55
MUSICAL COURIER
June 8, 1922
In the snapshot to the left Mr. and Mrs. Huss are to he seen on the lower porch of the cottage. The center picture shows some of the beautiful scenery in that section of the country, and in the photograph to the right one corner of the music
room of the Huss cottage is pictured.
In response to insistent encores he gave two improvizations on themes furnished him by the audience. Mr. Huss’ assistant and artist pupil, Ruth Garland, contributed a MSS. berceuse of her own and the A flat ballade of Chopin.
The announcement that Mr. and Mrs. Huss would again hold a summer course of six weeks during July and August for piano and vocal teachers and advanced students has already brought forth many applications, so that the available hours are nearly filled. The students are from professional ranks, heads of conservatories, concert artists and voice teachers.
The Husses will give several recitals this summer for their pupils and friends in their beautiful artistic studio on the splendid 100 acre tract of forest and meadow and garden on the mountainside, which commands panoramic views of this beautiful lake.
The Husses’ Artistic Activities
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Holden Huss are still very busy, especially with their professional pupils. Their successful New York season will end on June 27, when they leave for their lovely Lake George summer home, “Mountain Meadows.”
Their last concert appearance was on May 21, at the Evening Mail concert at the De Witt Clinton High School, when the Huss violin sonata, played by Ruth Kemper and the composer, opened the program. Mrs. Huss was heard in two groups of songs: the first, old English, Spohr and Schumann, and the second consisting of four Huss songs. Mr. Huss, beside Liszt and Chopin selections, gave in his last group six dances, beginning with Bach and Schubert, and ending with several of his own lighter compositions.
AMSTERDAM SEASON CLOSES
WITH BRAHMS FESTIVAL
Bossi’s “Jean d’Arc” Has Dutch Première—Spalding Acclaimed as One of the World’s Greatest Violinists— Friedberg, Pembaur and Szigeti Play—Two Hungarian String Quartets—Milhaud’s “Poems Juifs” Excel in Beauty of Sound
Amsterdam, May IS.—Since the Concertgebouw orchestra closed its brilliant winter season with a Brahms festival under Dr. Muck’s able leadership, regular concerts at popular prices have been held, the programs being more or less repetitions of former ones. However, we must not fail to mention the last concert of the Brahms cycle, at which were performed the fourth symphony and the “Schicksals-Lied” that incomparably beautiful and uplifting work for chorus and orchestra. Dr. Muck, who has made himself more popular than ever here, received an ovation at his last appearance.
Among recent concerts was a presentation of the oratorio “Giovanna d’Arco” by the Italian, Enrico Bossi. This is a work for chorus, children’s chorus, soli and orchestra, and is doubtless of musical worth, although the enormous material needed for its presentation outweighs the effect achieved. Taken all in all, one could not call it a first-class performance, and the absence of Mengelberg’s powerful leadership was obvious. The otherwise excellent choral society “Toonkunst” did not give, under the practised but un-authoritative guidance of Hubert Cuypers, its very best. The work seemed colorless here and there, although its rhythm and melody are pleasing on the whole. The role of Joan of Arc was sung by Mia Peltenburg, whose beautiful voice lacked sufficient dramatic expression, and the other soloists were Jacques Urlus, the famous tenor, Suze Luger, and Janna Bransma.
Spalding Wins Notable Success.
Albert Spalding is always the recipient of a cordial welcome here, being regarded by the critics and public as one of the greatest of living violinists. At the season’s commencement we heard this artist three times here, and now he has returned for two more appearances, the one given over to modern, the other to standard works. His success was enormous and special interest was evinced in the novelties, among them a sonata by John Alden Carpenter, pieces by Castel Nuovo-Tedesco, Boulanger, Dohnányi, a waltz by Chabrier and an adagio by himself. Encores were demanded by an audience which was so under the spell of the incomparable artist that it could hardly let him go. Mr. Spalding’s second program, played a few days later and comprising works by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, was, of course, an even greater ovation.
