March 22, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
8
Wagnerian Opera Festival
FIDELIO GIVEN IN NEW YORK FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS
German Opera Company Revives Beethoven Work Before a Large and Interested Audience—Other Favorite Offerings
Repeated with Success
for his final session at the Wagnerian Festival, and he again gave ample evidence of his fine art with the baton. He ranks with the best German conductors heard here, like Mottl and Muck. New York should have the privilege of hearing him again soon.
Jacques Urlus did his usual Siegmund, an excellent impersonation. Mme. von der Osten was the Sieglinde, Mme. Lorenz-Hoellischer the Briinnhilde, Mme. Metzger, the Fricka, Plaschke the Wotan and Lehmann the Hunding. A’ large audience applauded rapturously.
Fidelio, March 17 (Matinee).
For the first time in -New York since 1916, Beethoven’s rather unpopular Fidelio was heard. It was the offering of the German singers at the Saturday matinee of March 17 and was listened to by a large and apparently interested audience. It cannot be said that the work was well sung or acted as -a whole, but there were several artists whose singing and acting was most commendable and, therefore, stood out prominently. These were Elsa Alsen as Leonora, Friedrich Schorr as Pizzaro, and Alexander Kipnis as Rocco.
Mme. Alsen was an imposing looking Leonora, whose voice was heard to advantage. She sang and acted her part with distinction, winning instant favor. Mr. Schorr certainly was not heard in the best light, but he did all he could with the role, and that is all that could be expected. His work in other roles has been such that, upon this occasion, it seemed to suffer. Mr. Kipnis lent his fine voice to his part of the music in a manner that added much to the strength of the performance. Others in the cast were Editha Fleischer as Marcellina, Harry Steier as Jacquino, and Robert Hutt as Florestan. Moericke conducted.
Lohengrin, March 17.
The German Opera Company repeated Lohengrin on Saturday night, before a very large audience. Heinrich Knote in the title part, Marcella Roeseler as Elsa, Ernst Lehmann as Henry, Theodore Lattermann as Frederick, Ot-tilie Metzger as Ortrud and Benno Ziegler as the King’s Herald made up the excellent cast. Ernest Knoch conducted and well deserved a big share of the success of the evening. Knote was exceptionally good as Elsa’s defender, and both Roeseler and Metzger pleased the audience immensely.
cast were Marie Edelle, a youthful Desdemona with sweet voice of high range; Amadeo Baldi, Philip Culcasi, C. Sorgi, and V. Moscato. They knew the difficult music thoroughly, and a smooth performance resulted.
Part II consisted of living pictures, beginning with The Mummers of Old, directed by Mrs. Watson; The Uninvited Guest, Anna Carter, assisted by Bruce Adams (she was afterward specially introduced as the well-known original of many front-page magazine pictures) ; A Night in Spain, with much Carmen music; dance, The Tango of Death, by Anna Palmer and Paul Mercuro; a dance en masque, by Priscilla Delano Watari; and closing with the feature of the evening, a tableau, showing Florence Foster Jenkins as the Snow Queen, radiantly handsome in white, with her partner, Joseph Mitchell as Snow King. A Snow Bird dance by Constance Nies (to Tschaikowsky’s November music) was well done, and all the tableaux vivants brought big applause. Following the president’s appearance as Snow Queen, Bruce Adams made a brief speech to her, telling of the love all bore her, of their devotion to the Verdi Club and its fine president, etc. Responding, Mrs. Jenkins thanked the various chairmen for making the past year, and this operatic presentation and tableaux, the best in the history of the club; thanked conductor Avitabile, the costumer, stage manager, etc., and alluded to the splendid support she always had from her officers and members. Then Mr. Adams (author of two poems in her praise, printed in the program) presented her with a handsome velvet box, which was later found to contain a beautiful platinum wrist-watch, set with at least fifty diamonds, the gift of the members. Blushing becomingly, President Jenkins accepted with modesty, and following the curtain, Orlando and his orchestra furnished music for the ball, which lasted until 4 a. m. Boxholders. included many prominent naval and military officials, patrons who filled them all, and there were printed photographs of such leading officials of Verdi as Mrs. Oscar Gemunder, Mrs. Arthur H. Bridge, Mrs. Charles Dorrance Foster (mother of the president), Mrs. John S. Watson, and of course President Jenkins, the latter also being reproduced with this notice.
Erie to Hear Gray-Lhevinne Next Season
Mrs. Eva McCoy has had a most successful concert series at Erie, Pa., with Farrar, Rachmaninoff, Graveure, Salvi, Hempel with Coenraad Bos at the piano, and ending with Kreisler.
