MUSICAL COURIER
16
January 4, 19 2 3
BERUMEN DOES NOT APPROVE OF FREE LESSONS
Pianist, Back irom Interesting Tour, Tells of His Adventures—His Sixth Novelty Program at Aeolian Hall to Be the
Last of That Kind
ERNESTO BERUMEN
gram made up of a group of classical, one of the romantic and one of the moderns, including novelties.
“One thing, too, I mean to keep in mind, and that is to make my programs short. You know the old saying about quality and quantity.”
“But why give up the novelty programs? Surely, they must have been a success.”
“They were, but it was rather hard on me to prepare them in connection with all my teaching and practising.”
“I see you have included Chopin. If I remember correctly, you told me once that you liked to do his things but were afraid to do them in public.”
A Late Start.
“That is right. I felt that I was too young and inexperienced an artist to try to give them. I still feel that way to a certain extent, but during this year I have been devoting an increasing amount of time to the matter of interpretation.
“I suppose one is foolish to be so conscious of one’s own limitation. I have always been unfortunate in that respect. Perhaps it was because I was eighteen before it was decided that it would be possible for me to have a musical career, and that is pretty old for one to begin the study of piano if he expects to make it his life work.
“And how I did work to try to overcome that handicap. I went to Germany—the land of technic—and there in Leipsic I studied and practised and practised and practised. Always it was technic that held my attention. Now I am trying to develop the interpretative side to a greater extent. I hope you will be able to note the change in me at my recital.”
The Pre-Appearances.
“Have you tried the program over at the settlement house, for I recall that you once told me you always played your programs over for the audiences down there where there is no mistaking the sincerity of the listeners’ reception of a composition?”
“No, I am sorry to say, I have not done so this time, although I did tell you that I generally did preface my recital with such an appearance. It is far more helpful to one’s artistic growth than any number of appearances at social pink teas.
“This is not the first time I told you that, either, as I have occasion to remember very distinctly.”
I looked my surprise.
The Student Agrees.
“You wrote something along this line once before, and shortly afterwards a student, who was far advanced and studying with one of the best known music teachers in New York, came to me and wanted to take some coaching lessons. When we had progressed through several lessons, she told me that, having read the interview in the Musical Courier, she decided she must know one who shared her views on that matter, if only to express her appreciation of my stand.
“ ‘I was just recovering from a particularly bad attack of pink teas myself, when I read the article,’ she told me, ‘and I felt I wanted to know some one who felt just as I did about them, for most people seem to think that they are something to be sought rather than avoided.’ ”
“And will you feel nervous about the Aeolian Hall appearance without the previous rehearsal?”
Every One Should Be Anxious.
“Not nervous, just a little anxious is all. But I always like to feel that way. As in everything else, one either advances or retreats. When one reaches the point where the preparation and presentation of his programs no longer cause him anxiety, he is apt to be a little careless both in the material and in the performance.
“I found that to be true during a recent tour with Mme. Schumann Heink. I soon was thoroughly familiar with my part of the program, both as accompanist and soloist, and the almost daily repetition of the dual role led to a self confidence very bad, indeed, for me. I soon discovered to my intense surprise that I was allowing little (Continued on page 41)
“How strange!” mused the writer and then proceeded to re-read the article in the Daily Reporter of a little Middle Western city which rejoices in the eighteenth amendment name of Coldwater.
“It must be true, but how queer to ask an artist to give a recital on an upright piano.” But a second persual of the article proved that no mistake had been made. Ernesto Berumen had given a recital in this Michigan town on an upright.
“Just how did it happen?” was one of the first questions put to the young man when we chanced to meet a short time after his return from a brief tour, during which he had made the appearance already noted.
From C to K.
“How did what happen?” he returned. “Are you speaking of my trip from Coldwater to Kokomo or the program which I am to give at my Aeolian Hall recital next Wednesday afternoon, January 10?”
“Neither. I was wondering whether they really did ask you to play on an upright in Coldwater?”
He merely looked at me in astonishment.
“Oh, don’t be surprised. There are many things happening in this country of which little birds whisper in the metropolis,” I said with a laugh.
The Upright.
“So it seems,” he retorted and laughed himself. “As a matter of fact, I did have to play thus, but please don’t hold it against Coldwater”—and when I looked at him questioningly—“or against me. The one to blame is the enterprising Toledo manager who in his enthusiasm booked me for two appearances on the same date. Since they were at least fifty miles apart and scheduled for the same hour, it was evident, even to me, that it would not be possible to fill them both at once.
“Accordingly, the charming ladies of the Fortnightly Club, under whose auspices I went to Coldwater, were informed that it would be necessary to postpone my recital two days, and then when this was all settled to every one’s satisfaction, the manager announced that the appearance would take place as originally scheduled and the other engagement would be changed. So when I arrived, in the resulting confusion, there had been no time to secure a grand piano.
The Opera House.
“Anyway, I have decided that success does not depend entirely upon the piano, for I scored one of the best successes of my entire, tour when I gave my only ‘upright’ recital. Besides, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there; every one was so nice to me.”
“And you played in the opera house, I suppose.”
“It was a theater.”
