MUSICAL COURIER
6
March 9, 1922
Grimi Is Enthusiastically Received in Detroit
Detroit, Mich., March 1, 1922.—The long heralded appearance of Giulio Crimi, Metropolitan tenor, took place at Orchestral Hall, February 28, under the auspices of the Detroit Concert Bureau. A fine audience, including many of his countrymen, assembled and listened with every manifestation of delight and satisfaction. Although at the beginning a slight hoarseness was apparent, yet this wore away as the program progressed, and in the last number of the program, an aria from Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” his voice rang out gloriously. Mr. Crimi’s is a splendid organ, warm, vibrant and full of color. His interpreta-
GITJLIO CRIMI,
Metropolitan Opera tenor, who made his first appearance in concert in Detroit on February 28, scored an unqualified success with his large audience and with the press, the reviewer for the Detroit Free Press, Charlotte M. Tarsney, saying in part: “Crimi has a warm, mellow, rich voice ■with something of that odd tonal quality, almost a sob, which made the voice of Caruso unique. It is well handled.” Following this appearance, the tenor had equal success in Memphis, Tenn.
tions are marked by emotionalism and virility. Although he sang with admirable restraint, his work in opera might be readily imagined.
His program opened with an aria, “Una Furtiva La-grima,” by Donizetti. This was followed by a group of unhackneyed numbers—“Perduto ho la Dperanza,” Stephen Donaudy; “Quando ti vidi,” Wolf-Ferrari; “Ay! Ay!” O’Perez; “Torna a Canta,” Curci. These were given with fine feeling and beautiful tonal quality, and after many recalls he sang “O Sole Mio.” His second group included “Oh! Si les Fleurs,” Massenet; “Le Reve,” Massenet; “Life and Death,” Coleridge-Taylor. Encores were given after this and his final number. Frederick Bristol at the piano was a sympathetic acompanist. Mr. Crimi impressed his hearers as being a well equipped concert artist.
With Mr. Crimi was associated Ilya Scholnik, first violinist of the orchestra. Although he has been heard with the orchestra as soloist, this was his first recital appearance and he was given a rousing welcome. His playing is always eminently satisfactory, his tone is clear and accurate, his technic admirable, and his interpretations marked by fine discrimination and musical feeling. His numbers were “Sarabande,” double and bourree, Bach; aria, Pergo-lesi; minuet, Hochstein; scherzo-tarantelle, Wieniawski, and “Souvenir de Moscou,” Wieniawski. He was recalled numerous times and for an encore to his second group played a “Humoresque,” by Victor Kolar. Margaret Manne-bach was the accompanist for Mr. Scholnik. J. M. S.
Ney to Tour South
Elly Ney will be heard in many cities in the next few .weeks. Following another appearance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on February 14 and a recital with Hans Kindl.er at Milwaukee on February 19, Mme. Ney made her second Boston appearance at Symphony Hall on hebruary 25. Beginning at Houston, Tex., on March 3 Mme. Ney will make an extended concert tour of the South
Lhevinne to Play at Ogontz School
A^ recital will be given at the Ogontz School, Ogontz, by Joseph Lhevinne, March 15.
Kotlarsky Brothers Recital March 16
Sergei and Max Kotlarsky, violinist and pianist, will give a joint recital at Aeolian Hall, Thursday evening, March 16 Both artists have appeared.in their own recitals, but this will be the first joint appearance of the brothers.
and mortgages held by the two daughters of Oscar Ham-merstein, the Metropolitan Trust Company and Fortune Gallo.
Lega Musicale Italiana Elects Officers
At the last general election of the Lega Musicale Italiana, Inc., the board of directors for the coming year was elected as follows:	Gennaro Papi, president; Edoardo E. Truco,
first vice-president ; Giovanni Martinelli, treasurer ; Flaminio Pignoloni, secretary; Enrico Barraja, assistant secretary; Leo Stroppiana, financial secretary; F. F. Corradetti, chairman of the meetings ; Eugenio Fusco, assistant chairman ; Beniamino Gigli, Giulio Crimi, Riccardo Stracciar¡, Tito Schipa, Gennaro M. Curci, Edoardo Migliaccio, Giuseppe Bonfiglio, Giovanni Caggiano, Alberto Napoli, Ettore Sam-marco, Salvatore Gentile, Pasquale Margarella, advisers ; Felice Ciampolini, Luigi Trucchi, Renato Crisi, comptrollers.
