January 2 5, 1923
Marie deKyzer Engagements Numerous
Holiday period engagements for Marie deKyzer, soprano, included appearances at the First Presbyterian Church, Yonkers, N. Y., December 31; a sacred concert in Bound Brook, N. J., the same afternoon, and at night at a Watch Night service in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Brooklyn. Following New Year’s day she sang in a Scotch recital, January 2, with Duncan Roderick Cumming, tenor, in Providence, R. I. (see flattering notice below) ; in The Messiah, Brick Presbyterian Church, New York, January 5; in a sacred concert, Yonkers, January 7; gave a song recital for the Woman’s Club of Moline, 111., January 13, and appeared with the Hartford Choral Society, January 16.
Three notices follow:
Marie DeKyzer, soprano, and Duncan Roderick Cumming, tenor, sang a happy selection of songs that brought with them more than a touch of the heather and the old Scottish braes to the older ones
MARIE de KYZER
of the audience. The first was a duet, the traditional melody, By Yon Bonnie Bank. It was followed by My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose; Hame, Hame, Hame, and Mary of Argyle, all of which were received enthusiastically.—The Providence Journal, January 3.
Miss DeKyzer captivated the audience with a voice that was charmingly true and clear and equal to every demand made upon it. Probably no oratorio ever written has contained so many oft-used solos for soprano as The Messiah and these much-loved passages were sung with fine feeling and expression last night.—Elizabeth Daily Journal, December 20.
Marie DeKyzer, soprano, was excellent. Her solos were dignified, conveying to the audience much of the spirit of the composer in writing them. Her high notes were flute-like, ringing true in every instance. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion! and Come Unto Him won instant favor with the audience. . . . The last solo, I know That My Redeemer Liveth, sung by Miss DeKyzer, was admirable.— Elizabeth Evening Times, December 20.
Arthur Kraft a Busy Tenor
Arthur Kraft, tenor soloist of St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York, is engaged to sing for the glee club of Armour & Co., February 12, in Chicago at Kimball Hall. This makes Mr. Kraft’s fifth engagement in Chicago this season. In January he will be heard in recital at Bryan, Ohio; Coldwater, Mich.; Kokomo, Ind.; Gabon Ohio, and Coshocton, Ohio. January 30 he gives a recital at Syracuse, N. Y.
In December he was heard in recital and concert at Milwaukee, Beloit, Madison and Janesville, Wis., and Rockford, 111.; soloist for the Mendelssohn Club at Orchestra Hall, Chicago, and for the Swedish Choral Club of Chicago at Orchestra Hall, singing a new work presented for the first time in this country. He sang the tenor part of The Messiah for the Mendelssohn Club of Pittsburgh.
In February and March, Mr. Kraft will appear in recital at Baltimore, Buena Vista, Va.; Abingdon, Va., and later on in the season will sing at Des Moines, Iowa, and the Fes-
MUS1CAL COURIER
compelling At the Well of Hageman. The beauty of her tone, especially in the pianissimo passages was perfect, and more than anything else seemed to account for her warm reception.—Jacksonville Journal.
Sykora “A Great Master of the Cello”
Bogumil Sykora, cellist, has been having some very successful appearances in the Middle West. Following are some excerpts from the daily papers:
Sykora is a Russian, who has recently come to America, and in his playing is reflected a little of the sombreness, undershot with the fire and passion and turbulent emotionalism of his country. . . . To a technical background that is flawless, Sykora adds the understanding and sympathy of the expert musician. He is master of his instrument and his confidence is evident in his touch, which is deft and assured. . . . An astonishing dexterity was shown in his first number, Volkmann’s Concerto in A minor, particularly in the latter part, where his handling of the cadenzas and double stop passages was remarkable.—The Rockford Register-Gazette, October 4, 1922.
His playing at times is of great audacity and brilliancy. His own composition, the Variations, was a most surprising performance. The tricks in harmonics, the runs in double stops, the fingering and bowing were most unusual and some of his effects had never been heard before by those in his audience. His technic is firm, sure, and vigorous, yet he plays with sincere and deep feeling.—Quincy Daily Herald.
Opening the program with the brilliant concert in A minor by Volkmann, Bogumil Sykora at once displayed that quality of musicianship, which surpasses all thought of the instrument which has produced it and leaves only the outpouring of sheer artistry. . . . Mr. Sykora’s recital here, fully justified the comment made upon the cellist by Frederick Stock, who said of him: “Bogumil Sykora is in a class by himself.”—Rockford Morning Star, October 4, 1922.
Much has been written in recent years about certain cello virtuosos who perform on this instrument as though it were a violin. What is meant by that is that these experts have tremendous fingering and bowing skill and their possession of it in most cases is not to be gainsaid. Only there is a difference in the case of Sykora. He evokes the true smooth, vibrant and round tone of the violin from his bigger fiddle and, in the running of chromatics, he is the superior of any cellist heard here in recent years.—St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, November 17, 1922.
