May 25, 1922
MUS IC AL COURIER
36
that in the fall, either the end of October or the first of November, a musicianship lesson will be given to raw material—any person between the ages of seven and fifteen— who knows nothing about music except what he or she receives in the public schools. Beginning in the fall, Mrs. Perfield also announced, she will have a class for work in harmony, scales and ear work. Arrangements are on foot for the establishment of a school on West End avenue and Eighty-fifth street, of which Mrs. Edith Beardsley is the executive head; a more detailed account of this will be given later.
RUSSIAN SYMPHONY SUES FOR $37,500
William Boyce Thompson, of Yonkers and New York City, was named defendant in a suit for $37,500, begun last week by the Russian Symphony Society. The complaint sets forth that in August, 1918, the defendant—this upon information and belief—assumed the duties of president and guarantor of the plaintiff, of which Boris A. Bakhmeteff, “then the Russian Ambassador,” became honorary president, Percy Rockefeller vice-president and Margaret Wood-row Wilson chairman of the ladies’ committee, Modest Altschuler being re-engaged as conductor.
It is further alleged that the defendant requested the plaintiff to continue its concert season throughout the concert period of the season of 1918-1919, to conduct a series of high class orchestral concerts, to engage an orchestra of fifty artists, and give concerts throughout the United States, agreeing thereupon “to pay $60,000 when called upon to enable the plaintiff to carry out such undertakings.”
The plaintiff, claiming to have incurred large indebtedness in the fulfillment of the request aforesaid, sets forth that $22,500 was paid upon demand and that $37,500 remains unpaid.
MUSICAL COURIER READERS
Boguslawski’s Teachers
Chicago, May 16, 1922.
To the EditorThe Musical Courier :
!
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In a March issue of your valued paper you published my picture together with a list of some of my former pupils who have succeeded in their profession. This list included the name of Moses Boguslawski, a teacher at the Chicago Musical College, who, despite the handicap of a training secured entirely in Chicago, has attracted much favorable attention by appearing in the important moving picture theaters of the city as a Russian pianist. In a later issue of your paper you published Mr. Boguslawski’s picture, this time adding the information that he was a pupil of the distinguished conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Rudolph Ganz. This seeming contradiction I now desire to explain.
At an early age Mr. Boguslawski was enrolled as a student in the classes of Winnifred Lamb at the Columbia School of Music. His period of study there was brief and his next teacher was Elizabeth Saviers, of the Chicago Musical College faculty. At that institution, as at the first school he favored, Mr. Boguslawski enjoyed a scholarship. Presently he graduated into the classes of Mr. Ganz, then one of the directors of the piano faculty of the Chicago Musical College. In 1906 Mr. Ganz left Chicago for Berlin and Mr. Boguslawski transferred his patronage to my studio, still without offering or without being asked to make any payment for the instruction
received.
Mr. Boguslawski continued his studies with me until 1908. I felt then that he was sufficiently advanced to take the direction of the piano department at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music, for which important place I was asked to make nomination by the president, J. A. Cowan. Here he began a career which has been increasingly prosperous and distinguished.
For this career it has never been my ambition to claim full responsibility. A great Russian diplomat, Count Wes-salitzsky, once defined a lie as “withholding the truth where it is due,” and I have no desire to stand in an equivocal position toward Mr. Boguslawski’s other admirable teachers ; the less so since they, like myself, must seek such reward as they may hope to receive for the lessons given Mr. Boguslawski by the credit which his mature art reflects upon their teaching; for none of them was paid for their time spent in training him.
But for some time rumors have come to my ears that Mr. Boguslawski feels called upon to deny the two years and the two subsequent summers that he spent under my artistic guidance. These rumors are strengthened and confirmed by your publication of his picture with the accompanying legend before mentioned. I, therefore, send you letters from two disinterested musicians of irreproachable reputation—Arthur Olaf Andersen and Marx E. Oberndorfer, both of Chicago—who testify as follows regarding Mr. Boguslawski’s study with me.
Mr. Anderson writes:	“My dear Mr. Gunn:	I can
state that in the summer of 1909 I witnessed several lessons which you gave Moses Boguslawski, whom I met in your studio and was introduced to as your pupil and whom you also presented at a recital of the Society of American Musicians where he made a decided hit and which was the launching of his present career.”
