May 4, 1922
CANANDAIGUA FESTIVAL
The Canandaigua Choral Club is holding weekly rehearsals for its annual May Festival to be given at The Playhouse, on Tuesday, May 23. Its new conductor, Jay Mark Ward, of Rochester, is doing much to promote musical interest and betterment in the city. The organization boasts of many singers of accomplishment and has a well-balanced chorus of nearly 100 voices. The principal study this season has been “Athalie,” by Mendelssohn, which will be given at the evening performance. The engagement of Bertha Poindexter Eldridge, of Rochester, as dramatic reader will have the advantage of a wider appreciation of the tragedy. The soloists will be Edith Baxter Harper, soprano, and Alice Louise Mer-tens, contralto, both of New York, and Rae Potter Roberts, mezzo soprano, of the quartet of the Eastman School at Rochester. The afternoon program will include “Harrying Chorus,” from the Plymouth Tercentenary Pageant, by Edgar Stillman Kelley; “Great Is Jehovah,” by Schubert; Chaminade’s “Scarf Dance,” arranged by Charles Gilbert Spross for women’s voices, as well as individual choruses from “The Messiah,” by Handel, and “Elijah,” by Mendelssohn. The soloists engaged for the production of “Athalie” will also appear in groups of songs at the afternoon performance.
Both performances will have the tonal background of piano and organ accompaniments. The club has its own excellent accompanists, Bertha Wheaton Mac-Farlane and Gertrude Hall Masten. The club also has the active support of Mayor William J. Mac-Farlane and Lulu M. Curtis, supervisor of music in the schools, as well as choir leaders and music teachers. Officers are Rodney W. Pease, president; Lulu M. Curtis and Gordon L. Holcomb, vice-presidents; Mrs. Thomas C. Bradley, secretary; Charles W. Anderson, treasurer, and William Finnick, librarian.
M. P. B.
delightful. But it is altogether too long-drawn-out, and needs to be cut before it will succeed in America.
The First “Boris.”
“Boris Godonouff” was presented last week for the first time with Stalewski, the Russian baritone, in the title role. This was a splendid performance in every way, and the efforts (histrionic as well as vocal) of the star made it a great work. One is so moved by the Russian’s ability as an actor that it is hard to gauge his real merit as a singer. But he is a mighty artist and the performance was altogether satisfactory. The part of Boris overshadows all others, but it must be said that the entire presentation was wholly adequate, its details having been worked out with minute care.
“Glauco” is yet to be given its premier, and several stars well known in America have been announced to sing later in the season.
While the average Neapolitan opera-goer admits disappointment in the season, it must be admitted that he enjoys his music in a way that the average American does not. We are spoiled with the nightly changes at the Metropolitan and at the Auditorium, where variety seems necessary to enjoyment, while Italians can hear the same operas over and over again, with pleasure. Their judgment is that the San Carlo season has been good, and it is their judgment that really counts rather than the opinion of chance visitors who may be touring Italy and who drop in at the opera to pass the evening.
Myrna Sharlow and Edward B. Hitchcock.
Vanderpool Songs Appeal to Latins
The popularity of the Vanderpool songs with the Italian contingent in the opera companies continues to grow. Recently Martinelli of the Metropolitan presented a group of three Vanderpool songs in a series of programs, and it is well known that Alessandro Bonci sang two Vanderpool songs on all his programs during his last tour of the country. The most recent recruit to the Vanderpool admirers is Gaetano Viviano, formerly of Chicago, and now with the San Carlo Opera Company—a beautiful voice—and he has selected as two of the English songs best fitted for showing his voice Vanderpool’s “Regret” and “The Heart Call.” He sang them on March 21 in a program in Newark, at which time two of the other artists on the program were Crimi and Carrara, both of whom have, in the past, used Vanderpool songs themselves. Neither of them, however, had used these two particular numbers, but so impressed were they by them that they especially asked about them and where to get them. That the Italians, who are lovers of the best in music and of pure and fine melodic line, have decided to pick out Vanderpool songs for their English programs is distinctly an evidence of the value of his songs.
Florio Artist-Pupils Heard
Rachel Allabach, the young, gifted Toledo soprano, appeared at a twilight concert on Easter Sunday at the Glen-wood Lutheran Church, Toledo, before an audience which filled the great edifice from floor to topmost gallery. Miss Allabach possesses a beautiful soprano voice, which at the same time is powerful and sweet. Her voice has seldom been heard to better advantage than it was upon this occasion. Her phrasing and clearness of diction is remarkable as exhibited in the solo of “Come See the Place Where Jesus Lay,” by Homer Bartlett.
Another fine artist who appeared on the same program was Paul R. Geddes, baritone, whose offering was “O Lord Most Holy,” by Cesar Franck. In this solo Mr. Geddes displayed a lovely baritone voice and good diction which won the audience at once. These two delightful artists are both artist-pupils of Prof. M. E. Florio, well known teacher of New York, who it as present teaching in Toledo, Ohio.
A special dedicatory anthem, “Praise Ye the Lord,” composed by Prof. M. E. Florio and dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Allabach, was sung for the first time upon this occasion. The solo parts were sung by Rachel Allabach.
