MUSICAL COURIER
44
CHICAGO BIDS GODOWSKY “FAREWELL” FOR A WHILE
Distinguished Pianist Plays to Huge Audience—London String Quartet Gives Excellent Program—Ethel Jones and William Griffith Hill in Joint Recital—De Horvath Pleases—Civic Orchestra Draws Packed House—Lois Ewell at Orchestra Hall—Walter Allen Stults Presented in Concert—Harrison M. Wild Directs Chicago Woman’s Chorus—Delamarter Scores as Composer and Soloist with
Orchestra—Notes
March 2, 1922
(MacDowell)—placed him in the ranks of future pianistic artists.
Musicians’ Club of Women Program.
On Monday afternoon, February 20, the Musicians’ Club of Women presented the following members in a program made up of British Isles’ composers’ works, at the Fine Arts Recital Hall: Ebba Sundstrom, Marion Levin, Marion Lychenheim, Helen Kesler, Fannie Anson, Mrs. Harvey I. Brewer, Mary Porter Pratt and Ethel Jones.
Lois Eweli. at Orchestra Hall.
After a serious illness which postponed her recital to Monday evening, February 20, Lois Ewell appeared _ at Orchestra Hall before a friendly audience in an interesting song recital. Well known here as an operatic artist, having appeared at Ravinia and with the Boston Opera Company, Miss Ewell counts many admirers and friends in these surroundings. They were all on hand and applauded heartily everything she did. Hers is a soprano with a high range, a voice beautiful as to quality and well handled. Here and there were traces of her recent illness, yet, as a whole, she sang most effectively and pleased her listeners in three Wolf-Ferrari selections, a Russian group, the “Liebestod” from Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde,” and Hubert Pataky’s “Chinese Lyrics.” In the Wagner number she had double accompaniment—Joseph Koestner, who served as accompanist, and Harold B. Simonds at the organ. She also included a French group and one of the English songs by Richard Hageman, Alexander Rihm, Walter Kramer, Sidney Homer and Frank La Forge.
Walter Spry in Recital.
Walter Spry will give a recital before the University Guild at Evanston, March 6. He will repeat the program on his southern tour the latter part of March.
Leschetizky Manuscript Presented to Sturkow-Ryder
In return for some help which Mme. Sturkow-Ryder was able to render Mme. Leschetizky, she has just received from the widow of the famous composer-teacher, as a gift, one of her husband’s manuscripts—“La Mandolina”— which Mme. Sturkow-Rider will play very shortly. This gifted Chicago pianist-composer has just finished writing “Twelve Dances for Violin and Piano.”
Flora Waalkes Students Heard.
Pupils of Flora Waalkes, well known soprano and teacher, were heard- in song recital, February 23, at the Palmer Park Assembly Hall, assisted by Mary Hansen, violinist. Those taking part and whose work reflected credit on their capable mentor, were Alida Wessman, Jer-fina Dekker, Bertha Moyer Smith, Margaret Patterson, Louella Conover Gately and Lydia Werner. The program closed with Mrs. H. H. A. Beach’s “The Sea Fairies,” sung by a quartet made up of Lydia Werner, Margaret Patterson, Jerfina Dekker and Mrs. Smith. On February 28, Agnes Vellenga, Lillian Gillespie, Edna Perry, Martha Blacker, Myrtle Burstrom, Carl Anderson, Alida Wessman and Katherine Marx, also pupils of Miss Waalkes, will give a program. These recitals were both under the auspices of the Calumet Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art, of which Miss Waalkes is one of the leading voice teachers. Harrison M. Wild Directs Chicago Woman’s Chorus
The Chicago Woman’s Chorus, directed by Harrison M. Wild, pleased a large audience at Kimball Hall, February 23. This organization has existed litle more than a year and judging by the work performed that evening has much cause for encouragement and laudation of its conductor, who has the faculty of inspiring acumen and has developed the power of dominance, so essential in the attainment of choral adhesiveness, and while the chorals were well rendered, generally speaking, much labor is yet to be expended before the goal, set by Mr. Wild, will have been reached. He has evidently measured the distance well and is leading the chorus along a safe path. Every number on the program was received with demonstrations of pleasure amid recalls and encores. The chorus had the assistance of Stella Roberts, violinist; LeRoy R. Hamp, tenor, and Marie Herron, soprano.
Walter Allen Stults in Fine Program.
Under the auspices of the Northwestern University School of Music, of which faculty he is a member, Walter Allen Stults, baritone, presented a fine program at the Music Hall last Thursday evening. One of the largest audiences that has attended these concerts was on hand and accorded the artist a warm reception and showed by hearty enthusiasm its delight. Mr. Stults is a splendid artist and sings with finish, excellent musical style and taste, dignity and impeccable enunciation. He opened his program with the Bach aria, “Give Me Back My Dearest Master,” following it with a group made up of Buzzi-Peccia’s “Come Buy,” Caccini’s Madrigal, “Amarilli, mía bella,” Fourdrain’s “Mon Jardín,” Ferrari’s “Le Miroir” and Fourdrain’s “Impression Basque,” all of which were exceptionally well done and called only for highest praise. There was also a group of German Heder by Strauss, Hollaender, Haile and Hinton, and songs by Tschaikowsky, Sibella, Pierce, Parke, Cox, Guión, Howard, McGill and Murchison all of which were most effectively rendered and greatly liked.
Delamarter Scores as Composer and Soloist with Orchestra.
Novelty seemed to be the keynote of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert this week, as four out of the five numbers making up the program were in the novelty class. One of these, Eric Delamarter’s second organ concerto, was played by the composer, whose complete mastery of the organ and its intricacies made the concerto stand out as one of the best in the organ literature. That Mr.
