March 8, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
28
Wagnerian Opera Festival
GERMAN OPERA COMPANY REPEATS
PREVIOUS OFFERINGS WITH SUCCESS
Visiting Company Finds the Manhattan Opera House Audiences Most Enthusiastic—Old Favorites Well Given
Zador as Alberich, of Kipnis as Hagan, and of Hofbauer as Gunther (usually rather a weak-sister) were tremendously forceful, and served to remind one, lest one should have forgotten it, how great a poet and dramatist Wagner was.
Jacques Urlus, who sang the role of Siegfried, is too well known here for what he is and what he is not to call for detailed comment. Maria Lorentz-Hoellischer as Briinnhilde was at her best in the most dramatic portions of the work. At the scene of the oath and the final scene she was powerfully impressive. Elsa Wuhler was an attractive Gutrune and sang well. The work was held together in a most masterly manner by conducter Eduard Moerike.
Die Fledermaus, March 2 (Evening).
On _ Friday night, a capital performance of Strauss’ sparkling comic opera delighted a large audience, principal honors going to Editha Fleischer as Adele, Heinz Bollmann as Van Eisenstein, and Marcella Roeseler as his wife. Nor must one forget the especially clever and amusing work of Rudolph Hofbauer as the Warden.
The singers were in particularly good voice and sang their music with a dash that set the audience in a happy mood. During the second and third acts the orchestra, under Eugen Gottlieb, the conductor of the evening, gave a beautiful reading of the ever popular Blue Danube.
The presentation of Die Fledermaus by such an admirable company made one wish that more of these light operas would be given in New York.
Der Fliegende Hollaender, March 3 (Matinee).
As a matinee attraction the German artists sang The Flying Dutchman. The Manhattan was only about two-thirds filled, this no doubt was due to the unusually fine weather Saturday afternoon. The audience was there to enjoy the splendid performance and gave the singers numerous recalls which they deserved. The cast was practically the same as heard on previous occasions. Meta Seinemeyer as Senta was in unusually good voice and after the second act she was recalled many times. The rest of the cast were: Ernst Lehmann, Adolph. Lussmann, Jessyka Koet-trik, Friedrich Plaschke and Paul Schwarz.
Sunday Night Concert.
A crowded house greeted the singers who appeared on the program, Sunday night, at the Manhattan Opera House. It was a Richard Wagner concert, and those who appeared were all members of the German Opera Company. Eduard Moerike conducted.
To begin with, there were three numbers from Tannhäuser—the overture; Song of the Evening Star, sung by Frederich Schorr,^ and well sung and well liked even if he did have to use his music; and the aria of Elizabeth, sung by Elsa Wuhler, who was also recalled several times.
Then came Lohengrin. Moerike gave the overture a capital reading, after which appeared Robert Hutt with the Tale of the Grail. Here is indeed a singer worth watching and the audience was not slow in showing its keen approval, calling him back five times to acknowledge the applause. The introduction to the third act and the Bridal Chorus were superbly done by the chorus of sixty singers.
■ Ottilie Metzger contributed three songs by Wagner, with orchestra accompaniment, which were delightful. After this came the Tristan and Isolde Introduction and Liebestod, in which Elsa Alsen scored the biggest success of the evening. From Die Meistersinger was offered the introduction to the third act and the Address of Hans Sachs, in which Friedrich and the chorus did notably.
All in all it was a treat, and the huge audience seemed thoroughly delighted.
Engagements and Reengagements for Harvard
Among the forthcoming engagements for Sue Harvard are appearances in Milwaukee, March 8; East Chicago, Ind., March 10, and a Mozart Society concert in New York, April 17. On May 6 Miss Harvard will appear for the fourth consecutive season in Indianapolis, with the Mannerchor Society. During the summer she will again sing in Wales. In September she has been reengaged for the Capitol District Convention of the Kiwanis Club to be held in Baltimore.
Cortot on Way to the Coast
On his way to the Coast, Alfred Cortot will give a recital in Prescott, Ariz., on March 16. His Coast tour begins on March 20, with an appearance in Los Angeles. He will be heard in joint recital with Jacques Thibaud on March 22 in Palo Alto and on March 25 in San Francisco
A Son to Mr. and Mrs. Victor Harris
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Harris announce the birth of a son David Taylor Harris. They already have two children, a boy, Victor, and a girl, Mary Grace. Mrs. Harris was Catherine Richardson before she married the noted composer and conductor in 1916.
Hageman Opens New York Studio
Richard Hageman, the well known conductor, vocal coach and accompanist, who has been in Chicago the past winter, has returned to New York and opened a studio there. For the present Mr. Hageman will teach at the Hotel Ansonia.
John Charles Thomas to Sing in New York
John Charles Thomas will give his last recital before going abroad, on Sunday afternoon, March 18, at Aeolian Hall. His program is comprised of Old Italian, German French and English groups.
Patterson Popular at American Music Festival
For_ the third consecutive year, Idelle Patterson, the charming coloratura soprano, has been engaged for the forthcoming American Music Festival in Buffalo next October,
Siegfried, February 26 (Matinee).
Siegfried was given as the third of the matinee Ring Cycle by the Germans at the Manhattan Opera House on February 26 before a very large and attentive audience. The performance was generally excellent except for some mechanical imperfections for which the house is probably chiefly responsible, as these things cannot be introduced into a theater for a season of only three or four weeks. The customary steam curtain, shimmering light effects, wandering dragons and the like, can only be entirely satisfactory in opera houses where these Wagnerian works are part of the regular repertory and no expense is spared in building up a complete mechanical background for the Wagnerian magic. However, everybody seemed to be willing to overlook such shortcomings. Indeed, we all ought to be, for even a little Wagner is better than none, and the splendid enthusiasm of the artists and directors of the Germany company, their understanding of the Wagner tradition, their fine pronunciation of the text, their obvious sincerity, are a genuine delight after the sort of apologetic Wagner we have been getting at the Metropolitan, where, apparently, nobody really cares for it, and it takes its place as an unwelcome guest.
