January 2 5, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
30
MARGUERITE MONNOT.
This photograph of the remarkable young French virtuoso pianist, who will tour America next season, has just been received in America by the composer, Eugen Putnam, to whom it is autographed, Mile. Monnot will use a number of compositions by American composers on her tour, including ivorks by Eugen Putnam, Harold Henry and Mac-Dowell. During the present season she has scored much success with Putnam’s Quill Dance, which she has played in nearly all tfye larger cities of France and Spain. She is a pupil of Cortot and Saint-Saiins and is now coaching with Harold Henry in Paris, preparing for her initial recital in America next fall. Mile. Monnot was a pianist and composer at the age of three and a half. At four, and a half she made her debut in Paris, playing the pieces she knew in any key called for by the audience. Nothing is technically too difficult for her. All this is vouched for by Eugen Putnam, who spent a week at her home in France last summer.
Rigoletto (done with fine humor), and MacMurrough’s Macushla, to which Mr. Rowland brought a striking individuality. This was followed by Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses, a ballad which has attained unusual popularity. The audience was so pleased with this number that the singer had difficulty to get away from the insistent applause.
Lecture on Musical Re-Education
Harriet A. Seymour’s personality and keen sense of fun made her lecture on Musical Re-Education a thoroughly delightful affair. It was given January 9 at the Seymour School, at 57 West Forty-eighth street, and attracted a good sized audience. Mrs. Seymour began by saying that people were usually surprised at the simplicity of her methods, but that she believed in having children absorb a few fundamentals rather than overcrowd their minds with intricate information too soon forgotten. She approved of more music for the many rather than a great deal for those who have unusual talent. Music should be utilized as an “oiling process” and proper stress laid on intelligent listening. She maintains that average pupils are discouraged through too abstract and technical training; they are taught performing only as a stunt. As she so aptly expressed it, her ideal is to get pupils swimming in music like fish in water. To illustrate the advantage of really learning music as a new language, she told about a child who was so successful in playing at a recital that he was seized with• a terror lest playing Bach should spoil his touch for jazz.
The following sequence was recommended for a performer; (1) Silence, (2)■ listening, (3) thinking, (4) playing. The aim is to teach a composition to the child’s mind and not to his fingers. She told of different devices through which the pupils learn to feel rhythm and different ways to make them “realize” a melody, such as marking up and down motion on the board,, locating important melody-notes within the scale, and humming “home tones” to develop cadence sense. Several original melodies that pupils have written to little poems of their own making illustrated the development of creative sympathy. She deplored the lack of real harmonic instinct in many conservatory graduates and said they had been taught to write and not to listen. Singing funamentals to chords played on the piano was advocated. At children’s parties they are flooded with volunteer performers who are not afraid because they are so sure of their foundation. Transposition is a simple matter for them, and many love to improvise in public.
At the close of the talk Mrs. Seymour played several selections in a very pleasing way.
Baritone Land Heard as Accompanist
Harold Land, baritone, accompanied Henriette Bagger, Danish contralto, in a recital over the Tarrytown Radio, Saturday evening, January 6. The program ranged from Pergolesi to modern American composers, but by far the most interesting songs were several by Boerresen, which Miss Bagger sang in her native Danish. Mr. Land made some explanatory remarks about these songs to the great invisible army of listeners. His splendid accompaniments have added much to his musical stature. As the services at St. Thomas’ (Fifth Avenue) are broadcasted every Sunday by WJZ, the baritone has been heard throughout the country by vast audiences, and the reports have been most gratifying.
as Sophie, Faninal’s daughter, was a delight to eye and ear. Her rejection of the unwelcome advances of the Baron Ochs, her love at first sight of the gallant and cavalierly Octavian, all the details of her acting were most praiseworthy, and her lovely, voice added to the effectiveness of the part.”
On November 26, Mme. Sundelius sang for the Verdandi Swedish Male Chorus, of Providence, R. I.; on December 3, she appeared in Hartford, Conn., and six days later in Brooklyn in recital. '
ST. LOUIS HEARS THIBAUD WITH ORCHESTRA
Other Local Happenings
St. Louis, Mo., January 4.—St. Louis has heard numerous college glees the last week, having had visits from the glee, banjo, and mandolin clubs of both Yale and Cornell Universities.
Jacques Thibaud appeared as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, December 31. Assistant conductor Frederick Fischer has wielded the baton at the last three Sunday afternoon popular concerts of the orchestra, since Rudolph Ganz has been out of town filling concert engagements.
More and more interest is attracted throughout the United States to the broadcasting of the Saturday evening concerts of the Symphony Orchestra. Letters are coming in by the hundreds to S. E. Macmillen, manager of the orchestra, as well as to the radio editor of the Post-Dispatch (the newspaper owning Station K.S.D.) An interesting group was received following the recent appearance of Olga Samaroff, Pianist. One of these was from the Republic of Honduras, Central America, another from the far northwest headquarters of the Canadian Mounted Police, and the third from a ship at sea, 1,250 miles west of San Francisco. These three letters were dated the same day and were from music lovers who had not been able to hear the best music for months.
