January 4, 1923 tastic Suite for piano and orchestra, with the composer himself playing the solo instrument. Mr. Schelling wrote this suite in 1905-07 and, in addition to being the same delightful music that it is today, it must have sounded rather modern then. It is fresh" and attractive, exceedingly effective for the piano and orchestrated with a fine eye for color. There are four movements. The scherzo, which comes second, is pure delight; the third (slow) movement is a charming lyric duet between English horn and piano for the most part; and the final movement, which the composer calls a Virginia Reel, is founded on Dixie, Old Folks at Home, (there is some clever counterpoint, the piano playing an idealized Dixie while the strings sing Old Folks at Home) and Yankee Doodle. All in all it is one of the most effective and attractive works for piano and orchestra heard here in a long time, never without a real tune, though never banal. Needless to say, Mr. Schelling played his part as well as it could be played, more than could be said for the orchestra, which was good on the whole, but would have come to a crash in the 5/4 trio of the scherzo if Mr. Schelling had not persisted in giving out, in an unmistakable manner, the rhythm, which Mr. Stransky and several of his men appeared entirely to have lost sight of. The program began with the overture to the Bartered Bride by Mr. Stransky’s countryman, Smetana; then came the New World symphony by another Czech, Anton Dvorak. It sounds very long and, after the first two movements, very trivial, especially when given the mere careless running-through that Mr. Stransky accorded it Thursday afternoon. Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration ended the program. MUSICAL COURIER 26 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 ERNEST HUTCHESON Chopin, played with clarity and real artistic discrimination, is truly a joy forever. -Ernest Hutcheson, pianist and interpreter par excellence, gave this rare pleasure to those who heard his Chopin program at Aeolian Hall, December 30. The outstanding qualities of his reading of Chopin were surety of touch and chaste pedalling (the desiderata of all Chopin playing. However, one did not think of technic in connection with his playing, so satisfying was it. There was a certain deliberateness of effect in his interpretation which was refreshing after the breathless hurly-burly of the usual Chopin recital. Mr. Hutcheson seemed actually to have time to enjoy every note; no feverish haste in cadenzas or mad ramping through intricate passages to establish a speed record. Mr. Hutcheson managed to preserve skilfully a rhapsodic, improvisatory style of playing which is the eternal essence of Chopin’s charm. His playing of the F major ballade was particularly mas-his clean sweep of technic carrying all difficulties lightly before it and springing a limpid web of shining gossamer tone over this well-nigh threadbare fabric. He seemed more at home in the crystalline passage work of this and the prelude No. 23, than in the lugubrious mysticism of the C minor prelude, which opened the second group- of the program. The depressing effect of the latter, however, was retrieved by the really fine emotional chastity which characterized his reading of the plaintive questioning of the B minor prelude and the even more masterlv touch m the following one in A major. It was in the simpler, straightforward numbers such as. these and the three mazurkas, which Mr. Hutcheson infused with real charm and piquant zest, rather than in the show pieces, that the art of composer and interpreter alike appeared at its best. SUN DA Y, DECEMBER 31 SOCIETY OF THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC The Society of the Friends of Music, at its second subscription concert of the season in Town Hall on Sunday afternoon, presented an entire Brahms program. During the past week, friends of Brahms were given an opportunity to hear works by their favorite composer at the pair of concerts of the New York Symphony Orchestra and at that of the Friends of Music. Both Mr. Damrosch and Mr. Bodanzky selected the Serenade in D, op. 11, as the leading orchestral number, the former omitting the second and third movements, while the latter played all but the fifth This concert opened with Schicksalslied, op. 54, for chorus and orchestra, which was followed by two songs (Bratschenlieder), Gestillte Sehnsucht and Geistliches Wiegenlied, sung by Mme. Charles Cahier, with viola obli-gato by Louis Bailly, and with Mr. Bodanzky at the piano. 