14	MUSIC AL COURIER
OPENING OF SAN CARLO OPERA SEASON
IN NAPLES, ITALY, PROVES FIASCO
“La Walkiria” the Initial Presentation, but Orchestra Obliged to Stop When Tenor Becomes Confused—De Muro Makes Fine Naples Debut—Mascagni and His “Piccolo Marat”—The First “Boris”
for the tenor! For the next presentation of “La Walkiria,” Vaccari sang Siegmund, and sang it well enough. Span¡ sang Sieglinda, Kaftal was the Brunnhilde, and Baratto made a splendid Wotan.
De Muro’s Naples Debut.
Bernardo De Muro, acclaimed as one of the greatest Italian tenors “after Caruso,” made his Naples debut in “Andrea Chenier.” He delighted his audiences and enjoyed a big popular success throughout his stay in Naples. It is true that he has a pleasing quality of tone, but his voice is not large and America would scarcely hail him as the successor to its dead King of Song. His wife sang the Maddalena acceptably.
“The Girl of the Golden West” came next, with an old favorite, Poli-Randaccio as a charming Minnie. Voltolini sang the Jack Johnson role. As to business, scenery and costuming, Puccini’s opera was as well presented as it has ever been in America, and it was satisfactorily sung.
Last season Marguerite Sheridan (an Irish-American girl) achieved a personal triumph at the San Carlo in “Madame Butterfly,” and her presentation of “La Wally” was eagerly anticipated. But she failed to maintain her standard and after two presentations she was succeeded by the ever-ready Spani. This singer has been heard in every opera except “Andrea Chenier” and “The Girl,” to the apparent satisfaction of the Neapolitans. She has a good voice. But it was startling to read the laudatory notice given her by the music critic of one of our midwest papers who has been over here this year, in which he compared her San-tuzza with Rosa Raisa’s singing of the same role! The two singers are not in the same class.
Physical Exercise.
“Cavalleria Rusticana” and “La Boheme” are frequently presented, and the “Excelsior” ballet is always given with each of these operas, to carry the program on beyond midnight. Span¡ has sung in each, but recently Gargiullo has been doing Mimi with much more finesse and charm. A word about the ballet: It is a notorious fact that the Neapolitans are not athletically inclined. But it is evident that several hundred of them take their physical exercise in the “Excelsior” ballet two or three times a week. The “dancing” and the music both must remind Americans of the spectacles which our big circuses at home have incorporated during the last few years. There were frequent and lightning changes of costume, and the whole effect was super-dazzling. In the words of the poet—it was pretty, but was it art ?
Mascagni and His “Piccolo Marat.”
Pietro Mascagni has been in Naples for the production of his newest opera, “II Piccolo Marat,” which has been probably the foremost accomplishment of the season. La-zaro, the Spanish tenor, was first heard in the title role, and he acted and sang well. For the final performances, Ettore Bergamaschi sang this part quite as acceptably. He not only has a beautiful voice, but is also endowed with a charming personality and has great ability as an actor. It is promised that he will sing in “I Pagliacci” before the season ends, and that will surely be worth while. Irma Vigano sang acceptably the Mariella at every presentation. Luciano Donaggio made a splendid L’orco, and Giovanni Baratto got all that was possible out of the role of II Soldato. The score has some truly exquisite moments, and orchestrally it is
[This letter from Naples was written specially for the Musical Courier by Myrna Sharlow and her husband, Edward B. Hitchcock. Mrs. Hitchcock, it will be recalled, was before her marriage one of the sopranos of the Chicago Opera Association for several seasons. She was married to Mr. Hitchcock in Italy last summer and they have spent the winter in their villa on the Island of Capri,'just across the bay from Naples.—Editor’s Note.]
Naples, Italy, March 21.—The San Carlo grand opera season at Naples began in December and has been running now for three months. Thus far it has scarcely come up to expectations, save in spots, but better things are promised before the season ends. Eight operas have been presented, beginning with “La Walkiria” (Wagner’s “Valkyrie” in Italian). The other offerings have been “Andrea Chenier,” “La Fanciulla del West,” “La Wally,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “La Boheme,” “II Piccolo Marat” and “Boris God-onuff.”
Opening a Fiasco.
The opening performance was a fiasco and Naples is still talking about it. “La Walkiria” was for some unknown reason selected for the initial presentation. It was a gala night. The six tiers of golden boxes were filled with the socially and musically elect of southern Italy—more than two thou: sand of them, arrayed in their best. Edoardo Mascherom was at the conductor’s desk. The great curtains were swept aside, Hunding’s forest dwelling was revealed, and Wagner’s ponderously elaborate melange commenced. Very early it was evident that the tenor singing Siegmund was not adequate to the occasion. But the capable conductor struggled bravely on. Suddenly the tenor spoke across the footlights to Mascheroni, thus: “We do not seem to be together!”— a fact that had been quite evident to all present. A perfect storm of hisses from the outraged audience ensued, and Mascheroni stopped the orchestra. It was thumbs down
HOLLANDSGHE GONCERTDIRECTIE
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GOLDINA DeWOLF LEWIS
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