Carl Friedberg’s art is a thing so individual that his place among master pianists is nothing less than unique. Everything on his program of Easter Monday was given with the glowiqg intensity of an inner fire. From an assortment of Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms, the “Variations on a Theme of Paganini” (twenty-eight of them, if you please) by the last named, easily stood out as a conception of tremendous lines, deep thought and striking orchestral effects. It was quite one of the biggest things, in every sense of the word, which we have ever heard.
Josef Pembaur is a pianist whose interpretations are also of striking originality. This time he evinced it in his joint sonata recital with the violinist Joseph Szigeti. The two artists played three works of Schumann, Mozart and Brahms. The D minor sonata of the latter was a revelation and new ideas poured out upon one like a flood. Mr. Pembaur, it is true, was sometimes so carried away by his lofty convictions that true adherence to perfect ensemble was occasionally left behind. In spite, however, of the visibly different temperaments of the two artists, the evening gave a display of magnificent musicianship. Mr. Szigeti, who is a violinist of superlative excellence, is making his first appearance in America next season.
We have received more than a favorable impression of a young newcomer, Grete Hinterhoher, pianist, from Vienna. Although her audience was a very small one the young lady succeeded in warming the atmosphere with her great virtuosity and fiery temperament. Her program comprised works of Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff.
Plenty of Chamber Music.
Three string quartets have delighted the Amsterdam public of late—the Hungarian (Waldbauer-Kerpêly), the Budapest, and our own Amsterdam String Quartet (Zimmermann, Herbschleb, Meerlo, Loevensohn). The Hungarians presented a Beethoven program in which they demonstrated their superior musicality and exquisite taste. Their success was commensurate and many concerts throughout Holland has been the result. The Budapesters, too, who already are old favorites gave new evidence of their highly finished
performers in a small way, without being obliged to drudge through a long course of technic. They can perform alone, and in groups as well. Take three or four children in a harp class. One can play while one of the other sings, or one can play while all the others dance.
“When I speak of children’s playing,” she explained, “I am thinking more particularly of the Irish harp, which can be conveniently carried about and which represents a comparatively small investment for parents. But if the Irish harp is small, it can give out a good big sound.
“I was taught by a woman, Henriette Renié, of the Paris Conservatory. I consider Mme. Renié to hold, as teacher, the same relation to the harp that Leschetizky held to the piano.
“Tone? I’ll tell you what I think about that, and show you, too, by my playing.” And putting herself in position again, she began to touch the strings and to illustrate rich, gratifying tone, and by contrast, dry, hard tone.
“I find,” she remarked, to the accompaniment of slow, resonant chords, “that the tone of the harp can be made to have a sustained effect, if it is conceived in the player’s mind as lasting after the original sound, and an undulating effect is brought out by a flowing motion of the arms. I mean that what you do after you make contact with the strings counts, as well as what you do at the time. Now notice, please, what happens when I push my hand back and forth and pluck the strings mechanically. One way, my entire self produces the sound; the other way, nothing but my finger.
“I am not insisting, let me remind you, that a good harp tone is laboriously acquired. I said that children learn to play the harp readily; and when I said so, I meant that they are quick to develop facile hands, and along with them a tone that is pleasing.”
Whole Gadman Cycle by Radio
Edith Gates, mezzo soprano, recently gave a radio recital broadcasted from Medford Hillside (Mass.) station (GWI) and included Charles Wakefield Cadman’s Japanese song cycle “Sayonara.” Usually single songs are broadcasted, but Mrs. Gates is the first to sing a work of this kind under the new conditions. Words of commendation came at once to the station, and she is to be congratulated for singing art songs by an American composer.