1 he Serenade was next heard, and the concert closed with the rhapsody, op. 53, for contralto solo, men’s chorus and orchestra. The work of the chorus proved to be the outstanding feature of the concert. This chorus, trained by Stephen S. Townsend, entitles the director to unusual praise for the excellent results revealed. Deems Taylor, in the New Y'ork World, says regarding the program: “The chorus, although not large, had fine tonal quality (the male section was exceptionally good) and showed the results of Stephen Townsend’s careful training, and the orchestra discoursed eloquently at Air. Bodanzy’s behest.” The New York Tribune wrote: “The D major Serenade, op. 11, brought a lighter atmosphere. ... In a performance that was vigorous, though unpolished, it seemed more appropriate to the smaller hall than to the depths of Carnegie,” while W. J. Henderson, in the . (Continued, on page 45) than the late Arthur Nikisch, who prepared the two Liszt songs, Es muss ein Wunderbares sein and O komm ein Traum, and dedicated them to Mr. Schwarz. Others were arranged by Bernard Wagenaar, a second violin in the Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Schwarz possesses a voice of such unusual beauty that it is effective equally in works from the classic school with their simplicity of melodic line and in the heavy productions of the modern school like Wotan’s Farewell from Die Walkiire. It is a baritone with the delicacy of a tenor and the penetrating quality of a basso-cantante, and lends itself to variety of nuance and gentle poesie as well as vigorous passion. It would be an error to suppose that because Afr. Schwarz is an operatic artist he is any the less at home in songs. He has a natural feeling for the extent of force and freedom possible in pieces of different length and content, and restrains himself within these clear-cut artistic ,limits, only approaching complete utterance in the large operatic arias. In this he proved himself to be an artist of rare merit and understanding. The press devotes much space to this concert, evidently deeming it to be an event of importance. The Herald says : Mr. Schwarz has a fine, rich voice and he knows how to sing artistically.” The World notes that Mr. Schwarz “has a resonant baritone with so musical an upper register that it might be a tenor’s with much richness and sympathetic beauty.” The Times states that Mr. Schwarz’ voice "is a baritone of fine quality, and he is a singer of experience who has won approbation..........There was a large au- dience that was liberal with its applause and found all that Mr. Schwarz did well done without reservation.” The Tribune says that Afr. Schwarz’ voice was “strong and his manner earnest and expressive. . . . waxing exultant in the last ^(of the biblical songs by Dvorak), Sing me a New Song.” _ The audience was “rapturous in its applause.” Max Smith in the American says that Mr. Schwarz provided “genuine pleasure for a large and interested audience.” He was “in excellent form, which means that he disclosed to full advantage the noble sonority of warmth of a voice that, among its kind, has few if any equals in this country. It is a baritone of manly gravity, round and vibrant in the lower register, clear ringing and forceful in higher altitudes and admirably under control in mezza-voce.” VERNON ARCHIBALD Aeolian Hall held a good-sized audience on the evening of December 28, which heard the tall, manly young baritone, Yernon Archibald, in his second New York recital, assisted at the piano by the competent and also tall Bertha Ball-Archibald. He has a good presence, sings French and German equally well, and distinctly, as he does English, and excelled most in the sentimental songs. Rubinstein’s Es Blinkt Der Thau and Schubert’s Auf Dem Wasser were especially well sung. Very good was Handel’s Hear Me, Ye Winds, in English; a finely straightforward performance. Of the French songs Dans le Plaine was perhaps most noteworthy, and after A Toi (Bemberg) he added an encore. Five American composers were represented, namely Mary Helen Brown, Gena Branscombe, Mark Andrews, Rudolph Ganz and James H. Rogers, and these received proper meed of appreciation and applause. The old stand-by, Twickenham Ferry, and Gena Branscombe’s Hail Ye Time of Holidayes closed the program. Of him the World said in part that “he apparently pleased his not over-large audience.” The Times: “He has good control of the wide range of his voice, and his tones