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MUSICAL COURIER
CURRENT MUSICAL PRIZES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
[The Musical Courier will endeavor to keep this department up to date and to that end requests that all notices and prospectuses of musical prize contests be sent to the Musical Courier so as to be included in this department. It will be found that in each contest the name and address are given, to which intending candidates may apply directly for further information. Manuscripts are submitted at the risk of the composer.—Editor’s Note.]
Zuro Grand Opera Company (Details of contest in Musical Courier for January 25)—$100, $75, $50 and $25 for the designs of settings for any one of the following operas: Aida, Carmen, Faust, Rigo-letto. Contest ends April 15. Opera Design Contest, Carona Mundi, Inc., 312 West Fifty-fourth street, New York.
American Academy in Rome (details in issue January 4)—Fellowship in Musical Composition open to unmarried men who are citizens of the United States. Applications will be received until March 1. Roscoe Guernsey, executive secretary, American Academy in Rome, 101 Park avenue, New York.
Institute of Musical Art (details in issue January 25)—Three free scholarships for the special course in interpretation, beginning February 12, under Carl Friedberg. Preliminary hearing at the Institute of Musical Art, 120 Claremont avenue, New York, on February 4 at 3:00 p. m.
her audience spellbound. Accuracy and purity are the basis of all Miss Macbeth’s charming effects and her voice is so perfectly controlled that it responds without apparent effort to all demands. Her excellent diction and brilliant technic complete her finished style.— Joplin, Mo., Globe.
Sedalia music lovers last night were entranced by the finished interpretation and the charming personality of Florence Macbeth, prima donna coloratura soprano of the Chicago Opera. “Worthy of GalU-Curci” was the decision of many.—Sedalia, Mo., Capital.
No singer ever more completely captivated her audience than did Florence Macbeth, celebrated American soprano, coloratura of the Chicago Opera, in her concert Tuesday night. Not only did her singing charm her hearers, but her winning personality and Sim-plicity of manner won the hearts of all. After each appearance the singer was recalled repeatedly. In the Echo Song did Miss Macbeth display the wonderful qualities which compare so favorably with the great Galli-Curci.—Louise Donnelly, Sedalia, Mo., Democrat.
Miss Macbeth is much more than a coloratura. Although she does the fireworks with ease and charm, she puts more than display into them, as anyone who heard her Caro Nome last night could see. She has a feeling for the melodic line of what she sings and draws it beautifully.—Kansas City, Mo., Times.
She penetrates the very heart of her listener with her God’s in His Heaven, All’s Right with the World. The Vesper Hymn was as a prayer, so fervent was its spirit. A tone as clear as a bell reverberated in the Norwegian Echo Song, Kum Kyra, which immediately won for her an ovation.—Kansas City Journal.
son Mr. Risman purposes a whole recital, and it may then be seen how varied is his present accomplishment; but he already has to his credit an uncommonly successful debut. In his hands Bruch’s concerto, a piece of by no means remarkable interest, seemed for the time genuinely persuasive.
Engagements for Ellerman and Goxe
Amy Ellerman, contralto, will be one of the soloists when The Stabat Mater is given at the Plaza February 18, under the auspices of the Marquette Club of New York. January 28 she appeared in joint recital with Calvin Coxe, tenor, in Brooklyn, N. Y.
NYIRECYHAZI
(Pronounced NEAR-ECH-HAHZI)
“Highly imaginative artist with creative genius.”—Boston Globe. Management; R. E. JOHNSTON Associates: L. G. BREID and PAUL LONGONE 1451 Broadway, New York City KNABE PIANO USED	AMPICO RECORDS
Bürgin Pupil Wins Praise
Quite unusual was the praise bestowed on Julius Risman, a young violinist of this city, after his recent appearance as soloist with the People’s Symphony Orchestra in Boston. Mr. Risman, who has been coaching for some time with Richard Bürgin, concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, played Bruch’s second concerto, winning the following commendation from the reviewer of the Boston Transcript:
Not yet in his nineteenth year, Mr. Risman, now a pupil of Richard Bürgin, seemed yesterday a violinist of rare promise. With apparent ease he passed safely through the most trying portions of this difficult Concerto—an occasional lapse in intonation may have been caused by nervousness—and his tone had the warm glow, the sensuous quality that bespeaks the born violinist. Later in the sea-
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February 1, 1923
with elegance and taste, and although Mr. Havens made no attempt to storm high heaven in the finale, his relatively reticent way with it was by no means unplausible. There have been thundering performances 0( this music that brought only a sense of futile din. With Chopin* also, and with Liszt as well, Mr. Havens seemed content not־ to probe beneath the surface for obscure meanings or to force the music beyond natural bounds. . . . To these things (of Respighi) Bax’s piece, of Celtic folk song flavor, made efficient contrast. Mr. Havens played, all four expertly, with fine understanding of the intentions of either composer.
Said the critic of the Boston Globe:
Mr. Havens played with sound musicianship. He has mastered the technic of his instrument. His interpretations are never freakish. He played Liszt’s hackneyed rhapsody with a restraint and clarity that set an example much needed by most amateurs and many professional pianists.
The reviewer of the Christian Science Monitor declared:
The pianist drew effectively the pastoral line across the hazy and poetic background. ... An interesting and unhackneyed program, played with technical expertness and musicianly feeling.
De Kyzer Enthuses Greensboro
Marie De Kyzer; soprano, sang in concert and church on a recent engagement in Greensboro, S. C., and next day there appeared the following in a local paper:
OF METHOD AND MELODY.
Editor of The Daily News:	.
