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March 22, 1923	MUSICAL COURIER
ABOUT 10,000 MUSIC LOVERS ATTEND
BOSTON’S SUNDAY CONCERTS
Boston Symphony, Harvard Glee Club and Arthur Hackett Give Fine Rendition of Liszt’s Faust Symphony— Rachmaninoff, Kreisler, Colin O’More, Miquelle, Flute Players’ Club and Martino’s Orchestra Heard in Two Days
Orchestra. Richard Czerwonky is conductor of this excellent organization, which in the concerts given this season has established an enviable record of artistry and large houses of enthusiastic listeners.
Many comments of the press have been made, which speak in flattering terms of the orchestra and the progress made by these members of the Bush Orchestral School in the last few seasons. “An organization equal to any of the newer organizations in this part of the country,” “A symphony orchestra of rare merit,” “A crispness, snap and fervor where demanded, and a splendid flow and style.” These are but a few favorable comments which have been made on the recent concerts.
The principal orchestral number in the forthcoming concert is the entire Symphony No. 6 (Pathetic) by Tschaikowsky, and the Mignon Overture of Thomas, with soloists to be announced later.
General Bush Notes.
Fryne Bogle, pianist, member of the Master Class of Bush Conservatory, will be soloist at McVicker’s Theater the week of March 18-24, when she will play the A flat Ballade of Chopin. Mae Graves Atkins, soprano of the Bush Conservatory faculty, has just returned from a three weeks’ tour of the East. She spent a week in New York with Mme. Sembrich, her teacher.
The latter part of March is a busy season at Bush Conservatory, both for teachers and students. Many recitals are schelduled, of which the following have already been given:	March 14, a program by artist students of the
voice, piano, violin and expression departments of Bush Conservatory at the Y. W. C. A., for the Ladies’ Sunday Evening Club; March IS, an excellent recital at the Bush Conservatory by Ebba Sundstrom, violinist, and Marion Lychenheim, pianist; March 16, a fine dramatic recital of Jeanne D’Arc by Percy McKaye, was given by Genevieve Zettle, artist student of Mae Riley McKinley, at the Bush Conservatory Recital Hall.
Walter Green Returns From Italy.
Walter Green, American tenor, who has appeared at Palermo, Cuneo, Alba and Codigora, Italy, has just returned to Chicago after filling a few guest appearances with the San Carlo Opera Company. Mr. Green sang in the following operas: Aida, Carmen, II Trovatore and Lucia.
Spry Scolari Holds Reception.
The Spry Scolari (scholars of Walter Spry) held a reception and presented a musical program at the Columbia School of Music, March 17. Many past and present pupils were on hand and the musical program was given by “Young Josef Hofmann” and “Paderewski, Junior,” who played duos, and several other promising artists.
Musical News Items.
William S. Schwartz, tenor, professional pupil of Karl Buren Stein, sang the leading role in the Bartered Bride, given by the Smetana Singing Society at the Studebaker Theater, March 18. The opera will be repeated Easter Sunday. He also sang for the Amalgamated Clothiers’ Union Educational concert on March 9, and was re-engaged for March 21.	Rene Devries.
Remember the Name
MAX CECNA
Russian Cellist
flute, French horn and piano (arr. by G. Laurent), Jules Mouquet; Naive Landscapes, for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano, John Beach; Divertissement op. 6, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano, Albert Roussel; for piano —The Frogs, Chadwick; Cracovienna, Paderewski; Legenda, Albeniz. Of particular interest was the group by Mr. Beach, who is a native of this city. He has been influenced by the modern French School and his music is colorful and skillfully written. Messrs. Laurent, Speyer, Mimart, Allard and Hess, all members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performed with their customary skill and taste. Mr. Sanroma, both as soloist and in ensemble pieces, displayed those qualities which are rapidly winning him recognition in local concert halls. The audience was warmly appreciative.
Martino’s Orchestra Plays Ancient Music in Costume.
In the evening, at the St. James Theater, Raffaele Martino and his Italian eighteenth century orchestra gave an unusually interesting concert. Attired in the costumes of the period from which their program was drawn—white perukes, silk stockings, velvet smalls and coats, etc.—their stands illuminated by little electric lamps resembling candles, Mr. Martino and his well-schooled orchestra played a Passacaglia by Lully, a largo by Corelli, an unhackneyed minuet from Boccherini, a Canto Amoroso by Sammartini, concertos by Vivaldi and dalFAibeco, and a sonata by Mascitti for flute, bassoon and harpsichord. This charming old music was played with notable skill and clear sympathy by Mr. Martino and his admirable coworkers. A large audience applauded the participants vigorously throughout the evening. It is to be hoped that Mr. Martino will favor us with more frequent concerts of this nature.