Myra Hess to Play in Toledo
. Myra Hess will make her first concert appearance in Toledo next winter. She has just been engaged for one of the concerts in the Piano Teachers’ Course. To judge by the dates already signed, Miss Hess should have about fifty concerts in America during the coming season.
art. The Amsterdam ensemble scored a great success at a concert in which Evert Cornelis was the assisting artist and played with Zimmermann one of the violin sonatas and the piano part in Chausson’s concerto, a work which, of moving inspiration and melancholy in its sombre coloring, made a deep impression on the public.
Milhaud's “Poemes Juifs.”
Musical novelties are always a grateful change from the usual, and Bertha Seroen and Evert Cornelis are to be highly commended for their frequent introduction of unknown works. This time the choice of the popular singer and pianist was a number of songs, “Poèmes Juifs” by the Frenchman, Darius Milhaud, with texts translated from the Hebrew. Tonal beauty seems to be the chief aim of the composer, at the sacrifice of other qualities, which serves to make this sort of music monotonous in the long run. Miss Seroen sang her difficult part with perfect ease and surety. Mr. Cornelis’ solo was the “Tableaux d’une Exposition” by Moussorgsky, followed by several songs of the same composer, as well as a number by Debussy. The success of the evening was great. Let it be added that Mr. Cornelis has recently received the appointment of conductor of the symphony orchestra of Utrecht.	Oscar Back.
“Harp One of Best Instruments for Children” —Mildred Dilling
The Christian Science Monitor of April 1, 1922, carried an interesting article, which quoted Mildred Dilling, the harpist, in part as follows :
“Harmony comes, without delay, into the musical horizon of a person who takes up the study of the harp,” said Mildred Dilling, talking at her studio in New York with a visitor from the New York office of the Christian Science Monitor. “That makes the harp,” she went on to observe, “one of the best instruments people can give their children to play on. The child at the very outset learns how to sound chords. The first thing I do when I take a child for lessons is to teach the three primary chords upon which tunes of the simpler sort are built. After a little while, I have׳ the child learn an air that can be sung with the chords, usually à folk song.	t k
“In learning music through the harp, let me assure you, children^ not only get at the fundamental things at once, but they become11־
			
EFFA ELLIS PERFIELD DIRECTORY OF TEACHERS By EFFA ELLIS PERFIELD, 41% West 45th Street, New York City Phone: Bryant 7233			
NEW YORK C. KATE BEACOM Piano and Class Work 621 E. 29lh St., Brooklyn Phone: Mansfield 1297	RUTH JULIAN KENNARD Piano and Class Lessons 15 Claremont Ave., N. Y. Phone: Morn. 3889	ALICE M. SPAULDING Piano, Coaching and Accompanying Scientific Muscular Pianoforte Technic Individual and Class—All Ages 234 West 74th St., N. Y. Phone: 9284 Col.	MISSOURI FLORENCE E. HAMMON State Normal Teacher Private Lessons and Graded Class Work Seven Assistants Musical Art Bldg. St. Louis
	i IDIS LAZAR Concert Pianist and Teacher 50 Morningside Drive, Apt. 42, New York Phone 7770 Cathedral	MABEL COREY WATT Examining Normal Teacher Directress of Music Flatbush School Four Assistant Teachers 94 Prospect Park W., Brooklyn Phone: South 3688 J.	FOREIGN
EDITH BEARDSLEY Piano and Classes Pupil of Xaver Scharwenka 532 West 85th St., New York Phone : 8265 Schuyler			CANADA CARA FARMER Piano and Class Lessons, Demonstrations Certified Normal Teacher Mothers’ Creative Music Course 750 Bathurst, Toronto
		NEW JERSEY ETHEL Y. THOMPSON President, Roseville Music Club Individual and Class Lessons 11 Pittsfield Ave., Cranford	
			CHINA EMIL DANENBERG Pianoforte Instruction Pupil of Teichmuller (Leipzig) The Albany, Hong Kong
	MRS. W. D. REED 34 West 96th St. Riverside 4634		
ADELE F. SOUTHARD 11 West 96th St. Riverside 9773