NEW YORK, THURSDAY, January 25, 1923.
MUSICALffiVRIER
VOL. LXXXVI—No. 4. Whole No. 2233.
Harlequin and Beppo, was in splendid fettle. Cimini conducted.
Traviata, January 13 (Matinee).
Galli-Curci’s farewell appearance for the season was made before a sold-out house and the diva’s innumerable (Continued on page 28)
Chicago Civic Opera Company
WORLD PREMIERE OF SNOW BIRD, IN CHICAGO,
BRINGS SUCCESS TO THE AMERICAN COMPOSER
CHICAGO OPERA LOSS
ONLY EIGHTY PER CENT
OF THE GUARANTEE
Theodore Stearns’ Opera with Marshall and McCormic Is Produced During Company’s Final Week—President Insull’s Splendid Efficiency—Repetitions of Pagliacci, Carmen, La Forza del Destino, Martha, Tosca,
The Jewess, and Gala Performance of Acts from Five Operas
President Insull Praises the Work of His Associates and Predicts Greater Accomplishments in Seasons to Come —Practically All the Favorites to Return—
A Longer Season Next Year
At the gala opera performance given at the Auditorium in Chicago on Friday evening, January 19, President Samuel Insull, chairman of the board of directors of the Chicago Civic Opera Company, informed his guests, the guarantors of the organization, that the financial demands of this season upon their purse would not exceed eighty per cent of the total guarantee. As already fifty per. cent, has been called for, this will leave only an assessment of thirty per cent, to be paid on the guaranteed subscription. Mr. Insull went further and said that he hoped in seasons to come that the losses would be no greater and that the public of Chicago had so well responded to the efforts of the company that for the first time since Chicago has had an opera of its own, the season next year will be extended to eleven and one-half weeks and that every ensuing year the home season would be prolonged. He also expressed his thanks to his associates, the business manager• of the company, the artists and others. He stated that next season there would be guest artists appearing from time to time at the Auditorium with the company, and that practically all the favorites would return and the present personnel of the company would be retained in a large majority.
All those statements were already published in the Musical Courier of January 18, before Mr. Insull spoke, and this reporter also stated then that a well known Belgian tenor would be secured by the management. From the stage Mr. Insull announced the name of the company’s new tenor, Anseau.
Mr. Insull thanked Harold McCormick and Mrs. Rockefeller McCormick for turning over to the Civic Opera Company without charge all the scenery and paraphernalia of the Chicago Opera Association.
Mr. Insull also, as forecast in the Musical Courier, stated that during the season there would be many French productions and, though it is not possible to please everybody, the fact that the patronage this season had exceeded materially that of any previous one, is in the mind of the management, sufficient evidence that Chicago is reasonably satisfied with its first season of Civic opera.
Mr. Insull did not announce any of the artists re-engaged for next season, waiting to do so until the close of the season in Washington. Very likely the daily papers and musical papers, including this one, will then get an official statement as to those already engaged, but, as a matter of prognostics, from which this writer has refrained all through the season, it may be stated that two tenors who have been heard at the Metropolitan in New York will be with Chicago next year; one of them is an American, the other an Italian.
The first two contracts signed were those of Rosa Raisa and Giacomo Rimini. Claudia Muzio has been re-engaged; so has Edith Mason. Mary Garden will appear as guest, and in all likelihood she, Raisa. Homer and Chaliapin will be the four big artists Mr. Shaw will present to local managers to sell the ten weeks’ tour of the company. Among the conductors, Pan-izza and Polacco have been re-engaged, and only one more conductor will be secured, as the company has decided to drop one of the. four conductors, or possibly to engage a new one. Of the smaller artists, many already have received their contracts, but as can be seen, most of the stars are already retained for next season. Galli-Curci, of course, has in all likelihood signed her contract, which will be, as this year, for a limited number of performances; likewise, Tito Schipa, a great favorite.
Many revivals are already contemplated; Siegfried will be sung in German, L’Africaine will be sung either in French or Italian, and then—this writer has_ already divulged too much to his readers. None of it, incidentally, is gossip heard either from the business management or the financial or the musical sides. It may be_ taken as guesswork, though this clairvoyant has never given news that has had to be corrected and does not think this instance
Polacco and his orchestra did wonders, as with only two rehearsals they undertook to present Stearns’ opera—which, by the way, contains many intricate passages—and the reading accorded the new work added materially to the reputation of Polacco and to that of his orchestra.
The ballet was ably executed, and Anna Ludmilla, the premiere danseuse, performed her part so well as to compel Conductor Polacco to stop the performance in order to give the public a chance to pay her vociferously the homage due for her beautiful dancing. At the close of the opera the principals, conductor and composer were recalled many times before the curtain and then only Stearns made his
Photo by Ira B. Schwarz of Painting by Prof. Robert Breyer JUAN MANEN, .