A radio feat which attracted wide attention in this city was the broadcasting of the midnight mass from the century-old St. Louis Cathedral, on Christmas Eve. This was accomplished by Station K.S.D. of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the entire service was received with the utmost clarity. George Cibulka, choir master and organist, directed the musical part of the mass. The soloists were Clarence Bloemker, Chas. Blume and Alice Murphy. It is said that this was the first time in history that a mass has been broadcasted by radio and the interest aroused among both churchmen and music lovers is great.
St. Louis is getting ready for next summer’s season of light opera by organizing an operatic choral school which will open a few days. The applications to this school have to undergo a severe series of try-outs.	Y.A.L.J.
Mr. and Mrs. David Mannes Hold Reception
Mr. and Mrs. David Mannes held a reception in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Artur Schnabel in the concert hall of the David Mannes Music School, 157 East Seventy-fourth street, on Saturday afternoon, January 13. Preceding the reception Mrs. Schnabel entertained the large assemblage with a group of six Schubert songs, accompanied by Mr. Schnabel. In the interpretation of these songs, Mrs. Schnabel thrilled all present. She is an artist of unusual attainments. The auditorium was packed to capacity by people of prominence. Following the musical program, Mr. and Mrs. Mannes introduced all present to the artist couple. Refreshments were served.	,
Eugene Rowland Pleases at Debut
Engene Rowland’s well chosen program gave pleasure to a capacity house at Carnegie Hall, January 3, at which time the tenor made his initial New York appearance. Among other numbers were La Donna e Mobile, from
Activities of Several Carylna Pupils
Reports have recently been received of the great success in England, in concert and oratorio, of Lily Meagher, called in her native country the Irish Nightingale.
Miss Meagher, who studied in New York with Mme. Kathryn Carylna for several years, is under the management of Ibbes & Tillet of London, England, in which city
KATHRYN CARYLNA
she has already filled a number of engagements, as well as in Manchester and Liverpool where her beautiful singing of the 'soprano part in The Messiah has elicited unanimous praise from the critics and resulted in return engagements in both cities.
Other successful pupils of Mme. Carylna are Anita Whittaker, soprano, and Henrietta Brewster, mezzo, both engaged for a long period under the management of Henry Savage. The juvenile English soprano, Jessie Darvill, who began her vocal training just two years ago, and, under Mme. Carylna’s instruction, has developed a voice of rare beauty and quality as well as range and power, made her first public appearance at the Sunday concert of the Catholic Club, New York, on December 8, when she aroused great interest and enthusiasm. Miss Darvill is but seventeen years of age. Other pupils of Mme. Carylna are active in the musical circles of many cities throughout the country and all express gratitude and appreciation for the great benefits derived from her instruction.
City Symphony to Give “Request” Program
For the “Pop” concert of January 28, at the Century Theater, Dirk Foch will present a “request” program, Request numbers may be sent to Arthur J. Games, manager of the City Symphony Orchestra, 17 East 42nd street. The program will be made up from the selections which receive the greatest number of requests. All- requests must bear the name and address of the sender.
Sundelius “a Delight to Eye and Ear”
On November 21, Marie Sundelius sang Sophie in Strauss’ Rosenkavalier with the Metropolitan Opera Company at the Academy of Music, Brooklyn. After her.performance, W. H. Humiston, the music editor of the Eagle, wrote as follows about her appearance: “Mme. Sundelius,
Allen McQuhae commended for smooth tone production and clear diction.
ALLEN McQUHAE, whose recent successful New York recital in the Town Hall was highly commended by the daily newspapers, is a pupil of
Felix Hughes
Two qualities of excellence commented upon were Mr. McQuhae’s smooth tone production and clear diction.
The Herald writes that “his voice is now more evenly produced and his methods of interpretation are more polished. He was a good second in qual-ity of voice, style and clearness of diction to John McCormack. An Irish folk song which he sang, with irresistible enunciation, feeling and style and had to repeat, was A Ballynure Ballad.”
According to the World “his singing was marked by an excellent legato, perfect diction and restraint. Mr. McQuhae’s voice is exceptionally pure
and resonant in quality.”	......... .	,
The Globe speaks of the “abundant technical skill and Me dignity and purity of style” with which he delivered a group of Handel songs and mentions it as “one of the most enjoyable song recitals the season has brought
in its course.”	״	.
The Journal credits the tenor with “an excellent legato^style, a voice that is “clear, smooth, and even” and “almost perfect diction.”
Mr. Hughes’ studio is at 50 West 67th Street, New York City. The telephone number is Columbus 1405.