It hardly seems necessary to enter into detailed criticism of the artists who took the principal parts in this performance. They were all uniformly excellent: Lussmann as Siegfried, Schwarz as Mime, Lattermann as Wotan, Hegar as Alberich, Ottilie Metzger as Erde, and Eva von der Osten as Briinnhilde. The orchestra was conducted by Eduard Moerike; it seemed almost too subdued from where we sat, but that is better than too much noise.
Das Rheingold, February 26 (Evening).
Another interesting performance of Wagner’s Das Rhein-gold was given by the German singers on Monday evening. The house was packed to capacity. The singers, without exception, imbued their work with marked sincerity. The roles were in the hands of such capable artists as Friederich Schorr as Wotan, Paul Schwarz as Loge, Desider Zador as Alberich, Edwin Steier as Mime, Alexander Kipnis and Eric Schubert as the giants, Benno Ziegler as Donner, and Heinz Bollmann as Froh. The female roles were unusually well cast: Emma Basth as Fricka, Hede Mex as Freia, Ottilie Metzer as Erda, Editha Fleischer as Woglinda, Lotte Baldamus as Wellgunde, and Jessika Kostrick as Flosshilde.
The opera was conducted throughout with sincerity by Eduard Moerike.
Die Walküre, February 27.
Die Walküre was repeated at the Manhattan on Tuesday evening and again a very large audience waxed enthusiastic over the excellent singing and acting of these German singers. It was the third performance of this work at the Thirty-fourth street house and, as at the two previous performances, Jacques Urlus was the Siegmunde, and Eva von der Osten the Sieglinde. Elsa Alsen appeared again as Brünnhilde, Ottilie Metzger as Fricka, and Plaschke and Lehmann as Wotan and Hunding. Mr. Blech conducted.
While the singing generally was splendid, perhaps first honors ought to go to the conductor for the masterful way he handled the orchestra. Urlus, Eva von der Osten, and Ottilie Metzger were at their best, and deserving of no less praise was Plaschke’s interpretation of the role of Wotan. The valkyries were likewise excellent.
Meistersinger, February 28.
Claire Dux was the Eva of the evening and a most attractive damsel did she turn out to be, for she looked pretty, acted archly, and sang with tonal charm and finished knowledge of the phrasing and delivery. She made the lyrical numbers in which she participated reveal their full grace and beauty, and she showed complete knowledge of the Wagner manner in singing.
Schorr repeated his fine and justly admired presentation of Sachs. Hutt again was a manly and tuneful Walther, and Kipins once more did his dignified and appealing version of Pogner. Leo Blech conducted, as was to be expected, with rare and splendid mastery.
Götterdämmerung, March 2 (Matinee).
Götterdämmerung was given by the Germans on Friday afternoon before an amazingly large audience, even a large number of standees braving the exhaustion of nearly five Wagnerian hours. The work was given almost without cuts, both the Noras scene and the Waltraute scene being included. The latter might well be excluded, but it is a shame that the Nora scene should ever have been omitted from the Metropolitan production. The fact is, however, that Götterdämmerung is the most impossible of the Wagner operas because it is the longest and, at the same time, the most beautiful. There is hardly anything in it that can be cut without real loss. There are no tiresome spots in this work, and most of the scenes are not only tremendously powerful, but also essential to the unfolding of the drama. The Bayreuth solution of a split performance is the only possible one.
As was to have been expected, the Manhattan production was by no means perfect. The orchestra left much to be desired, both as to tonality and as to the actual playing of the notes. Still, it was all very impressive, and one cannot but be amazed that it is possible to pick up such an orchestra of disengaged musicians in this, or any, city. Evidently, in normal times, the supply exceeds the demands. All the more reason why such opera as the Germans are giving us should be made permanent, since the Metropolitan management has made up its mind that Americans are too stupid, too uncultured and too unmusical to patronize opera as serious as that of Wagner!
In spite of orchestral weaknesses and rather inadequate scenic and lighting effects, this was a deeply impressive performance. As has already been pointed out, these artists know the Wagner tradition and give a force and power to the production which cannot be done by those who try to make Wagner vocal and “sing” the parts. To anyone who understands German it is a delight to listen to this vivid enunciation and to be able to follow the progress of the drama almost word for word. It was only the rare passage that could not be understood. The utterances of
MARIA
CARRERAS
“THE MOST STRIKING NEW PIANISTIC FIGURE, WITHOUT DOUBT, APPEARING HERE THIS SEASON IS THIS ARTIST.”
—N. Y. Herald, Jan. 23, 1923. ------<s>--
AT HER SECOND NEW YORK APPEARANCE ON THE 26th OF FEBRUARY, MARIA CARRERAS EMPHASIZES THE TRIUMPH OBTAINED AT HER DEBUT.
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“M M E. CARRERAS PLAYED WITH A POWER INTELLECTUALLY KEEN AND SHOWED IN RICH ABUNDANCE IMAGINATION, DRAMATIC ELOQUENCE AND TECHNICAL MASTERY. HER KNOWLEDGE OF HER SCORES AS TO NOTES WAS FLAWLESS AND HER PHRASING CLEAR AND ADMIRABLE.
—N. Y. Herald, Feb. 27, 1923. AVAILABLE UNTIL 15th OF MAY
TOUR 1923-1924 NOW BOOKING
Management
LOUDON CHARLTON
Carnegie Hall, New York City
BALDWIN PIANO