MUSI C A L COURIER
April 27, 1922
52
The American Music Guild Formed
Nine musicians, who are representative American composers and whose compositions have received praise everywhere, have formed what will be known as the American Music Guild, The personnel includes Marion Bauer, Louis Gruenberg, Frederick Jacobi, Sandor Harmati, Charles Hau biel, A. Walter Kramer, Harold Morris, Albert Stoessel and Deems Taylor. This little group of earnest workers has organized for the purpose of furthering interest in American music. They intend to perform publicly the compositions not only of its members, but also of other representative American composers.
Two concerts were originally planned, one being given on April 22 and the second one to take place April 29 at the MacDowell Gallery, 108 West Fifty-fifth street, New York City. Each of the nine composers comprising the guild was represented on the first program. It opened with the sonata in G for violin and piano (three movements), by Albert Stoessel, the composer and Mr. Gruenberg taking part. Then came a group of songs by Frederick Jacobi. The third number included two movements from an unfinished string 'quartet by Sandor Harmati, the Lenox String Quartet playing the number. Louis Gruenberg’s concerto for piano, in one movement, then had its first hearing, with Harold Morris at the second piano.
The program which will be offered on April 29 opens with a sonata for violin and piano in G minor by Marion Bauer; this will be the first public hearing of this work. The second number contains part songs for women’s voices, by Charles Haubiel, A Walter Kramer and Deems Taylor. At this writing the soloists have not yet been selected. The program will end with the trio, in one movement, by Harold Morris; this is also a first public performance.
This movement is to be highly commended, as it is a most worthy cause and sponsored by such earnest and representative musicians that it should succeed and prove to be a factor in the advancement of American music.
Opera Glasses at Fontainebleau
Walter Damrosch, through whose instigation Francis Casadesus and Maurice Fragnaud founded the Fontainebleau School of Music, offering summer courses for American students, announces the inauguration of an opera class as a new feature of next summer’s session. For this purpose the little theater built by Napoleon III for private performances will be put into condition for the opening of the new class, June 25, to be used by the opera students for their lessons in diction and dramatic action.
The charge for the opera class will be 1,200 francs a month, including tuition, board and lodging in the wing of the Fontainebleau Palace, in which the French Government has made the necessary alterations for the reception of the American students. Mr. Damrosch said that the American Committee has made further improvements in the way of additional practice rooms and bathrooms.
The classes for opera, which will be made a specialty of the next summer season, are intended for such advanced vocal students and teachers as have already acquired the technic of singing, although, Mr. Damrosch said, no previous experience in acting is required.
Admission to the new opera class is insured on the recommendation of any member of the Musical Advisory Committee. New England students may apply to Prof. George W. Chadwick, of the New England Conservatory of Music, or to Prof. Walter R. Spalding, of Harvard University; students from the Baltimore district may apply to Harold Randolph, of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and New York students to Frank Rogers, to Walter Damrosch, or to the president of the American Committee, Mrs. George Montgomery Tuttle.
Louis Stillman Pupils’ Recital
Students and artist-students of Louis S. Stillman gave a sonata recital at Stuyvesant Hall, Wednesday evening, April 5. Sonatas by Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Chopin and MacDowell were given both by the younger students and the more advanced ones in a manner which revealed thorough training. All gave a creditable performance, their clear cut technic being especially noticeable. The artist students displayed sound musicianship in their interpretations. Mr. Stillman preceded many of the numbers with appropriate remarks. Those appearing on the program were Edith Schiller (Beethoven G major sonata, first movement), Beulah Kassel (Mozart C major, first movement), Alice Stern (Mozart C major, second and third movements), Rose Meltzer (Haydn D major, first movement), Helen Goell (Beethoven F minor, first movement), Anna Miller (Mozart A major), Millicent Perskin (Beethoven E major), Cecelia Quartararo (Beethoven C minor), Constance Weaver (Beethoven A major), Frank Gaebelein (Chopin B flat minor and C sharp minor scherzos), Rita Maginot (MacDowell’s “Eroica” sonata) and Frank Sheridan (Chopin B minor sonata). Dorothy Dreyfus sang a group of songs between the two parts of the program. A large audience attended the recital.
Courboin Organ Recital at Wanamaker’s
Charles M. Courboin, the Belgian organist, gave the tenth and last recital of a series on the new concert organ at the Wanamaker Auditorium, Saturday afternoon, April 15. In this series the audiences have approximated thirteen thousand persons. Mr. Courboin has performed some ninety compositions, ranging from classics to modern compositions. The large auditorium was filled by a responsive audience which appreciated the beautiful Easter program.
Mr. Courboin is a genuine artist and displays the possibilities of the instrument to the full. This particular instrument is equipped with unique features which allow an unusual range of nuance and expressiveness, and Mr. Courboin shows individuality in his effective and varied registrations. There is depth, dignity and sincerity to his interpretations.
