.
Lloyd George Hears “Faust.”
On his way from Cannes to London, David Lloyd George came to Paris to see Mr. Poincaré, the new Premier. A sumptuous dinner was served to the British delegates to the Cannes conference at the Hotel Crillon. The British Premier, however, disappeared early, and a search for him resulted in finding the great man sitting comfortably in a box at the opera. It was a non-subscription performance and there was a regular Saturday evening packed house to hear the ever popular Gounod’s “Faust.” Mr. Lloyd George came at the beginning of the second act and stayed till the very end of the performance. He was accompanied by Sir Robert Horne, Sir Edward Grigg, Parliamentary Secretary ; Lady Markham, and Miss Stephenson, the Premier’s private secretary.
Still Another Orchestra.
A new symphony orchestra made its initial appearance before the music lovers of Paris. It is called the “Association des Concerts Artistiques” and is conducted by Leon Loicq. While it must be admitted that Paris has already too many orchestral concerts, the new organization by its first concert has given evidence that it is entitled to the serious consideration of music lovers. Mr. Loicq proved himself an excellent conductor, a splendid interpreter and a fine musician.
The concert opened with the symphony by César Franck and was followed by the “Variations Symphoniques” by the same composer, the piano part of the latter admirably played by Antoinette Veluard. Mozart’s “Serenade,” prelude to the third act of “Ninon de l’Endos,” ’by M. Maingueneau, and “La Fantaisie sur deux themes wallons,” D’Indy, were the other numbers on the program.
Duplications.
One of the very annonying features of the great number of orchestral concerts in Paris is the fact that the conductors are fixing their programs without any regard to the programs of the other organizations. Within forty-eight
“One of the Greatest Living Masters of the Piano.”
Philadelphia Public Ledger—Jan. 20
“A Genius”
St. Louis Daily Globe-Jan. 7
“A Colossal Pianist.
St. Louis Star—Jan. 7
S I LOT I
“An Aristocrat of the Pianoforte.”
Detroit Free Press—Jan. 27
“A Virtuoso of Superb Gifts.”
Washington Post—Jan. 18
“His playing must be the very counterpart of Liszt’s own playing.”
Baltimore News—Jan. 19
AND IN NEW YORK-JAN. 16th
“Siloti played superbly • —Evening Post “His tone is beautifully silvery • —Times
“Siloti s tremendous technique is unquestioned • —Evening World “The large audience applauded Siloti to the echo • —Globe “One of the great pianists, for an indomitable and a
beautiful spirit sings in his playing.’ —Evening Journal
SEASON 1922-1923 NOW BOOKING
For terms and dates address GEORGE ENGLES, Aeolian Hall, New York STEINWAY PIANO	DUO-ART RECORDS