“Oh, yes, it is a theater, but, nevertheless, it is the opera house—I mean it; you will see it over the door, in big letters—though I do not suppose a real operatic performance has even been given there.”
“How do you know so much about it,” he demanded without more to do, and I then confessed to having been a- frequent visitor at that same “opera house” in the days of my far distant youth.
The “Show” I “Put On.”
“I went up to the theater at once after reaching town,” he continued, “and was a little dismayed, I must confess, when I found an upright piano. I sat down to see if it were all right, and while I was practising a little, some men came in and began to sweep out the place—it seems it is used for a moving picture theater most of the time.
“I soon found that the dust was stronger than my determination to practise, so I left, but not before one of the men had questioned me closely regarding the status of the ‘show’ I was to ‘put on’ that night.”
“And then?” I questioned, as Mr. Berumen seemed lost in thought—pleasant thought evidently to judge by the smile on his face.
Everything Late.
“Then?—Next I went to Kokomo. That does not sound very exciting, and if you look on the map you will see that these two cities are not far apart. But sometimes there is much that may happen in a mile, and so it took me all day to go from Coldwater to Kokomo. First I went to, Sturgis and changed cars. Then I went to Fort Wayne, Ind., and changed cars again. Then I went to Peru and waited and waited and waited for the annual street car which goes to Kokomo. And everything was late! When I finally did reach Kokomo, in the early evening, and went to the hotel, there was no reservation for me.
“For a moment my sense of humor almost deserted me. However, I am happy to report that, like all good stories, it ended happily. I found reservations finally, and my concert was a success.
The Small Town Audience.
“The rest of the trip was without any unexpected events at the other cities, which included Anderson, Ind., Gabon and Bryan, Ohio, and Port Huron, Mich.”
“And how did you find your, audiences, generally speak-ing?”
“Very receptive and with a fine appreciation. I must admit that I was a little surprised and thoroughly delighted to find good music so familiar to people living away from the so-called and widely acknowledged musical centers. I am sure the applause was every bit as spontaneous and appreciative as it will be next week—providing, of course, I do receive some at Aeolian Hall.
“And I found some very excellent musicians—most of them amateurs, to be sure, but none the less (and perhaps because of that fact, the more) keen in the perception of things worth while.”
The Last Novelty Program.
“Speaking of Aeolian Hall, you are going to give another novelty program, I see.”
“Yes, it is the sixth of that kind I have given there and I feel that I have done my duty in the matter of trying out new material, so next time I am going to •place standard works by Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, etc., on my program. Of course, I do not mean that I will not give any of the moderns, but next time I expect to have a pro-
Marguerite Melville
LISZHIEWSKA
Soloist in Beethoven Celebration with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, Conducting
On December 17th Mr. Fritz Reiner and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra celebrated Beethoven's birthday by giving a splendid program composed exclusively of the master’s standard works: “Leonore” Overture No. 3, E־flat concerto for piano, and the Fifth Symphony.
Marguerite Melville Liszniewska scored a big success as soloist at this concert as well as in Dayton, Ohio, where the same program was repeated on December 21.
Following are a few excerpts from the local papers:
. . . The concerto for pianoforte and orchestra No. 5 in E־flat major was played by Marguerite Melville Liszniewska in a manner so 'me and musicianlike as to affirm again its title of “Emperor.” Responding to an insistent applause, in which director, orchestra and audience vehemently joined, Madame Liszniewska played the “Ecos-saises,” also by Beethoven, and found in that composition one peculiarly suited to her brilliant technique and her beautiful tone.—Nina Pugh Smith in Cincinnati Times-Star, December 18, 1922.
. . . The concerto was given an excellent performance. Mme. Liszniewska has every requirement of pianistic art at her command for the interpretation of such a work. She was always legitimately musical, allowing the spirit of the composition to shine through. There are few women on the concert stage who have the breadth of view and the sound musicianship to give this work its due. Conductor and orchestra gave her fine support.—Augustus O. Palm in Cincinnati Enquirer, December 18, 1922.
. . . Mme. Marguerite Melville Liszniewska was the soloist, playing the glorious “Emperor” concerto for piano, a work which makes the most tremendous demands upon the performer. Mme. Liszniewska is always a thorough artist and gave to her performance the same splendid musician-ship and artistic insight that we always realize in her work.
Her technique is always impeccable, her tone round and beautiful and her interpretation left nothing to be desired. She responded to an insistent encore with a charming performance of the “Ecossaises” of Beethoven. — Lillian Tyler Plog-stedt in Cincinnati Post, December 18, 1922.
. . . Mme. Marguerite Liszniewska so greatly admired in Dayton interpreted the Beethoven Concerto No. 5 with the orchestra, and her brilliant and facile fingering was no less remarkable than the conducting of Mr. Reiner through the various phrasings of this difficult number. Mme. Liszniewska is one of the very few women pianists who possesses all the virility of the masculine artist. It was difficult to decide which brought the more applause, her playing or Reiner’s masterly work with hand and baton.—Penelope Pemll in Dayton Daily News, December 22, 1922.
Mme. Liszniewska is givlng^a recital at Aeolian Hall, on the evening of January 12th.
Management ;
Wolfsohn Musical Bureau
711-718 Fisk Building, New York
STEIN WAY PIANO