Sykora’s distinguishing trait as a cellist is the facility with which he works out passages of extreme delicacy. Some eastern reviewers have compared his work to that of a violinist, and the comparison
Mishkin Photo
BOGUMIL SYKORA
is not extreme. In soft passages and harmonics he delights, even to the extent of overdoing the pianissimo effects, for sometimes he ended a composition so softly that one on the fourth row of seats from the stage could see the bow move but could not hear a sound.— The St. Louis Star, November 17, 1922.
Mr. Sykora charmed non-musicians to almost the same extent as those with technical attainments. His superb mastery of the instrument, beautiful tone and nobility of conception are rarely equalled. The speed and technic rivalled that of the most skillful violinist.— Lincoln State Journal.
Sykora, considered by many the greatest living cellist in the world, displayed technic and beauty of interpretation that was a marvel to all. He plays with a strength that is amazing, but the delicate qualities of the numbers are never lost.—Quincy Journal.
Bogumil Sykora proved himself to be one of the greatest masters of the cello.—The Birmingham News.
46
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS
Mona Bates Receives Warm Praise
Mona Bates, the young Canadian pianist, who has returned from London, England, where her artistic playing was greatly admired, was heard in recital in the grand ball room of the Hotel Connaught in Hamilton, Ontario, on December 5, when she scored another big triumph, as the following extracts from leading Hamilton papers will prove: Music-lovers, as well as musicians, were out in large numbers to greet Miss Bates, the fact that she is a former resident of this city, combined with the many laudatory notices of her talents by the foremost critics of New York and of the Dominion, serving to
Photo by F. A. Swaine, London
MONA BATES
attract a capacity audience. Artistically and socially, the recital was a pronounced success. That the reputation which had preceded her had been justly earned appeared to be the unanimous opinion of those present. ... A slender young woman, giving an impression of fragility, Miss Bates nevertheless gives an astonishing display of forcefulness and power, surmounting technical difficulties with apparent ease.—Hamilton (O'nt.) Spectator.
Dignity, sincerity and simplicity mark her playing. ... It is the case with many young and brilliant performers that their technic conceals rather than fulfills its true purpose of revealing their musical endowments. But this is not so with MisS Bates, whose remarkable executional ability never enters the realm of gymnastics, but supports an elevated and dignified expression which is essentially musical, and her playing is entirely free from any eccentricities or mannerisms. . ־. . Electrified the audience into a realization of the remarkable virility and authority of her playing. The essential spirit of this beautiful sonata (Waldstein) was expressed by this young pianist in a performance that was not only brilliant but also beautiful. And nothing on the program showed Miss Bates’ exquisite pianissimo effects to better advantage than the D flat Chopin Prelude, played with a real magic of touch and tone.—Hamilton (Ont.) Herald.
Claire Dux’s Southern Triumphs
Singing in Fort Worth on January 4 and in Jacksonville, Fla., on January 8, Claire Dux continued the successes which have marked her Southern tour. Brief excerpts from newspaper comments on these recitals indicate the scope of her acclaim:
To hear Claire Dux sing Schubert’s Du bist die Ruh is to hear a succession of perfect tones producing unbroken beauty. Those who did not hear Madame Dux sing the exquisite Caro Nome from Rigoletto, deprived themselves of a musical experience. She was repeatedly encored and responded generously.—Star-Telegram, Fort Worth.
Appearing first in the artists’ course, under the management of Davies and Davies, Claire Dux, prima donna soprano of the Chicago Opera Company, came to the Duval Theater last night and delighted a large and critical audience. The young woman was not well icnown in this part of the country previously and it was on the assurance of the local managers that the greater number of auditors came out to hear her. They soon found that it was to be an evening of real pleasure and later became enthusiastic as the beauty of the singer’s voice and excellence of the program were realized. Miss Dux very soon proved her ability as an artist and it seemed as though each number added to her popularity. Particularly pleasing in the high register, her voice is bird-like in its verity and range amplified in trills, sustained tones way above the staff, and a pianissimo that few have shown since Sembrich charmed her audiences here years ago.—Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville.
Miss Dux’s program selection took her hearers from the simple, but -ver effective Annie Laurie to such heights as the deeply coloriui and dramatic Aria from The Pearl Fishers by Bizet, and from the deeply and sweetly solemn Schubert’s Ave Maria to the laughter-
October, November, December Booked January, February, March Now Booking
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DANIEL MAYER
Aeolian Hall	New York
Coloratura Soprano
Metropolitan Opera Company
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ST. DENIS TED SHAWN
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