MUSICAL COURIER
May 25, 19 2 2
MORE THAN A CRITICISM
A MESSAGE
TO AMERICAN MUSIC LOVERS
FROM HERMAN DEVRIES IN THE
CHICAGO AMERICAN
March 20, 1922
SUE HARVARD Proves Self Artist of First Rank
ME TO RENEW THE PANEGYRIC DUE THE TALENT AND THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE AMERICAN SINGER, WHOSE STAR, IF NOT HIGH IN THE HEAVENS, IS CERTAINLY IN THE ASCENDANT ONCE REPEAT> ALTHOUGH THERE IS a PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS IN OUR LEADING OPERA HOUSES, NOT BY ANY MEANS IS JUSTICE DONE TO NATIVES.
i3rAITS>i^VA^ERY WELE TO IMPORT ARTISTS WHEN NATIVE-BORN MATERIAL IS INSUFFICIENT OR
™״D<fQUATE' IT IS ALSO comprehensible to desire thoroughly experienced singers
FOR STELLAR ROLES. BUT WHEN WE WITNESS EXTREMELY POOR PERFORMANCES BY MEDIOCRE PEOPALE IMPORTED NO ONE KNOWS WHY; EXECRABLE KATE PINKERTONS, WHEEZY SHE№ERd1 IN TANNJJAUSER, AND ASTHMATIC HIGH-PRIESTESSES IN AIDA, IT IS TIME TO PROTEST THAT OUR
™™■Sd talent7■ engaged for ™ese minor roles- an excellent ™L™ng ?or
nflDiLArl°״NISHING GIFT IS THE FACULTY WITH WHICH AMERICANS MASTER THE DICTION nTFTRS	T1i?AriGUES■ WHAT EUROPEAN SINGER COULD LEARN TO SING OPERA IN ENGLISH AS
OUR PEOPLE LEARN FRENCH, ITALIAN AND GERMAN OPERA?
OF	TEST’ BUT 80 FAR’ FEW HAVE GIVEN CONVINCING PROOF
HARVARlT’ AFTER THIS PARDONABLE EDITORIAL PROLOGUE, TO YESTERDAY AND TO MISS SUE
E*ERE JS AN AMERICAN SINGER WORTHY A PLACE ON ANY METROPOLITAN STAGE. SHE IS A FIRST-RAALA.RilSi• ™E VOICE, A CLEAR, LOVELY SOPRANO, IS SYMPATHETIC, MODULATED, TASTE-PULL1 PRODUCED WITH ABSOLUTE FREEDOM, SHADED WITH EXQUISITE REFINEMENT.
SSLTSTii״ JSt REAUTIFULLY POLISHED, THAT OF THE HIGHLY-CULTIVATED INDIVIDUAL TO ™F°ETRY IS MORE THAN VERSE. HER MUSICIANSHIP IS SIMILAR TO THE REST OF HER GIFTS
FLAWLESS, HANDLING THE DIFFICULT UNACCOMPANIED “SONG OF THE BRIDE”
SAKOFF’ WITHOUT A SINGLE DEVIATION FROM THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH OF 1ONAL RECTITUDE.
THE RECITAL °E HER QUALITIES ARE MISS HARVARD’S FINE SIMPLICITY AND xS^ EXAMPLE OF THE SUPERLATIVE TYPE OF AMERICAN SINGER, A TALENT THAT DOES NOT NEED THE FOREIGN LABEL.
Twn0i2^DcoTvS?cGi?T THAT OTHER CONCERTS TOOK ME AWAY, SO THAT I COULD HEAR ONLY TWO GRIEG SONGS AND HUMMEL’S “HALLELUJAH,” BESIDES THE RIMSKY-KORSAKOFF.
MISS HARVARD IS UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF
CHARLES DRAKE
507 Fifth Avenue, New York