Mrs. McCoy has just secured a date for a recital on December 10 next, by that popular violinist, Estelle Gray-Lhevinne, who has been making a. unique record for capacity audiences this winter. This will be the first Erie concert by Gray-Lhevinne.
Levitzki to Play in Des Moines
Mischa Levitzki has been engaged for the George F. Ogden series of concerts in Des Moines (la.) next season.
Remember the Name
MAX GEGNA
Russian Cellist
Siegfried, March 13.
On Tuesday evening, Siegfried was repeated by the German singers at the Lexington Opera House, the cast being the same as previously. Siegfried was given a memorable characterization by Adolph Lussmann, and Edward Steier as Mime again wrote his name in glowing letters. Plaschke, as the Wanderer, was most convincing, and Ottilie Metzger was as ever admirable as Erda. Höllischer was a splendid Briinnhilde, and others contributing good support were Lester Hegar as Alberich, Erik Schubert as Fafner, and Editha Fleischer as the Bird. Moerike conducted.
Götterdämmerung, March 14.
The Briinnhilde of Elsa Alsen was a truly impressive performance, her portrayal of the dignity, tenderness, passion, and nobility of the great Amazon being one of the finest ever heard here. Vocally, too, the Alsen version appealed tremendously, what with her fresh, full voice and her keenly intelligent use of it, both for singing and musical purposes. She scored a cyclonic hit with her hearers. Jacques Urlus gave his familiar and thoroughly artistic and convincing Siegfried. Mme. Metzger was an authoritative Erda. The Hagen, as done by Kipnis, registered all his sinister import. Zador was the Alberich. Moerike conducted excellently.
Tannhäuser, March IS.
On Thursday evening, Tannhäuser was repeated with a cast made up for the principals of Adolph Lussmann as Tannhäuser, Friedrich Schorr as Wolfram von Eschenbach, Meta Seinemeyer as Elizabeth, Erna Ohlsen as Venus, and Lottie Baldamus as the Shepherd. A principal feature of the evening was the first appearance with the company of Ernest Knoch as conductor. Knoch is no stranger here, for he was with the Century Opera and has since conducted with the San Carlo. He is one of the acknowledged masters of Wagner today, and he put a vim and vigor into the performance which is often missed, the besetting fault of most of the German Wagner conductors being their inclination to drag all the tempos. Mr. Knoch’s work was thoroughly appreciated by the audience, which g_ave him special applause all for himself.
Die Walküre, March 16.
Leo Blech was saluted with a fanfare when he appeared
Verdi Club Opera and Ball
The tasteful cover design on the title-page of the sixteen-page program of the Verdi Club, with its colored illustrations of Verdi and his operatic heroes, the poet Shelley, the muses, etc. (from a sketch of President Florence Foster
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
Jenkins, by Annabel Krebs Culverwell), augured an interesting evening at the Waldorf-Astoria grand ballroom, New York, March IS.
The long program began promptly, and was over by 10:45 P.M., for which the founder and president, and her chief aid, Mrs. John S. Watson, chairman, are to be thanked. Acts IV and V from Otello (Verdi) were presented in full operatic style, with orchestra under conductor Avitabile (he knows his business thoroughly) and stage manager Trier. Carlo Milhau (French opera tenor from New Orleans) looked and sang the part of the jealous Moor splendidly; the closing big duet in the first act, with his big high A’s, brought rousing applause. Domenico Lombardi has a fine baritone voice, singing Iago most effectively. Emelia was sung by experienced Claire Spencer, who deserves credit for being managing director. Others in the very capable
America’s Contralto of International Fame
Season 1923-24 Now Booking
Orchestra-Engagements this season:
Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, Washington.
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, Cincinnati.
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Ossip Gabrilo-witsch, Detroit.
Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Nicolai Sokoloff, Cleveland.
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Artur Bodanzky, New York City.
Brahms Concert
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Artur Bodanzky, New York City.
Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde”
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, Indianapolis.
N. Y. Evening Mail: “If it is possible to find a definition of perfection it is in Mme. Cahier and her art. No finer personality is before the public on any kind of stage. No finer mistress of song mood and picture could be named, and few there are whose voice can be mentioned in the same breath with hers.”
Augustus Palme: “An artist for artists.”
W. J. Henderson, New York Herald:
“Mme. Cahier’s singing was profoundly moving. It was a noble flight of lyric interpretation, and it said much for the women as well as the artist.”
Pitts Sanborn, New York Globe: “Mme. Cahier sang with complete mastery.”
Personal Representative: ONA B. TALBOT,
N. Y. City, 132 West 58th Street Tel. 8827 Circle