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Sully Prudhomme will be opened by July 15, although Mr. Swayne himself does not expect to move in before July. The principal feature of the house is the magnificent studio and music room where Mr. Swayne will introduce his pupils from time to time in private musicales.
Hempel “Scores Tremendously” in Ann Arbor
Frieda Hempel closed her season of more than seventy appearances at Ann Arbor. Mich., in a blaze of glory. She appeared at the May Festival on May 19 as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Frederick Stock, director. The telegraph report to the Detroit Free Press carries the following comment:
The soloist was Frieda Hempel, who scored tremendously. The lovely light quality of her voice made a pronounced appeal in the colorful aria, “A vous Dirai-Je Maman,” as interpolated in “The Daughter of the Regiment," given with flute obligato. Her trills and florid scale passages, sung with limpid tone, had a delicacy and beauty that roused her audience. She is thorough mistress of her art and, unlike most sopranos of the type, has a warmth to her tone that is most agreeable.
Gay MacLaren and Voice Tone Color
Under the heading of “music,” in the Washington Daily News of Saturday, May 27, Dick Root has the following to say of Gay MacLaren’s Washington recital:
“The human voice is the first and probably the last musical instrument. What follows the voice we all know. Strings and wind. Which evolved first is unsolved. It is agreed that the war bipw, with its tight drawn string is the parent of the string familyv Probably the first form was the harp or lyre. The basic and inspiratory cultivation of the voice is tone color and melody. Granted the voice as the first musical instrument, then it is but right to classify the performance of Gay MacLaren, dramatic artist, at the City Club Thursday night, as a musical recital. Through two hours of ‘Enter Madame,’ given by a one woman cast, we sat in amazement. In the fraction of a second Miss MacLaren passed from one character to another. How? By a marvelous interchange of tone color of voice and facial expression. The whole gamut of life can be portrayed by voice tone color.”
Claussen Acclaimed
On May 29, Julia Claussen appeared as soloist at the Music Festival of the United Singers in Brooklyn, New York, and scored substantially, as may be seen from the following paragraph in the New York Staats-Zeitung the day after her performance:
The honored soloist was Julia Claussen, the excellent artist that we are permitted to hear at the Metropolitan Opera House. Her authoritative art, her free and easy delivery with her beautiful mezzo voice frequently reaching velvety heights and thrilling depths, and the artist’s fresh style made of every selection a pearl. The artist sang Mozart’s Sixtus aria from his “Titus” with most beautiful portamento and charming exposition of the Mozart melody; she also mastered the difficult coloratura of his florid style. Her presentation of the great ballad of Senta from the “Flying Dutchman” showed the great Wagnerian singer. As encores she gave Wagner’s “Träume” as well as Brahms’ “Wiegenlied.” The diva was enthusiastically applauded.
LENA DORIA DEVINE
Lamperll's Method ol Voice Production Metropolitan Opera House Studios 1425 BROADWAY, N. Y.	Tel. 1274 Bryant
MUSICAL COURIER
and responded with extras, notably with the touching Irish song “Mother Machree.”—Evening Tribune, Providence, R. I., April 24, 1922.	_____
In make up of programme Mr. Finnegan seems to be following closely in John McCormack’s footsteps. Mr. Finnegan’s voice is of softer timbre, and his diction while excellent is not so clean cut ai that of McCormack’s. Mr. Finnegan’s work, however, has many qualities which lend themselves to most artistic effects in certain, styles of vocal work. His singing of the Handel arias was delightful. In the oratorio style he is particularly at home, the quality of voice and manner of delivery fitting well the fine recitative and aria. “Deeper and Deeper Still,” and ‘Waft Her Angels to the Skies.” Long phrases have no terror for him, his breath control being noticeably good.	.	,	.
Lovers of high notes should hear this tenor for he sings them brilliantly and apparently can keep it up without tiring. He also takes a leaf out of McCormack’s book in the singing of soft high tones for a considerable period at the end of certain songs. And this device for popular approval seldom fails of its object.
All in all Mr. Finnegan’s performance last evening offered much for the pleasure of musicians and laymen alike. He was applauded to the echo, and responded with several extras.—The Journal, Providence, R. L, April 24, 1922.
Critics Praise Sibyl Samjnis MacDermid
The following excerpts from criticisms recently received by Sibyl Sammis MacDermid testify to her success in three cities:
Mrs. MacDermid was in fine voice and sang with opulence of tone and interpretative force. She has special gifts for singing simple songs which tell a story. These she sings with fine appreciation for the words expressed sympathetically and with tones of beauty.—Chicago Evening Post, May 13.
Mrs. MacDermid, who was heard for the first time in Indianapolis, revealed a voice of extended range and an unusual interpretative ability. She has a brilliant voice, a particularly effective mezzo voce and her pianissimo high tones are lovely. She has, also, a true sense of musicianship and knows how to make the most of her considerable powers.—Indianapolis News, May 20.
Mrs. MacDermid has a colorful voice that is rangy, flexible and altogether pleasing. Her renditions marked her for an accomplished musician of rare talent. Asheville Citizen, April 27.