UMBERTO BEDUSCHI
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William Griffith Hill, pianist. This reviewer arrived when Mr. Hill was playing the MacDowell “Eroica” sonata, which was performed remarkably well, revealing himself a pianist of dignity, poise and possessed of admirable qualifications. His technic is splendid, his tone excellent, and his understanding and musicianship exceptional. He also gave fine account of himself in Griffes’ “The Night Wind” and “Notturno” and Dohnanyi’s “Capriccio.” An excellent mezzo, Miss Jones used her lovely, mellow voice with exquisite taste and art in Seneca Pierce’s “The Eagle,” Arthur Foote’s “Ships That Pass in the Night,” Mowrey’s “Tears of God,” Burleigh’s “The Sailor’s Wife” and Sidney Homer’s “Sing to Me, Sing.” Salient points in Miss Jones’ singing are the clearness of her enunciation, the excellence of her phrasing and her thorough musicianship. All the above mentioned songs are of a more or less morbid character and one regretted that there were not more of a brighter vein, and yet she sang another group, including Dargomy-sky’s “Look, Pretty Maiden,” Gretchaninoff’s “Nightingales Now Are Singing No More,” Arensky’s “The Dancers,” Delibes’ “Arioso,” Poldowski’s “Spleen” and Bemberg’s “A Toi.” These were not heard, however. Both artists scored heavily. Miss Jones and Mr. Hill have received their training at the Columbia School of Music, both having received B. A. degrees there. Miss Jones has had extensive training with Louise St. John Westervelt, and Mr. Hill with Clare Osborne Reed.
Cecile De Horvath Pleases in Recital.
At Cohan’s Grand, Sunday afternoon, February 19, F. Wight Neumann presented Cecile de Horvath, pianist, before a musical audience, appreciative of each number heard by this reviewer. She presents an interesting personality and played a heavy program, demanding physique as well as artistry to completely fulfill anticipations of critical auditors, and it may be said her work was indicative of smooth and clean technic, and her tone production and delivery are always effected with aplomb. Many things in her equipment were praiseworthy from the standpoint of artistry; her sense of light and shade predominated happily in the interpretations heard.
Civic Orchestra’s Program.
Orchestra Hall was packed Sunday afternoon, February 19, to attest again the pleasure derived in listening to the Civic Orchestra which has become a delight to look forward to. This reviewer was only enabled to hear the last half of its program—“Peer Gynt” suite No. 1 op. 46 (Grieg), directed by Dasch, and the last number, symphonic poem, “Les Preludes” (Liszt), directed by Mr. Stock. Four songs were included by the soloist, Zoe Kendall Ames, soprano, who possesses a very effective voice, sympathetic and clear, and sings with taste and good diction. She imparted much pleasure to her audience.
It is remarkable how this young orchestra has advanced since its organization under the direction of Frederick Stock and his able assistants, and all succeeding concerts will develop still greater surprises. Certainly the closing number of this appearance did register surprises and great pleasure.
Young Artist Makes Fine Debut.
Frederick Dixon, pianist, an artist-pupil of Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, made his debut under F. Wight Neumann, at the Cort Theater, Sunday afternoon, February 19, before a large audience which became very demonstrative and justly so, as he disclosed a pleasing personality and a masterly style. He played with splendid manipulation and clear and clean technic. The only two numbers heard by this reviewer—andante in F (Beethoven) and sonata, op. 59
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Chicago, 111., February 25, 1922.—What was announced as his “farewell” concert for a while was presented by Leopold Godowsky Sunday afternoon, February 19, at the Stude-baker Theater, before a large host of Godowsky followers. That part of the program which this writer heard comprised the twenty-four Chopin preludes, Ravel’s “Jeux d’Eau,” Debussy’s “Reflets dans l’Eau,” Liadow’s “Berceuse,” Scriabine’s F sharp poem, Godowsky’s arrangement of Hen-selt’s “If I Were a Bird” and his symphonic metamorphoses on “Kunsterleben” of Johann Strauss. It is needless to add that they were all superbly done by this master pianist, whose every recital is a piano lesson in itself, and who leads the way while others follow. Godowsky has often been called the “musicians’ pianist,” for his audiences comprise mostly professional musicians and piano students, who derive much of benefit from listening to this superman. He had programmed also on this occasion the Schumann C major fantasie and the Brahms E flat rhapsody, making his program a lengthy one, and yet the listeners were not satisfied and demanded many extras at the close. At his last few Chicago recitals Godowsky has been unfortunate in his surroundings: as inappropriate stage settings of a musical comedy such as the one on this occasion, when the piano was placed in the center of the garden of some summer resort hotel off the Southern California coast, seems to be bringing the sublime to the ridiculous or vice versa. Such disregard for proper surroundings reflects poor management, which seems to be the case in this event, or perhaps this matter is of small regard in the eyes of a novice in the game who perhaps will learn by bitter experience the secret of managerial success.
The London String Quartet.
Appreciating the value of the London String Quartet, Rachel Busey Kinsolving brought it back here Sunday afternoon at the Blackstone Theater, where a goodly audience listened reverently to the program offered. More exquisite or more perfect ensemble playing than was put into the Beethoven F minor quartet could not be imagined, and the same can be said of the Warner “Pixey-Ring” fairy suite. This last number, written by the viola player of the quartet, is humorous and interesting, but offers little of musical value. The program wound up with Dvorak’s quartet in F. The auditors left no doubt as to their enjoyment and delight.
A Joint Recital at the Playhouse.
A joint recital at the Playhouse on the same Sunday afternoon enlisted the services of Ethel Jones, mezzo and
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