J. C.
CHICAGO
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non-professionals and children. All courses are carrying a continuing growing registration.
Adolph Bolm gave a lecture on The Art of the Dance before the Fortnightly Club last Thursday afternoon.
Symphony Competition Progressing.
The symphony competition, which Balaban & Katz launched a while past, is progressing satisfactorily, according to word received from Manager Hollander. The judges, Messrs. Weidig and Finston, have reduced the ninety compositions submitted to eleven available ones, and these in turn have been forwarded to Richard Hageman in New York, so that he may select the six which he considers most desirable of the eleven. When Mr. Hageman returns the eleven, Messrs. Weidig and Finston will select their six. From these respective selections will be drawn, either by majority vote or unanimous voice, the final six compositions which will be given a hearing at one of the symphony concerts at the Chicago Theater. This time the complete personnel of the judges will choose what they consider the best number, and the composer thereof will be awarded his or her prize of $1,000.
Bush Conservatory Orchestra’s Third Concert.
Monday evening, April 16, is the date set for the third concert this season of the Bush Conservatory Symphony
Boston, March 18.—Liszt’s masterpiece, the Faust symphony, was performed ■by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Friday afternoon and Saturday evening, March 9 and 10, in Symphony Hall. The choral part was sung by the Harvard Glee Club and the tenor solo by Arthur Hackett. The romantic, vividly descriptive and colorful music of Liszt received, from Mr. Monteux a reading that was adequate if not altogether eloquent. The satirical sting that the Mephistophelian Muck used to give to the purely orchestral portion of the last movement was missed, although the second movement received a beautiful performance, thanks to the excellence of the wood wind section of the orchestra, and particularly to the presence in that section of that superlative oboist, Georges Longy. The singers from Harvard, admirably trained by Dr. Davison, sang the final chorus with their accustomed sonority of tone, command of nuances and dramatic understanding. Mr. Hackett is an old favorite in this city, and his voice and skill were used to good effect in his solo. There was an abundance of applause for Mr. Monteux, the orchestra, the Glee Club and Mr. Hackett.
As introduction and contrast, Mr. Monteux opened the program with Handel’s concerto grosso No. 5 in D major for string orchestra and solo string quartet. The music was impressive, now with its majestic sweep, now with the beautiful spiritual serenity which Handel was singularly fortunate in achieving. Needless to add, the playing of the strings, and especially of Messrs. Burgin, Theodor-owicz, Fourel and Bedetti, was marked by the qualities which of old put the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a class by itself.
Rachmaninoff Plays.
One of the largest audiences of the season filled Symphony Hall Saturday afternoon, March 10, for the final concert of the season in this city of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Mr. Rachmaninoff again gave great pleasure to his tremendous following with a characteristically impressive interpretation of an interesting program comprising four Chopin pieces, Schumann’s Carnaval, his own prelude in G sharp minor and Serenade, and his version of Kreisler’s Liebeslied, Medtner’s Fairy Tale, and the Schulz-Evler version of the Beautiful Blue Danube. There was the inevitable enthusiasm and insatiable demand for extra pieces.
Kreisler at Opera House.
Sunday was one of the biggest days of the musical season, with nine or ten thousand people in attendance at the concerts given here on the day. The reviewer’s college training as a runner served him well. The first event was Fritz Kreisler’s concert at the opera house, where the violinist was playing to perhaps the largest crowd that has ever gained admittance to that auditorium, at least 800 people being seated on the stage. The familiar attributes of Mr. Kreisler’s unique art were abundantly in evidence in his excellent performance of Grieg’s sonata in C minor. The balance of the program included Bruch’s Scotch Fantasy, Wilhelmj’s paraphrase of Siegfried, Loeffler’s transcription of Chabrier’s Waltz Caprice, and Saint-Saëns’ Rondo Capriccioso.
Colin O’More.
Hurrying up the street, with the heavier Olin Downes of the Boston Post panting a little, we stepped into Symphony Hall, where Colin O’More was giving his first recital in Boston to a good sized audience. Mr. O’More’s program included:
Where’er You Walk, from Handel’s Semele; Bach’s My Heart Ever Faithful, Duparc’s Chanson Triste, Hue’s Le Passant, Pessard’s L’Adieu du Matin, Cavatina from Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, the Irish tunes The Snowy-Breasted Pearl, The Low-Back’d Car, The Dear Little Shamrock, The Nine-Penny Fidil; also Haydn Wood’s The Brown Bird Singing, Frank Gray’s in Rose Time, Osgood’s The Little Lilac Garden, and Schneider’s Thine Eyes Still Shined.