(Signed) Arthur Olaf Andersen.
Mr. Oberndorfer writes:	“My dear friend Gunn:	In
a March issue of the Musical Courier I saw a picture of Moses Boguslawski and I was amazed to read that in speaking of his former teachers he did not give credit to you for what you have done for him ... I remember very distinctly a few }'ears back when you called me into your studio and, with pride, asked me to listen to the playing of one of your pupils; and your pupil was fulsome ¡n his praise of you; and this same pupil was Boguslawski. .	.	. Instances of this sort make it very
difficult for those of us who try to show an interest in our pupils which is not only a matter of dollars and cents.” (Signed) Marx E. Oberndorfer.
Your Chicago representative has seen the originals of these letters.	Yours very truly,
(Signed) Glenn Dillard Gunn.
BOSTON CONSERVATORY CLOSES YEAR
WITH AN INTERESTING RECITAL
Record Enrollment for Next Year—Laura Littlefield at “Pops”—Heinrich Gebhard Active
devotioh to high ethical and artistic ideals are gaining for the conservatory an enviable reputation. The natural reaction is seen in the rapid growth of the school—indeed, so many applications have already been received for admission in the fall that it will be necessary to put a limit on the enrollment unless additional accommodations can be obtained.
Laura Littlefield Soloist at “Pops.”
Laura Littlefield, well known soprano, was the soloist at the “Pops” Tuesday evening, singing an air from “Aida” with her customary skill and taste. The occasion was “Rad-cliffe Night,” and the singer, being a Radcliffe alumna, put a special verve and enthusiasm into her interpretation which won her tremendous applause. It is interesting to note that this was Mrs. Littlefield’s twelfth appearance this season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Choral Society of the college sang a few pieces, under the able leadership of Dr. Archibald T. Davison.
Other special nights were “Wagner Night” on Wednesday, and “City Club Night” on Thursday. Attendance figures of the week surpassed those of any single week last season—thanks to the justly celebrated abilities of Agide Jacchia as conductor and to the band of virtuosi which he directs.
Heinrich Gebhard’s Late Season Activities.
Heinrich Gebhard, the admirable pianist, has been obliged to prolong his season’s work, due to the continued demand for his appearance as a soloist. Thus, he gave a recital on April 26 before the Dorchester Community Club at the Dorchester High School, winning his usual success. On May 2 Mr. Gebhard joined forces with Messrs. Burgin and Bedetti, of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for a chamber music concert at the Copley-Plaza, and two days later gave a second recital at the Cambridge Musical Club before a distinguished audience. Those who are familiar with Mr. Gebhard’s qualities as artist and personality are not surprised at the noteworthy success which he has had during the past few seasons as soloist with the leading orchestras, as recitalist and in chamber music concerts.	J. C.
Musicianship Recital Given by Perfield Pupils
An interesting musicianship recital, which proved also to be of great educational value, was given by 100 pupils, conducted by Effa Ellis Perfield. at the Hotel Astor, on Saturday afternoon, May 20. The large ballroom was well filled with teachers, mothers and children, and the instructive program (in which even the lay musician could not help being interested) was lengthy but never boresome. Mrs. Perfield opened with a short talk on “Musical Pedagogy.” Mrs. Perfield’s brilliancy has long been an established fact; she is always able to back up her remarks or arguments, and in the case of being questioned in the past by “doubting Thomases,” she has always stood her ground firmly and yet charmingly. Saturday she made a great appeal to the little tots, although she turned over the stage from the beginning, for a while, to one of her teachers, Ruth Julien Kennard, who did some clever exercises in ear, eye and touch work with the little adopted son of Nora Bayes, the actress. Little Norman is about four, but he was alert and able when it came to telling the different bird calls as played on the piano and indicating the rhythm with chalk marks on the blackboard. He was followed by Sonia, who went to the piano and played a Russian and a Chinese folk song. Mrs. Perfield announced in connection with this that a pupil after studying five months knew thirty pieces by heart.