Gutia Casini at the Metropolitan
Gutia Casini, cellist, has been engaged to appear as soloist at the Metropolitan Opera House concert on the evening of March 12. Prior to this date he will appear in a number of Mid-Western cities. After the Metropolitan concert he will sail for Europe to fill a number of engagements secured for him by his agent on the other side of the water. Mr. Casini will return early in the fall to resume his work under the management of M. H. Hanson.
Mr. Casini, who was introduced to American audiences first when touring with Mme. Sembrich in 1914, and who reaped rich laurels when playing during several seasons in association with Mary Garden and Mme. Alda, is now completing a tour of joint recitals with Marcella Craft and Kathryn Meisle. This tour has brought these artists enthusiastic recognition and a number of re-engagements for next season. He will be heard again in association with Mme. Alda, a great tribute paid to him by this eminently successful and popular diva. At a recital to be given at Aeolian Hall in the early days of December, he will present several important novelties, which he has accepted for first performance in America.
Julia Glass to Give Recital
Julia Glass, the talented young pianist, who appeared last season as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, will g'ive a recital on the afternoon of April 4 in the ballroom of the residence of Adolph Lewisohn. The young artist will have the assistance of Hulda Lashanska and the recital is under the patronage of Mrs. Irving Brokaw, Mrs. Lewis Clarke, Mrs. H. H. Flagler, Mrs. Elbert H. Gary, Mrs._ R. Guggenheimer, Mrs. F. D. Lanier, Mrs. Philip Lewisohn, Mrs. R. Millhiser, Mrs. Benjamin Stern, Mrs. Fred. Steinway, Mrs. Charles Wimpfheimer, Mrs. Samuel Untermyer, Artur Bodanzky, Lewis Clarke, H. H. Flagler, Adolph Lewisohn, Clarence Mackay and James Speyer.
Miss Glass has been studying for the past two years with Alexander Lambert.
M. T. N. A. Ghoses New Officials
At the recent annual meeting of the Music Teachers’ National Association, held at Detroit, the following were elected as officers of the organization for the ensuing year: J. Lawrence Erb, president; Charles H. Farnsworth, vice-president; Robert G. McCutchan, secretary; Waldo S. Pratt, treasurer; Karl W. Gehrkens, editor; Counselors: J. Lawrence Erb, Charles H. Farnsworth, Karl W. Gehrkens, Leon R. Maxwell, Robert G. McCutchan, Waldo S. Pratt; Executive Committee: H. H. Bellamann, William Benbow, Philip G. Clapp, Rossiter G. Cole, George G. Gow, Mariette N. Fitch, Osbourne McConathy, M. L. Swarthout, Francis L. York.
Karle with Cleveland Symphony
Theo Karle will sing “Che gelida manina,” from “La Bohême,” with the Cleveland Orchestra at Dayton, Ohio, on March 13. With Thomas George at the piano, he will also sang a group of songs by Handel, Putti, Gretchaninoff and Holmes.
Mr. Karle has resumed his concert tour, after making a series of new records for the Brunswick Company, and he is scheduled for about twenty concerts in the Middle West within the next month.
No Naughty “Sappho”
Hugo Riesenfeld has been planning to follow the success of the screen operas “Tosca” and “Carmen” with “Sappho,” in connection with a score specially arranged from Massenet’s music. Having the score already and the film carefully re-cut and synchronized, he applied for a license for׳ the film picture—which was made several years ago and exhibited all over the country—and was quite surprised to be refused one by the New York State Board of Censors. There the matter rests at present.
THOMAS WILFRED,
a young Dane, who has caused something of a sensation with the instrument he invented, the Clavilux, or color organ, and which he has been showing for two weeks at the Rivoli Theater. Mr. Wilfred contends he has added a third dimention to the screen, viz: depth. This shows him at the keyboard, where he controls the lights.