Spanish violinist and composer, who charmed a critical audience with his highly artistic and finished playing at Carnegie Hall, New York, on Monday evening,
January 8.
Illlllll
appearance amidst frantic applause, and he was given a genuine ovation.
Pagliacci.
By and by Charles Marshall will consider the role of Canio one of his very best, judging by the big improvement noticed over his first presentation of the part a few weeks ago. Marshall’s best role is without doubt Samson, then comes Eleazar in La Juive, then Othello, Radames, and, in this reporter’s humble opinion, lastly Canio. The progress he has made in the part was especially noticed in the Lament, which was beautifully sung and rewarded with thunderous plaudits. Mary McCormic is much more at ease as Nedda than she was as Santuzza, but she does not find the role a good vehicle for her vocal or histrionic qualities. She still appears amateurish on the stage. She does not seem to know what to do with her arms and hands; they are all the time in her way, and especially in that of her partners’. With further study in both singing and acting, Miss McCormic should have a fine career. Cesare For-michi was the Tonio. Not in the best of vocal resources (suffering from a heavy cold), he, nevertheless, gave a
good account of himself, especially in the Prologue. Desire • will make an exception to the general rule. Three weeks Defrere was excellent as Silvio. Likewise Oliviero as will tell the tale.	Rene Devries.
Chicago, January 20.—By the time this report has been published the final curtain will have already been drawn down nearly half a week on the first season of the Chicago Civic Opera Company, and Bostonians given a chance to measure the work of this season with that of the Chicago Opera Association of a few years ago. The comparison in some departments will be greatly in the favor of the new organization, while in others the loss of several artists, stage manager, and so forth, will surely be noticed by the Hub’s critics and public. The season here has had its good and bad points, and from a financial viewpoint was one of the best ever experienced by any opera company in this city. Although Lappas and Dua did not come and Schwarz’ contract was cancelled by the company, the loss of the first two was not felt; however, that of the latter was greatly regrettable. The management saved several thousand dollars, nevertheless, by not having those three artists in its roster. It may be possible that next week this reporter will set to work and publish an article concerning the Chicago Civic Opera Company’s first season, but if he does or does not, it must be set down right here that the criticisms of the Musical Courier have been heard and that the Chicago Civic Opera Company has now only one head—a man who has full authority over everybody, including conductors as well as business manager, and that man is Samuel Insull, president of our opera organization. A year ago it was pointed out by this same reporter, in an article that appeared in the Musical Courier, that Insull, though a genius in his line of business, knew little if anything of the opera game. This statement may have been true at the time it was written, but today such an assertion would not hold water, as Insull knows much more about his Chicago Opera enterprise than could have been learned by a musician.
He has studied the proposition from every angle, and as he has no ax to grind, he shows no favoritism for any member of the company or of the business staff. He is the one who at the present time interviews the artists scheduled by him for re-engagement. He may ask the advice of his lieutenants, but he acts as he wishes and speaks to the musicians in their own language—a language that they understand—showing them by plausible remarks why some of them cannot sing as many performances next season as during the past one, asking others to increase the number of appearances and_ speaking figures to them as though his life-long enterprise had been operatic._ He knows his business and will show his hand more and more in governing alone the destinies of the Chicago Civic Opera Company, which organization, under his guidance, will increase in popularity throughout the entire country.
Snow Bird and Pagliacci, January 13 (Evening).
The world premiere of Theodore Stearns’ opera, Snow Bird, at the Auditorium Theater adds materially to the fame of that composer and progress in the cause of grand opera in our language. Before reviewing the work, the management is to be congratulated on having invested the new American work with all the surroundings that would have been given it had the new opera been from the pen of one of Europe’s most noted composers.
Giorgio Polacco conducted; Charles Marshall, the American, who has become more and more popular, was assigned the leading tenor role; the charming Mary McCormic sang the title role, and the balance of the cast was given to the best artists available for the minor parts. The stage scenery was magnificent and the lighting effects praiseworthy.
The Snow Bird is a lyric episode in one act with a dream ballet, and if viewed in that light it is to be pronounced a big success, as Stearns has written a plot and music easy to digest, modern and original. The orchestration is sane, the music closely woven with the plot, and the fact that the Snow Bird will be made part of the repertory of the Chicago Civic Opera Company will attest its reception at the hands of the public as well as its musical value with those who have the destinies of the Chicago Opera in hand.	.	,	,	,
Mary McCormic, as Snow Bird, was found at her very best. The part suits her beautifully and both vocally and histrionically she was highly satisfactory and well deserving of the plaudits that the public bestowed upon her. Charles Marshall sang the tenor part with great beauty of tone and acted the role with conviction. The balance of the cast consisted of Edouard Cotreuil, Milo Luka and Jose Mojica.
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