are of rich quality.” The Tribune: “A program of pleasing songs rendered particularly well. . . . interpreted with understanding and presented without affectation. His deep tones and finely shaded baritone gave much color and value to Es Blinkt Der Thau.” The Herald: “Made a very agreeable impression. . The recital was apparently much en- joyed by an enthusiastic audience.” WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27 NEW YORK ORATORIO SOCIETY: THE MESSIAH On Wednesday evening practically every seat in Carnegie Hall was filled for the annual performance of the Oratorio Society, when The Messiah was sung by this organization for the ninety-seventh time. There is no other audience in New York City like the one which attends this festival occasion. It not only listened with profound reverence but also the entire performance was one of inspiration. The chorus consists of nearly 300 voices under the direction of that capable young musician, Albert Stoessel, who conducted a small orchestra of stringed instruments and the big chorus with considerable skill, oftentimes achieving some stirring effects. Phillips James was the organist and he added materially to the general excellence. There were four soloists, all well known, oratorio singers. Olive Marshall was the soprano and her fresh, young voice of beautiful quality made a profound impression. She sang the difficult Handel music with good interpretation for so young an artist. Mary Allen disclosed a particularly fine contralto voice. Her deep, full tones were noticeable in her solo, He Was Despised. Fred Patton sang the basso part with considerable vigor and good quality. He was roundly applauded after each aria. Judson House was the tenor and acquitted himself most creditably. In fact, the entire quartet interpreted and sang in a most satisfactory manner. The height of this excellent performance was reached in the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus, with the entire audience standing. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 NEW YORK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA At the pair of concerts given in Carnegie Hall by the New York Symphony Orchestra, Walter Damrosch conductor, on Thursday afternoon and Friday evening, an exclusive Brahms program was rendered, comprising Academic Festival overture, Serenade in D, variations on a theme by Haydn, and the double concerto in A minor for violin and cello. The orchestra under Mr. Damrosch did excellently. In the Academic Festival overture, the joyous spirit which prevails was effectively brought out, and in the rendition of the other orchestral numbers, Mr. Damrosch likewise adhered closely to the score. The center of attraction, however, was with Paul Kochanski and Pablo Casals, who played the double concerto. This work which was written for Joseph Joachim and Robert Hausmahn, was first performed by them at a private concert in Baden-Baden in 1887 with the composer conducting. The two instruments blended beautifully, but the exquisite quality of Mr. Kochanski’s violin was far more agreeable and pronounced than that of the larger instrument. JOSEF SCHWARZ In spite of the first near-blizzard of the season, with sleet and wind as well as cold, a large audience gathered at Carnegie Hajl to hear Josef Schwarz, the Russian baritone, sing a program of songs and arias accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Afr. Stransky,- The event was unusual in a way, for there were no orchestral numbers and the entire program was accompanied by the orchestra, the songs with piano accompaniment having been arranged for . orchestra especially for Mr. Schwarz. Among the arrangers was no less a master FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29 PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: ERNEST SCHELLING, SOLOIST The feature of the Philharmonic program for Friday afternoon, at Carnegie Hall, was Ernest Schelling’s Fan- PHILHARMONIC 0F ORCHESTRA WALTER HENRY ROTHWELL, Conductor All Communications Should Be Addressed To CAROLINE E. SMITH, Manager 424 AUDITORIUM BLDC., LOS ANCELES 1 ■ LAURIE MERRILL, Soprano is using these songs both in concert and studio “DREAM TRYST” (2 keys) ׳SINCE YOU HAVE GONE” (2 keys) “DAWN IN THE DESERT” (2 keys) ■ WHITE-SMITH MUSIC PUBLISHING CO. Boston New York Chicago ■ Everything for the Singer at The HERBERT WITHERSPOON STUDIOS MISS GRACE O’BRIEN, Assistant Secretary 44 West 86th Street, New York City Telephone Schuyler 5889 MISS MINNIE LIPLICH, Secretary