MUSICAL COURIER
6
AMAYA, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR MADRID,
HAS ITS FIRST PERFORMANCE IN BILBAO
New Opera Is Given an Interesting Open Air Performance in Bilbao Under the Belgian Conductor, Armand Marsick—A Basque Opera, in Basque, and Full of Basque Folk Melodies—Discovered, a Composer—Keeping the Bolsheviks Out of Spain—Rosenthal Delights—A Female Composer
March 15, 1923
succeeds in rising above dilettantism, she may yet achieve a fairly high aim.
But, after all, it is not much different with the men : a pleasant gift is discovered; dragged to the light of publicity too soon; spoiled by the applause of friends, and in the
EMMY KRUGER
who scored in a special performance of Tristan in Madrid, winning the acclaim of the entire Spanish press.
end the fruits promised by a hopeful flavor do not appear. That diligence is the greater part of genius—that fact has not been discovered in Spain thus far. Dr. Edgar Istel
Oratorios to Be Heard at Central Park Concerts
A remarkable series of free concerts are to be given in Central Park during the coming summer by the Goldman Band under the direction of Edwin Franko Goldman. Besides the usual instrumental programs, arrangements are being made to produce such works as Handel’s Messiah, Verdi’s Requiem and Rossini’s Stabat Mater with full band, large chorus and noted soloists. The entire Oratorio Society of New York will appear on the evening of June 16 and will render Verdi’s Requiem. Albert Stoessel, the conductor of the society, has been invited to conduct this work.
Mr. Goldman and his band gave summer concerts at Columbia University during the past five seasons, but owing to the fact that new buildings are to be erected on the Green this year, were compelled to seek new quarters. The concerts, while supported through contributions, are absolutely free to the public—and are sponsored by a Citizens’ Committee, the list of which contains the names of people who are prominent in all walks of life.
Ruffo Begins Coast Dates
On March 8, Titta Ruffo, baritone, of the Metropolitan Opera Company, gave his first recital in Los Angeles. There has been considerable interest manifest in this coming tour of Mr. Ruffo’s, and both Los Angeles and San Francisco plan many social and municipal affairs in honor of this artist. Mr. Ruffo’s farewell appearance in America for this season will take place at the Hippodrome, New York City, on Sunday, April 8. He will sail immediately after for London.
Paderewski on Western Tour
Paderewski resumed his tour at San Francisco, March 8, after a rest of a week at his California ranch, Paso Robles. His other recitals during March were scheduled for Denver, March 12; Wichita, Kans., 16; Kansas City, Mo., 18; Omaha, 20; Des Moines, 21; Chicago, for his second recital tlr s season, March 24; and Indianapolis, March 25, which will be the pianist’s last appearance until after Easter.
France and partly to Spain, numbering about a half million in all. The source of their language, resembling Japanese in sound, is of the world’s oldest and has remained safeguarded from any Latin influence. How this could be possible with a language planted, so to speak, between those of Spain and France, is still a mystery. Tenacity of character and strictness in religion and morals distinguish the Basques, who still cling to their ancient domain with great affection.
The basis of the three-act lyric drama Amaya is found m the ancient hero-lore of these people and its text is after a romance of the Navarro Villoslada by José Maria Arroita-Jauregui. The music of Jesus Gurridi is arranged in a Basque version by José de Arrue. Space will not permit a description of the details which go back as far as the Eighth Century and concern the essentials_ of Paganism and Christianity, resulting ultimately in a victory for the cross.
An Eighth Century Plot.
The heroine of the story, Amaya, a tender maiden who, against her will, is betrothed to a pagan prince, loves a Christian prince, whom she eventually marries. The heathen, however, manages to make the husband doubt his wife’s fidelity, but in the end virtue triumphs over the heathen, who in his turn also becomes a Christian. This rather naive action is adorned by various customs—a Pagan feast of the moon, old Christian liturgies, etc., all of which give ample opportunity for musical display, but at the same time are dangerous obstacles to dramatic construction. Innumerable Basque folk melodies are interwoven in the score, giving the work an individual charm, but soon tire the non-Basque listener by their monotony, particularly so since the vocal style is declamatory rather than melodious. The large Basque audience naturally was elated and rewarded all the participants, especially Mme. Dahmen, with hearty applause.
Discovered : A Composer.
But why is there not more interest shown for the young Spaniards? Among new names I wish to mention Luis Aula, a young composer until recently isolated in Saragossa, and accidentally discovered by Arbos, who conducted the young composer’s orchestral suite, Poetic Pictures, with great success. Its third movement, entitled Peasant’s Festival, by reason of its crude originality, reminds one of a canvas by some old Holland master.
Another delineative suite, Cuadros, inspired by paintings of Goya, Velasquez and Rubens, is a splendid piece of orchestral writing by Moreno Torroba. The second movement, El bade en San Antonio de la Florida, proved such a genuine portrayal of Spanish folk life that the audience insisted on its repetition. Still another hitherto unheard work was The Dream of Eros, by Oscar Esplâ, a young Madrid composer influenced by the new French school. One of his latest works—one with which I was not acquainted—is a suite for orchestra which had its première in Vienna.