Swayne Pupil Scores Success
Wager Swayne, the well known piano teacher who has returned once more to his beloved Paris after four war years spent in New York and San Francisco, is as busy there as ever; so busy, in fact, that he will remain in the city all summer and continue teaching. Mr. Swayne’s specialty has always been preparing pupils for professional appearances and the latest of his pupils to make a genuine success is Zina Bory, who gave a recital at the Salle Gaveau. Le Menestrel, the Paris musical weekly, spoke of her playing as follows:
A conspicuous sincerity, spontaneous and healthy, a total absence of affection and mannerisms, are the qualities which principally characterize the playing of Mile. Zina Bory. To such rare qualities may be added an intimate sense of the dramatic and a constant care to bring out in his playing not only fundamental contrasts and dynamic extremes, but the subtle gradations and tones ־ and intermediate nuances. Mile Bory divided her programme into four parts. First the 32 variations in C minor of Beethoven and the G minor sonata of Schumann; then the־ first ballad, a waltz, a nocturne and a scherzo of Chopin; in the third part “l’lsle Joyeuse” of Debussy, a rondo of Roussel, the “Jeu d’Eau” of Ravel, “Les glinka il danse Caucase” by Liapounoff; and last “Dans les Bois” and the Eleventh Rhapsody of Liszt.
A number of Mr. Swayne’s American pupils are crossing soon to spend the summer in work with him. The studio in the splendid new house which he is building at 3 Avenue
June 15, 1922
United States trained in her own country. Miss Gentle’s program, of wide and pleasing variety, gave splendid opportunity for display of her many charms. There was the magnetic personality, voice, beauty and grace blended together in such portions as to satisfy and thrill.	. .	t	״ _ _״	,
“Vissi d’Arte,” by Puccini, from the opera La Tosca, was her first number. It has been said that no one sings “La Tosca” better than does Miss Gentle, and her audience seemed convinced of that when she had completed this number from the opera. It might be safe to say also that no one has acted it so well, not to mention looking all the beauty of it and a little more.
She was applauded more than generously, and it grew in volume as she three times bowed her appreciation and finally responded with an encore, “Love’s in My Heart.” Her first number and the encore did not leave the audience in doubt as to the possibilities of her voice. She displayed extraordinary range and power, from the lowest register to the highest singing with clear, bell-like beauty.
Particularly impressive was the suppleness of the soprano’s voice. There was a marked robustness and power where need be, and a control that permitted her to register in all parts of the auditorium on notes that faded away into silence.—The Pittsburg Sun, April 28, 1922.
Last night an audience equalling in size any of those which attend festival recital concerts heard Alice Gentle. Miss Gentle has a manner of singing which must thaw even the chill of a cold, wet night—a warm rich voice. Miss Gentle has a sure, lucid manner of singing and dramatic interpretative ability, which makes effective the Irish and the negro “character songs,” which were part of the program.—Pittsburg Daily Headlight, April 28, 1922.
An Opinion Confirmed
The performance to which the appended letter refers was fully reviewed in these columns. Mr. De Vore was suspected of being responsible for the success of it and was duly so reported. It is a pleasure to read confirmation from Mr. Howard, some time editor of our esteemed contemporary, The Musician:
To the Editor Musical Courier:
Inasmuch at I attended one of the performances of the Eleven-Eleven-Eleven” at Flushing given by The American Legion, Post
NICHOLAS DE YORE
510, my friend Mr. Nicholas de Vore has suggested that possibly I could tell you my impressions of the performance.
I feel very strongly that Mr. de Vore’s work as musical director was one of the outstanding features of the performance. He not only arranged the musical score, but the choruses and solos, and organized the orchestra as well. The hold he had on his forces, both vocal and instrumental, was in a way quite remarkable, for the ensembles were at all times smooth, the orchestral accompaniment was adequate without overpowering either the soloists or the choruses, and the whole cast were at all times subject to the will of their conductor.
In my opinion Mr. de Vore’s personality was in a large measure responsible for the success of the four performances. Seeing Mr. de Vore conduct this performance makes me feel that he has missed his calling in not being a conductor of a choral organization or an orchestra.
You are, of course, at liberty to use what I have said in any way you may see fit.
Very truly yours,
(Signed) John Tasker Howard.
Tenor Finnegan Always Praised
It is a fact that John Finnegan, the tenor, is always praised in the newspapers commenting on concerts in which he appears. It is a fact that “You cannot fool all the people all the time” as Lincoln said, so that this unanimous praise must have the foundation of truth behind it. His clear enunciation, his beauty of style in oratorio excerpts, his beautiful soft high tones, all this provides ground for fitting remarks of the critic. Three notices follow:
In the second part of the programme John Finnegan, whose voice has tears in it, gave an impassioned delivery of Verdi’s “Ingemisco” from the Manzoni Requiem. This tenor’s voice has mellowed with the passing years and he has the same fine control, clear enunciation and keenly artistic nature as of .yore. Of course there were encores, one of which was the delicious “Molly Brannigan.”— Evening Dispatch, Richmond Va., April 21, 1922.
Noted Irish Tenor Pleases Large Audience at Fay’s Theater. In listening to a song recital by the gifted tenor, John Finnegan, one consciously or unconsciously draws comparisons between his voice and style and that of John McCormack, who appeared here so recently. Like his distinguished predecessor Mr. Finnegan opened his programme with three Handel arias. These were sung with a certain dignity and repose which was delightful, notably in the always beautiful “Waft Her, Angels, to the Skies,” which was impressive and reverent in its lovely legato.
Naturally Mr. Finnegan excels in excerpts from oratorio, since this field of music is his own.	.
Mr. Finnegan’s voice is of a beautiful quality, and his tone production, breath control, and diction altogether admirable. In his singing of cathedral music especially, he takes high rank. The tenor was enthusiastically recalled at the end of each song group,
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