Those who heard Miss De Kyzer sing last Sunday will never forget. She sings perfectly natural. Just the sweet melody God has given her. No guttural or unearthly noise like the reverse or backing a Ford car. I wish I could express it in the new terms of cultivated voice, or rather what some think is a sign of a cultivated voice. If one of these so-called cultivated voices should sing the old familiar hymn, Amazing Grace, how Sweet the Sound, not a human being could understand a word he uttered, unless the preacher, as in the old days, “lined out” the hymn in advance.
There is, however, some consolation for me. We have a sweet, bird-like voice that sometimes sings a solo just for me, the sweetest and most heavenly song, the one among the many gospel songs I love so much; He’s My Friend.	.
When she sings He’s My Friend, I get religion, just full of it, and the devil has a hard time pounding it out of my soul the following week. It is a wonderful thing to keep a man religious for a week.	Reader.
Norfleet Trio in Texas and Tennessee
More press praise anent the Norfleet Trio is reprinted herewith:
It was a large and expectant audience that greeted the Norfleet Trio upon the occasion of its second appearance here. . . . Nor did the anticipated musical treat fall short in the slightest degree of the high ideals which this group of distinguished artists has established. Much local interest attended the event because of the fact that Helen Norfleet, pianist, was a former artist-pupil of Harold Von Mickwitz, director of St. Mary’s Institute. Catherine Norfleet, violinist, played with the same beauty of intonation, clarity and assurance of interpretive thought which has won for her such fame, while the cello work of Leeper Norfleet was of that charming and interesting character for which he is. so well known. The mastery of Helen Norfleet, pianist, was particularly well exemplified in her adequate technic, sincerity and understanding, making a remarkable supporting background for the brilliant tone-pictures suggested by the strings.—Dallas Times-Herald.
The ensemble playing was consistently unified and colored. Leeper Norfleet, cellist, whose solo number, The Swan, was warmly received, has the proper restraint and attack, while Catherine Norfleet, a violinist of fine quality, lends the necessary brilliance and fluency. Helen Norfleet, who is the backbone of this able group, is a pianist of pure and flawless technic with a contagious sense of rhythm and a finesse of interpretation that is outstandm״ This is, in truth, an ensemble of the highest musicianship, of rare temper and intelligence, and of vast value to appreciation of the content and texture of musical composition.—Memphis, Tenn.
By far the heaviest thing on the program was the Tschaikowsky trio .	. Helen Norfleet at the piano, Catherine Norfleet with
the violin, and Leeper Norfleet with the cello, have played so much together that the three instruments actually give the effect of one. All three are finished artists, and they are undoubtedly among the leading exponents of chamber music in the United btates. ine Norfleets were presented by the Music Study Club, members ot which received tne guests at the door.—The Dallas Morning News.
A large and appreciative audience enjoyed the Norfleet Trio, presented under the auspices of the Harmony Club. The offering far exceeded the expectations of the listeners, and each number brought forth a greater amount of applause. The Staccatto Etude, by Kubin-stein, was played superbly by Helen Norfleet, the pianist, and the solos on the cello and violin each thrilled the audience. Corpus Christi, Tex.
Seldom has a musical performance of such artistic merit been given here, as the Chamber concert by the Norfleet Trio. Helen Norfleet, piano, Catherine Norfleet, violin, Leeper Norfleet, cello, compose the trio. These young musicians have won wide^ recognition for their musicianly attainments, and for the splendid standards set by American performers of chamber music. The program was taxing, but played with unfailing ease, spirit and brilliancy. Opening with the intricate trio in A minor, by Tschaikowski, three delicate compositions, by Rameau, won an enthusiastic encore, wkh was responded to with a captivating Indian Dance, by Charles Wakefield Cadman. Leeper Norfleet caught the.attention of the audience with his cello solos and increased the fine impression made by his artistry by a dance in Spanish rhythms.—Dallas Journal.
Powell Applauded to the Echo
A Boston audience which heard John Powell in recital applauded him to the echo in a program which included an unusually beautiful performance of the Waldstem sonata. Of this, the Boston Herald said:
Freely granting that the prime purpose of a concert is not to teach but to please, nevertheless one may make bold to thank Mr. Powell for two object lessons he gave his hearers yesterday. It was refreshing to note the pains which Mr. Powell, intelligent man that he is, knew very well that he must spend on the Waldstem sonata to make it attractive today. By a free though subtle use of the long scale of tonal colors at his command and likewise through cleverly accentuating every variation of rhythm, Mr Powell made of this sonata, which can indeed sound monstrous dull, music of vitality with a dazzle to it, a touch of the rhapsodical.
The Post remarked: “John Powell’s recital was an example of beautiful pianistic art as well as of the musician-ship and the intellectual background which have always been felt in Mr. Powell’s playing. He rejoiced his hearers by the poetic and sensitive spirit of his interpretations.
More Critical Endorsement for Macbeth
That Florence Macbeth, coloratura soprano of the Chicago Civic Opera Company, is establishing herself securely in the esteem of music lovers throughout the country may be seen from some of the following criticisms which have appeared in the newspapers in cities she has recently visited on her coast to coast tour:
She captivated her* audience from the first with her spontaneity, winsome manner and dulcet tones. A golden flood of notes pure and clear and delicately lovely, like the warbling of a lark that cannot help but sing.—Cynthia Grey, Denver, Colo., Express.
The appeal of her artistic performance was always intensified by her magnetic and unaffected stage presence.—Lucille Stubbs, Denver News.	_____
From the first group to the final encore the singer, with her platform manner of unaffected ease, compelling dramatic power and glorious voice that poured from her throat with superlatrve ease, held
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