Part II of the program was devoted to the advanced class, one of the tests being to write A in twelve chords. And while that was being done another little pupil was called to the piano to play a tarantella. It seemed a mere nothing for the older children to write all kinds of chords, and one of them, Gloria Hardy, of the Scoville School, went to the piano and played them correctly. Space does not permit a lengthy report of the activities of the afternoon, but the subjects touched upon during the recital follow :	Sight reading, sight singing, rhythm, harmony,
scales, dictation, modulation, speech, melody and original verses. Group three was devoted to the adults, and the final part of the program consisted of the presentation of certificates of promotion.
Before the close of the program, Mrs. Perfield announced
Boston, Mass., May 27.—The final students’ recital for this year at the Boston Conservatory of Music was given on May 14 before a large audience, far exceeding the accommodations of the school. The program of twenty-eight numbers, which is given below, represented various departments of the conservatory and was replete with interest, not only disclosing much ability on the part of the students, but also reflecting great credit on the careful and intelligent instruction they have received. This was the program: Prelude and fugue in D minor, Bach (Catherine Carver) ; “Daddy's Sweetheart,” Lehmann (Frances Aldrich) ; etude Mignonne in B minor, Schuett (Minnie Simon) ; mazurka, d'Agostino (Harold Doyle) ; "Au Matin,” Godard (Mildred McCarthy) ; “II Bacio,” Arditi (Martha Furvell) ; sara-bande and minuet, Bach (Gertrude Albinsky) ; romanza in E flat major, Beethoven (Clifford Ferguson) ; “Meditation,” Godowsky (Anna Weinberg, Matilda Blumenthal) ; “The Spring,” Tosti (Juliette McCarthy) ; prelude, Perabo (Helen Chapman) ; “Pace, Pace Mio Dio,” Verdi (Magn-hild Kildahl) ; impromptu in E flat major, Schubert (Marie Smith) ; “Clavelitos,” Valverde (Clara Rivelli) ; “Etin-celles,” Moszkowsky (Frances Edwards) ; “Liebeslied,” Kreisler (Charles Ezekian) ; “Witches’ Dance,” MacDowell (Mildred Berman) ; “To the Birds,” Hue (Florence Crowell) ; “Venetian Boat Song,” Mendelssohn (Hilda Templeton) ; concertino, Weber (Bruce Kress) ; romance in F
LAURA LITTLEFIELD,
soprano.
sharp major, Schumann (Asher Shuffer) ; “O Paradis Sorti di L’ondc,” ¡Meyerbeer (Joseph Antonelli) : interlude, Royce (Rufus Thompson) ; “Ritorna Vincitor,” Verdi (Iride Pilla) ; exercise, Godowsky (Cyrus Ullian. Leon Tumar-kin) ; prelude and fugue in C major, Bach (Mabel Derry) ; "Summer Night,” Brunner (Anne de Guichard, Harold Doyle, Mario Gulizia, Juliette McCarthy, Mildred McCarthy, Joseph Parlato) ; Caprice Bourlesque, Gabrilowitsch (Robert Childe).
The conservatory will be in session uninterruptedly through the summer, when, with very few exceptions, the same instructors will be available as in the regular school terms. Hans Ebell will direct the pianoforte department, with Clementine Miller and Cyrus Ullilan as his assistants. Vocal instruction is directed by Alfred R. Frank, the teachers being Mr. Frank, Ester Ferrabini, Jessie P. Drew and Rodolfo Fornari. The instruction in the various instrumental departments will also continue unchanged. Irma Sey-del will have the solfeggio work, and Warren Storey Smith joins the faculty as an instructor in theory and harmony with the opening of the summer session.
Agide Jacchia, the founder and director of the conservatory, may well feel a just pride in his faculty and should also find much personal gratification in realizing that his own musical and administrative genius and his indefatigable
CHICAGO OPERA OFF FOR EUROPE
The steamship “Colombo” sailed for Naples and Genoa on May 18, taking four prominent members of the Chicago Opera, all of ■whom, incidentally, ■will be with the reorganized company next season. They are (left to right) : Giacomo Rimini, Rosa Raisa, Edith Mason and Giorgio Polacco.