NEW YORK, THURSDAY, March 16, 1922.
|V\usical(ovrier
VOL. LXXXIV—No. 11. Whole No. 2188.
CHICAGO’S AUDITORIUM NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD ALL OF GALLI-CURCI’S WINDY CITY ADMIRERS
Famous Diva, in Glorious Voice, Thrills Vast Throng with Her Beautiful Singing—Anita Malkin Wins Public and Critics at Recital—May Peterson Gives Delightful Program and Wins Another Genuine Success—Elizabeth Bonner Also Pleases—Pavley and Oukrainsky Arranging for Great Ballet Program—The Haydn Choral Society Concert—Other Musical News
of her organ, her impeccable diction and intonation, but also by her remarkable phrasing and individual interpretation. Miss Peterson’s visits to Chicago should be more frequent, and her recital will be reckoned one of the events of the present musical season. The singer was ably seconded at the piano by Stuart Ross.
Elizabeth Bonner At Cohan’s Grand.
Cohan’s Grand housed a good sized audience, Sunday afternoon, March S, which listened to a recital by Elizabeth (Continued on page 48.)
Metropolitan to Produce “Cosi Fan Tutte”
The first Metropolitan performance (probably the first in America) of Mozart’s opera-buffa, “Cosi Fan Tutte,” libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, will take place Friday evening, March 24. The cast will be as follows: Fiordiligi, Florence Easton; Dorabella, Frances Peralta; Despina, Lucrezia Bori; Ferrando, George Meader; Guglielmo, Giuseppe De Luca; Don Alfonso, Adamo Didur.
The opera will be conducted by Artur Bodanzky and an orchestra of only twenty-eight men, as called for in the original score, will be used. The entire performance will take place on a. small raised stage constructed within the ordinary stage, the object being to help create that atmosphere of intimacy essential to this work. The scenery and costumes are from sketches by Joseph Urban.
Stokowski Given the “Philadelphia Award”
Philadelphia has a Nobel prize all of its own, the so-called “Philadelphia Award,” a sum of $10,000 donated by Edward W. Bok, editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal, which is to be awarded each year to the person who, in the opinion of the Board of trustees, shall have rendered the most valuable service to the city of Philadelphia during the preceding year. This was the first year of the award, and at special exercises held on Thursday evening, March 9, at the Academy of Music, the prize, $10,000, was bestowed upon Leopold Stokowski, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dr. W. W. Keen, chairman of the Board of Trustees, making the presentation address, to which Mr. Stokowski responded felicitously.
Ivogun Returning Under Wolfsohn Management
On page 56 of last week’s issue, what was intended merely as a statement that Maria Ivogun, the coloratura soprano, who has made such a success here this year, would return next season was, through the accidental substitution of the name of one management for another, made into a complete mis-statement. It is ׳ true that Mme. Ivogun will return next season to follow up the splendid success which she has made this year, and it is also true she will remain under the management of -the Wolfsohn Musical Bureau, which arranged the successful first' season that she is just finishing.
To Mr. and Mrs. Sokoloff a Son
The Cleveland Orchestra has a new conductor, a real conductor, especially remarkable for his vocal talent. He arrived in Cleveland on Washington’s Birthday, which is also his birthday. He has been christened Nikolai Martin Sokoloff, Martin being in honor of Charles Martin Loeffler, who is the baby’s godfather. This is the second child, and also the second son in the Sokoloff family. Congratulations !
Bartik to Handle Destinn Again
Ottokar Bartik, ballet master of the Metropolitan and impresario of distinguished artists, especially those coming from his native country, Czecho-Slovakia, notwithstanding a bad case of laryngitis, telephoned the Musical Courier huskily to say that he will have the management of Emmy Destinn, soprano, again next season. Mme. Destinn has now returned to her castle in Czecho-Slovakia, where she will spend the summer. She has been in America most of the winter, but illness prevented her from .making frequent appearances. Mr. Bartik will shortly be in a position to announce his definite plans for her for the season of 1923-24.
Discoverer of Strauss and Lehar Dead
Vienna, February 28, 1922.—Siegmund Eibenschütz, director of the Vienna Carltheater, who died here January 19 at the age of sixty-five, was the first manager to produce the early works of Lehar, Leo Fall and Oscar Strauss. A native of Budapest, Eibenschütz has directed the theater for over sixteen years. His widow, the former operetta star, Dora Keppline, is taking over the directorship of the institution. Eibenschütz was the brother of Ilona Eibenschütz, the well known pianist, and himself an accomplished musician, having studied with Liszt and Volkmann. P, B.
sonality. She is graceful and, though far advanced musically, still acts as a little girl, unspoiled and enjoyed her own playing as much as her large gathering did. She has a big future before her and is already well worth while hearing.
May Peterson In Recital.