During the absence of Arbos, the Orquesta sinfonica, conducted by Concertmaster Julius Frances, has been heard in a number of popular concerts in which I have heard the well known Jota from the old opera Dolores and two new selections from Escenas Andaluzas by Breton, as well as his Marcha Saeta, one of the most original Spanish orchestral works of the day. Unfortunately the piece is still in manuscript. A sympathetic reception was accorded the Chilean composer Humberto Allende for his Tonadas ; tone pictures built on folk songs in which are utilized modern rhythm and harmony.
Keeping the Bolsheviks Out of Spain.
The Philharmonic concerts under Perez Casas have suffered greatly by reason of many postponements due to the continued illness of the conductor, and excepting for a few performances of works by Debussy and Ravel, there was little of interest. A concert of which much was expected, to be given by the Russian singer Kubitsky, was also postponed because the government would not allow the Russian to cross the Spanish border. The fear of Bolshevism in the Spanish Government is actually funny. The same experience befell Vladimir Rosing, who, though his passport was thoroughly in order, was not allowed to enter the country. Imagine Bolsheviks not finding a way to get into Spain if they really cared to, with or without passports . . .
Rosenthal, et al.
Among the virtuosos appearing in the usual repertory,• Moriz Rosenthal and his young colleague, Eduard Erdman, may be mentioned, the latter also because he made the useless attempt to awaken Madrid’s interest for the compositions of the youngest Berlin school of composition. But just that is his particular forte ; as an interpreter of the classics he met with little enthusiasm.
Delicious enjoyment was provided by Wanda Landowska, who unfolded the wonders of old music after a lecture by Prof. M. Guinard. In her program Couperin’s Folies Française, a precursor of Schumann’s Carnaval, occupied a significant place. Mme. Landowska, who always brings along a “new” antique, had a tremendous success with her strongly French audience.
A Female Composer.
Madrid, January 26.—As already stated in my last article, the concert season in Madrid has not witnessed anything especially noteworthy. The new three-fold amusement tax, which has been raised three hundred per cent, over its already prohibitive rate, has caused all the theaters, with one exception, to close. Concerts, too, have stopped, in protest against the government’s action.
A Caricature Boris.
The worst feature was the Russian opera. Moussorg-sky’s Boris Godounoff, advertised to be a great surprise, was awaited with tense interest. But Koussewitzsky, who was supposed to conduct Boris, was missed for the simple reason he was not engaged. The work was indifferently prepared, interpreted by third-class Russian singers, entire scenes were mutilated for "moral” reasons, and, finally, in place of the costumes and decorations supposed to have been ordered in Berlin, the public was offered the old local paraphernalia, with the result that instead of a work of genius
MME. CHARLOTTE DAHMEN-CHAO, who created the title part of the •Basque Opera, Amaya, in Bilbao.
we heard and saw a caricature. No wonder the success was moderate, particularly-since the usual subscription audience, concerned chiefly about social aspects of opera, was not capable of judging the merits of such a work.
Schilling’s Mona Lisa Heard.
Of the French repertory, there was only Thais, with the usual Genevieve Vix, who has sung the title role here for years, while the Italian works never strayed from the paths of Aida and Tosca. As a novelty we had Schilling’s Mona Lisa in Italian conducted by the composer. Of all the novelties promised this was the only one that materialized. Incidentally, the regular German productions have only been of average quality, with the exception of one performance of Tristan in which Walter Kirchhof and Emmy Kruger, together with the young conductor Franz von Hoesslin, reached a high degree of artistic excellence. Mme. Kruger, especially, earned the critics’ highest praise throughout.
Black and White.
Kirchhof, just back from a South American tour of sixty-five successful appearances, has never appeared to better advantage, vocally and histrionically, than at present. He tells a funny experience he had in Sao Paulo while singing Lohengrin. The trumpet player, being a Negro, was not permitted to show himself as a white trumpeter on the stage, since the law does not permit Negroes to disguise themselves as white, though, of course, whites are allowed to blacken their faces if they like. Kirchhoff’s partner in Lohengrin and Meistersinger was Charlotte Dahmen, who likewise enjoys a distinguished^ place in Madrid court and society circles. This sympathetic artist and master of languages, through her marriage to the singing teacher Chao, has become a Spanish subject. She recently sang the role of Desdemona here in Italian and in Bilbao appeared in the title part of Guirridi’s Amaya, using the difficult Basque vernacular.
OPEN AIR OPERA IN BILBAO (SPAIN) Amaya, by Gurridi, a Basque Opera, sung in Basque.
A Basque Opera—in Basque.	jn conclusion I must record—es-
This opera, Amaya, was scheduled to be given this season pecially in view of the conservatism in Madrid in the official	Spanish (Castilian) language, with	of Spanish women m	general—the
Mme. Dahmen, but that	is as far as it got. Another of the	appearance of a female composer,
many promises! However, in view of its open-air perform- Señorita Carmen Barradas, sister of anee in Bilbao under the well known Belgian conductor,	the well known painter, Rafael Bar-
Armand Marsicl*, now director of the Bilbao Conservatory,	radas. She gave a concert of her
its discussion here is justified.	own compositions — little piano
The Basques are an ancient individual race of people of	sketches which betray	a pretty but
doubtful origin, living	in a territory belonging partly to	insufficiently developed	talent. If she