Meeting Mengelberg
The first time that the writer met the Dutch guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, was on the dock at Hoboken, when the Ryndam finished its stormiest passage. Waiting on the dock in January for the customs officers to perform their duties is chilly with two l’s, and an optimist in the party suggested that it would be a fine thing to have a drink, regardless of the fact that he possessed no constructive ability to carry out the idea. The suggestion, however, brought a gleam of amusement to Mengelberg’s eyes and he murmured, “Ah, a cocktail 1” This naturally brought up for passing discussion our national institution. Mengelberg, pressed for an expression of opinion, exclaimed, “Amazing!” Feeling, perhaps, that his position as a guest in America did not leave him free to discuss the making of its laws, he made no further comment on the congressional dictum which bans the demon elcohol from the American home. To him it was simply “amazing,” a word which remains unclarified in its application. It may have been a spontaneous tribute to the earnest workers for the welfare of others, who have so successfully made their conscientious beliefs into a nationwide law—or it may not.
At any rate the Amsterdam conductor is more interested in music. than he is in schnapps, although there was not
WILLEM MENGELBERG,
Guest Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
much chance to talk music with him in Hoboken. He was surrounded with trunks, which Dutch porters from the ship, dressed in pink and blue cambric or cotton jackets resembling the northern section of a claw-hammer coat but terminating at the waist in a piquant point at the back, hustled on small trucks and trundled about the dock. Philharmonic representatives, officers of the steamship company and the ship, and the fellow travelers of Mr. Mengelberg altogether formed a party in which it was manifestly impossible for one to have the conductor to himself. A fortnight later, however, he had more time at his disposal and spoke freely on the art which is dearest to him, and of his plans and programs.
One of the delightful characteristics of Mengelberg is his frankness in his appreciation of America in general and New York in particular. Of the Philharmonic Orchestra he declares that it is a “superb body of musicians.” He speaks in the highest terms of Stransky in connection with his work with the orchestra in the earlier part of the season, and of his pleasure in having Mr. Bodanzky as an associate in the concerts which the Philharmonic Society gives at the Metropolitan Opera House.
He was already deep in preparations for the presentation of the third symphony of Gustav Mahler. He is an enthusiast on the subject of Mahler and his compositions, and the fact that Mahler’s works have not been accorded an entirely unanimous cordiality of reception here does not deter him. He is like that. He conducted Strauss when he was here in New York before, at a time when the Strauss vogue was considerably less than it is _ at present. _ That was at his first appearance with the Philharmonic, in November, 1905, when he gave “Ein Heldenleben.”
“I shall introduce two new works of Dutch Composers while I am here in the present season,” he volunteered. “One is by Dopper, his ‘Chaconne Gothica,’ and the other the introduction to ‘The Birds of Aristophanes,’ by Diepen-brock. I will give ‘Heldenleben’ in New York and Brooklyn, and will play it in the only out-of-town Philharmonic concerts which I shall conduct, one in Boston and the other at Yale. And of course the Mahler third symphony, which can only be given here in New York on account of the necessity for the assistance of the singeijs.”
“And what do you think of prohibition?” the inquirer ventured, thinking the conductor might not remember that this had been touched on at the Holland-American dock.
“Amazing,” said Mengelberg.	D. E. P.
Manhattan Opera House Sold at Last
The daily papers on Monday of this week announced that the late Oscar Hammerstein’s Manhattan Opera House, around which so much litigation has centered ever since his death, had finally been sold to the Scottish Rite Masons of New York. As a matter of fact, the deal was not consummated until Tuesday noon, just as the Musical Courier was going to press. It is understood that the Masons will retain the auditorium just as it is, remodeling some of the smaller rooms of the building for club and assembly rooms, etc. At the moment it cannot be definitely stated whether or not the Masons will rent the theater for opera and other large attractions, but the chances are that they will do so. The purchase price was not stated, but it is understood to have been around $750,000, enough to satisfy the claims