The Musician’s Club of Women’s one hundred and fifty-sixth recital, given at the Blackstone Theater, Monday afternoon, March 6, brought forth May Peterson in a song recital. Beautifully gowned, regal to the eye, Miss Peterson delighted her critical audience with her charming and winning personality even before uttering a single note. In
glorious fettle, she disclosed a voice of good carrying power, superbly handled, in songs of nearly all nationalities, sung in excellent English, French, Italian, German, Swedish and Norwegian. Miss Peterson’s artistry was unfolded all through the course of the program and she made an everlasting impression with her hearers, composed mostly of professional teachers, singers and learned music lovers. Her first group, made up of numbers by Handel, Weckerlin, Salvator Rosa and Bach, showed her a mistress in the difficult art of bel canto. In her second group she was even more effective, and number after number had to be repeated, and at the conclusion of the group, Miss Peterson disclosed another accomplishment—playing her own accompaniment to her encore which was the “The Echo,” which,, she informed her audience, was one of Jenny Lind’s happy numbers. The third group, made up of French songs, was delightful, likewise the last, comprising songs of the English and American literature, in which she left an indelible imprint in the minds of her auditors, not only by the beauty
Chicago, 111., March 11, 1922.—Many recitals took place on Sunday afternoon, March S, but this department of the Musical Courier was so interested in the one given by Amelita Galli-Curci at the Auditorium, and Anita Malkin at Orchestra Hall, that the others were totally ignored by this reporter, and although other reviewers from this office were on hand at the other recitals, space will be utilized chiefly to review the afore-mentioned concerts.
Galli-Curci’s Recital.
The vast Auditorium was riot large enough to accommodate all the admirers of Galli-Curci even though three rows of added stalls had been placed on the main floor, chairs placed in the orchestra pit, five hundred occupied seats crowded the stage to suffocation, and many were turned away unable to gain admission.
The lull in the musical season is only contested by artists who have little drawing power, and Mme. Galli-Curci, in an exclusive interview with the Musical Courier representative, reproduced on another page of this issue, stated that this was the greatest season she has ever had, packed houses having greeted her wherever she has sung, be it in opera or in concert. In glorious voice, she sang all through the course of the afternoon exquisitely, and, although she was only billed to sing twelve songs, she added so many and repeated the great majority so that she gave her admirers three recitals for the price of one. “Three-in-one” could be used as an advertisement for Galli-Curci. Her program was well built and included many arias in which the diva had been heard in this or other communities by this writer. There is only one Galli-Curci and the oftener you hear her, the oftener the truth of that saying is made more forceful by her unique and matchless voice. It was a rare treat to hear her sing her program, as she was from beginning to end at her very best. She was ably supported by her faithful and artistic accompanist, Homer Samuels, who, besides supplying most effective accompaniments, won personal plaudits through his own composition entitled “Pierrot”—a happy addition to the song literature, which was admirably interpreted by the recitalist. Manuel Berenguer, flutist, also added to the enjoyment of the afternoon, playing two solos and an encore, besides giving able assistance to Mme. Galli-Curci in her singing of Benedict’s “The Wren.” Each visit of Mme. Galli-Curci to this city adds to her popularity.
Anita Malkin Heard.
Prodigies among musical children have generally little to recommend them to the musical public. Now and then an exception springs up and to this category must be included Anita Malkin, who, although ten years old, manipulates the violin as many grown-ups would be happy to do.
Heredity may have something to do with it, as her father, is the well known cellist, now principal of that department with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and under whom the young daughter began her studies when only a few years old. It will be remembered that Anita Malkin, when only eight years of age, made her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at a children’s concert. Since then she has appeared several times with that organization, and this was her second recital in the big Orchestra Hall, the concert being under the direction of Wessels &
Voegeli. Young Anita Malkin is a wonder even though as yet her interpretations lack feeling, she has already ideas of her own and is allowed by her teachers to express her own sentiments instead of theirs. Thus, here and there, puerile accents come from her instrument, and although she has not the imagination of an older girl, her interpretative talent was well demonstrated in the Mendelssohn concerto for violin, op. 64. Her intonation is quasi-faultless; her bowing excellent, her stage deportment very much similar to that of Heifetz, her technic accurate and the tone she draws from her violin incredibly pure and big. Besides playing the Mendelssohn concerto with great understanding, she displayed her talent in the Beethoven “Romance in F,” Cartier-Kreis-ler’s “La Chasse,” Bach’s “Chaconne” and Hubay’s “Hejre Kati,” in all of which, with the exception of the “Chaconne,” she was rather poorly supported by Leon Benditzky, whose accompaniments left much to be desired. Miss Malkin was warmly applauded all through the course of the afternoon and the way she acknowledged the applause as well as the floral tributes, which were tendered her over the footlights, delighted her audience, as Miss Malkin has a charming per-
m	HANS HESS, .	jj
H	the prominent cellist, who on his recent tour has stirred his audiences io marked	g
H	enthusiasm and his critics to hearty praise. He has proved the cello to he an	g
j¡	instrument of more varied character and of broader and deeper possibilities than	||
g	are generally credited to it. Through his influence much has been added to the lit-	|j
|	erature of music for the cello, for from his playing a number of composers have	g
H	received the inspiration which has resulted in compositions of considerable merit.	s
¡j	Mr. Hess will hold summer classes in Chicago in the art of cello playing. (Fer־	g
g	uand de Guldre photo, Chicago.)	g
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