His program comprised “Lamentation,” Guilmant; duetto, from second sonata, Don Pagelio; “Christus Res-surexit,” Oreste Ravenello; theme and variations in A flat, Adolf Hesse; “Easter Flowers,” Alphonse Mailly; “Minuet,” “Bouree,” and “Hallelujah Chorus” (from “The Messiah”); Handel. All were rendered with beautiful tone color, a wealth of expression and admirable technic.
took place at the Lyric, March 30. George C. Krieger, tenor, was the hit of the concert. His sweet, pure, high voice was heard to advantage in Delibes’ air from “Lakme” and three songs—“Floods of Spring” by Rachmaninoff, “Last Hourt,” by Kramer, and “Song of the Open,” by La Forge. In all of these he showed good musical taste and refinement. He is a young man with a bright future before him. Evelyn Hansen, pianist, was heard in two groups. The Thursday Musical Choral Club, directed by Hal Woodruff, was also a brilliant success. Frances Vincent Coveny, Mrs. O. W. Brastad and Florence Wickman furnished enjoyable trios and solos with the club. R. A.
Jollif Has Busy Holy Week
Holy Week was a busy time for Norman Jollif, baritone. On Wednesday he sang the Bach “St. Matthew Passion” at St. Bartholomew’s Church and on Thursday was soloist for the Scottish Rite Masons at the Manhattan Opera House. On Good Friday afternoon he sang Dubois’ “Seven Last Words” at the Marble Collegiate Church and in the evening Stainer’s “Crucifixion” at Grace Church, East Orange, Easter Sunday he was soloist with the Boston Handel and Haydn Society in “The Elijah.”
Schumann Heink Cleveland Concert Largest of Year
From indirect־ word received from the local manager who presented Mme. Schumann Heink recently in Cleveland at Masonic Hall, it is learned that her concert there on March 28 was “ the largest held in Masonic Hall this year.” But in a season when record crowds have been the rule from coast to coast for the great contralto, this is not surprising.
Charles Cooper Busy in Concert and Teaching
Among the recent successful appearances of Charles Cooper, pianist, may be mentioned Baltimore, Md., and before the student body of New York City College, N. Y. Everywhere he has been accorded an enthusiastic reception, being obliged to respond to many encores. When not on tour his spare time has been much taken up at his studios, 200 West 55th street, by great demand for instruction from students, teachers and artist pupils.
Illness Causes Reuben Davies to Cancel Dates
Reuben Davies, concert pianist, who v׳as booked for an extended tour this spring with Mme. Schumann Heink, has been obliged to cancel these and other engagements on account of illness. However, he will be ready to resume professional activities in the fall.
New Song by Lily Strickland
G. Schirmer, Inc., has accepted a new song by Lily Strickland, whose “Lindy Lou” has been having such a run this season. It is of the same character as that song with an even more catchy melody and should achieve an equal success.
MINNEAPOLIS APPLAUDS
D’ALVAREZ’S SINGING
Heard in Fine Program with Symphony Orchestra—Selim
Palmgren Soloist at Symphony Concert—Mme. Bailey-Apfelbeck Gives Ten Piano Concertos in Three Evenings—Elsie Jache in Piano Recital
Minneapolis, Minn., April 2.—For the piece de resistance of the concert given by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra at the Auditorium, March 31, .Emil Oberhoffer chose the ever welcome symphony—Tschai-kowsky’s fifth. This is. a magnificent work and the applause was hearty and well deserved. All the multitude of details had been worked out so carefully by-Mr. Oberhoffer that it stands as one of the finest performances ever given by the orchestra. The sadness of most of the themes and the nobleness of them were alike treated with intensity. Hadley’s tone poem, “The Ocean,” was given a reading that brought out all the different moods and effective beauty of this work. George Schumann’s overture, “Springtime of Love,” is a clever composition ־with good orchestral effects. Marguerite D’Alvarez gave a dramatic interpretation of “Voce di Donna” from Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda,” “Agnus Dei,” by Bizet, and two arias from “Carmen.” Her voice is large and beautiful and is handled intelligently. She met with genuine success.
Selim Palmgren Soloist at Symphony Concert.
The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra appeared on March 26 with Selim Palmgren as sploist. Mr. Palmgren gave a first hearing of his own composition, "Metamorphoses,” which is well worth hearing many times. This work gives full sway to the orchestra and is more of a symphony with piano obligato. It has great qualities which will make it live, and Mr. Palmgren gave it a magnificent reading. The orchestra played Alfven’s “Mjdsom-mervaka” with spirit and real understanding. Sibelius' E minor symphony was another work to evoke much enthusiasm and thorough enjoyment. Grieg’s arrangement of two of his songs for string orchestra was effective and remarkably well done. The orchestra plays with fineness. Mme. Bailey-Apfelbeck Plays Ten Piano Concertos.
Ten famous piano concertos presented in three musical evenings by Mme. Bailey-Apfelbeck at Studio Hall have been a great attraction for the public and have created much interest. Mme. Apfelbeck is a splendid artist^ and is eminently successful in her master class at the Minneapolis School of Music.
Elsie Jache Piano Recital.
The Elsie Jache piano recital of March 27 was well attended and enjoyed by all. The ,Beethoven sonata, op. 31, No. 3, was especially well played. Miss Jache brought out the inner thoughts with its romance, wit and jollity. The Brahms waltzes were delightful. Dohnanyi, Liszt and Chopin were all well played and she won a veritable
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The bi-monthly concert of the Thursday Musical Club
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