Emile Rose Knox, a comely assisting violinist, played Lalo's symphony and a number of lighter pieces, revealing a warm tone,. serviceable technic, occasionally precarious intonation and emotional warmth. Mr. O’More disclosed a light, lyric tenor voice of very pleasant quality, commendable vocal skill and very clear diction. Although there is no great abundance of variety or of dramatic intensity about his singing, Mr. O’More phrases his songs musically. In his interpretations he evidently patterns after Mr. McCormack, even to ending his Irish folk tunes an octave higher than written. The audience recalled him warmly.. Miquelle Splendid Success With People's Symphony.
Another sprint of fifty yards landed us at the St. James Theater in time to hear Georges Miquelle, the thrice admirable cellist, give a highly enjoyable performance of Lalo’s songful concerto for cello and orchestra. Mr. Miquelle exhibited anew that command of tone and technic together with the musicianship, fine sense of style and sympathetic insight which have always characterized his playing. He received an ovation and was recalled again and again. Of the purely orchestral numbers, admirably conducted by the musicianly Stuart Mason, Arntzen Viggo’s fantasia for orchestra, which received its first performance at this concert, proved to be a conventional work of little or no outstanding merit and hardly worthy of a place on a symphony program. The other numbers were Mozart’s symphony in D major, Respighi’s old dances for the lute freely transcribed for orchestra, Bruneau’s entr’acte symphonique from Messidor, and Rossini’s overture to William Tell.
Flute Players’ Club.
At Wesleyan Hall, on that same crowded Sunday afternoon, the Flute Players’ Club was giving its twelfth concert of the season to an audience which filled the hall to capacity. Mr. Laurent, the admirable solo flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and director of the club, had arranged an interesting program, comprising these numbers: Quintet for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano (oeuvre posthume, ¿876), Rimsky-Korsakoff; Musette, for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, Pfeiffer; Pan and the Birds, for
JOHN SAMPL
AS SISERA
AMERICAN TENOR
Creator of the Role of Sisera in World Premiere of “Deborah and Jaele” — Ildebrando Pizzetti’s New Opera — Presented Recently at La Scala, Milan, Under Direction of Maestro Arturo Toscanini.
RIVISTA TEATRALE MELODRAMMATICA, DECEMBER 22, 1922, MILAN, ITALY
This young• tenor, after only a few theaters—where he always achieved success—has reached our greatest temple of art—La Scala. He reached it in a true artistic event of which he reaped the honors.
He interpreted the part of Sisera in “Deborah and Jaele” of Maestro Pizzetti, and gave to his role all the excellence of his expressive action, the bold vehemence of the warrior King, the tenderness of the passionate lover, his firm, sure voice and the majesty of his imposing figure.
His success at La Scala could not be greater. A confirmation of this is to be found in all the following daily papers.
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
As to the tenor John Sample, who is a foreigner, nothing more could have been desired from his diction, nothing was lacking in his rendering of the part of Sisera.
IL SOLE
The tenor—John Sample—King Sisera—faced thè much feared footlights with the excellent resources of an enviable throat, brought into relief by great artistic dignity.
ITALIA
John Sample—a tenor with a splendid strong voice that he knows how to adapt to the passages of great dramatic force no less than to the phrases that he sings with great tenderness.
AVANTI
John Sample, a Sisera, physically imposing and also the possessor of a firm, sure, expressive voice, and of a sentiment that he infuses into his singing as few know how to do.
LA SERA
Truly beautiful appeared to us the voice of the tenor Sample.
LA GIUSTIZIA
The interpreters also suited most wisely both voice and expression and kept firmly to a rigid artistic classicism in order not to disturb the perfect equilibrium of the opera, and this absolute equilibrium is the greatest possible praise that one can offer them. To Mmes. Casazza, Tess, Isra-megna and the tenor Sample our well deserved and sincere applause.
LA GAZZETTA DEL POPOLO
Excellent was John Sample (Sisera) with his gigantic figure and the impetuous outbursts of the barbarian king.
IL MONDO
The tenor, Sample, was truly efficacious in his impersonation of the rough figure of the hero.