April 5, 1923
COURIER
MUSI C A I.
8
Metropolitan Opera Company
METROPOLITAN PRESENTS PARSIFAL
AS ITS GOOD FRIDAY OFFERING
Lohengrin, Mona Lisa, Aida, Traviata, Andre Chenier and The Barber Repeated—Excellent
Sunday Night Concert
,ARA DAMROSCII MANNES,
d, of the David Mamies Music School, which, although years, is already one of the most important music schools country. (Nicholas Muray photo.)
CL
co-director with her hush an established, only half a dozen in the
tableaux were posed after Botticelli’s Spring, by Justine Bollman, Genevieve Brener, Mary Morrissey, Esther Bache-lin and Anna Matz. Birds and flowers sang the glory of Springtime in the songs of Liza Lehmann, Alabieff, Brahms, Grieg, and Mrs. Scully, a Cincinnati composer who gave an excellent setting to George Elleston's Yellow Rose. Miss EUeston is the society editor of the Cincinnati Times-Star. The singers were Marguerite Hukell, Mary Margaret Fisher, Lillian Sherman, Margaret Earls, Mary Benhming, sopranos ; Hazel Levy, Bernice Rosenthal, Carrie Singerman and Ida Barkschager, contraltos and mezzos. The Vision of Spring was so beautiful that Miss Tracey will probably repeat it this spring.
Spiering Orchestra Concert
Theodore Spiering announces an orchestra concert under his own direction on April 18 at Carnegie Hall. The program will consist of Brahms’ first symphony, Vorspiel and Liebestod from Tristan, and Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel. Elsa Alsen, who obtained a pronounced success with the German Opera Company, will be the assisting soloist.
Millie Ryan Returning to New York
Millie Ryan, well known New York vocal teacher, who has been recuperating in Palm Beach and Miami, Fla., during the past two months, has regained her health and contemplates returning to the metropolis early this month to resume professional activities at her studio, 1730 Broadway.
Percy Rector Stephens Operated Upon
Percy Rector Stephens, who has been suffering from a severe attack of appendicitis for some weeks, was operated upon on March 28 at the New York Hospital. Dr. Poole, who performed the operation, pronounces his condition favorable and that he will soon be able to resume activities.
Emilio de Gogorza to Sail
Emilio de Gogorza, baritone, will sail for Europe on the S.S. Olympic, April 7. He will visit France, Spain, Italy and England, returning to America in June.
Remember the Name
MAX CECNA
Russian Cellist
at the end of the second act.
Those that deserve particular mention are Clarence White-hill, William Gustafson, Michael Bohnen, Orville Harrold, Gustav Schuetzendorf and Barbara Kemp.
La Traviata, March 30 (Evening).
Traviata was repeated on Friday eveningwith the cast headed by Lucrezia Bori as Violetta, and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi as Alfredo. Miss Bori’s presentation of the consumptive heroine, charmingly sung, is decidedly convincing. Lauri-Volpi, young and graceful, looks, acts and sings the lover excellently, though on Friday evening he did not seem to be in best voice.
Giuseppe De Luca, most reliable and competent of baritones, was the elder Germont. The small parts were well distributed. Moranzoni, conducting, did full justice to some of the best tunes that Verdi ever produced.
Andrea Chenier, March 31.
Italian opera with a French name is this work by Giordano, but it is Italian opera of the best modern kind, tuneful, swift moving, interesting in plot, well orchestrated, and full of apt tonal characterization. Scenic-ally, too, Andrea Chenier is exceedingly attractive, as staged by the Metropolitan.
De Luca was the Gerard of the occasion (hurriedly replacing the indisposed Danise) and he acquitted himself splendidly, his voice ringing out with fine power, his art of delivery being at its best, and his gifts as an actor asserting themselves impressively. Gigli has won his spurs in this opera and the role is one of his best, the music, lyric and dramatic by turns, suiting his singing style admirably and giving him full scope for the exercise of all his skill, taste, and interpretative resources.
Rosa Ponselle, as Madeleine, does everything to make that figure attractive vocally and histrionically, and succeeds unreservedly. Her warmly colored voice, her temperamental drive, and her deep sincerity are the chief elements that make her stand out as an operatic artist of a high order. Adamo Didur as Mathieu and Kathleen Howard as the Countess were the other principals. Moranzoni’s baton assured light and shade, orchestral accuracy, and unblemished ensemble for the performance.
Barber of Seville, March 31 (Evening).
Rossini’s popular opera was repeated on Saturday evening before a capacity house. Milo Picco replaced De Luca as Figaro, the latter having sung at the afternoon performance at the last moment. Mr. Picco gave a satisfactory performance. Nina Morgana was charming as Rosina, singing with equal charm of voice and style, while Mario Chamlee as the Count gave a fine performance. Others in the cast were Jose Mardones, a capital Basilio; Marie Mattfeld, Berta; Pompilio . Malatesta, Dr. Bartolo, and Vincenzo Reschiglian, Florello.
Sunday Night Concert,
The twentieth Sunday evening concert this season at the Metropolitan, on April 1, had as soloist Marie Sundelius, soprano; Jeanne Gordon, contralto; Curt Taucher, tenor, and Carl Schielgel and Gustav Schuetzendorf, baritones; also Leon Rothier and William Gustafson, bassos, together with the Metropolitan Opera House chorus, orchestra and stage band under the direction of Giulio Setti.
The program opened with the William Tell overture, Rossini, followed by the Tannhäuser March, Wagner, by chorus and orchestra. The piece de resistance of the evening was the Prayer and finale, act 1, from Lohengrin, admirably rendered by Misses Sundelius and Gordon, and Messrs.׳ Taucher, Schuetzendorf, Schlegel and Gustafson, with the chorus, orchestra and stage band. It was splendidly received by the audience. Then came Hymn to the Sun from Iris, Mascagni, by the chorus, orchestra and stage band, the program concluding with Leon Rothie.r’s rendition of the prologue from Boito’s Mefistofele, in which he was assisted by the chorus, orchestra and stage band.
GRACE WOOD
JESS
America’s Greatest Interpreter of
FOLK SONGS
in COSTUME OF THE PERIOD Management: Frederick Shipman
Lohengrin, March 26.
The Metropolitan Opera Company offered another presentation of Lohengrin on Monday evening, with Michael Bohnen and Barbara Kemp, both artists displaying the best of histrionic ability, and excellent voices, in the roles of King Henry and the Duchess Elsa of Brabant. Kurt Taucher played Lohengrin and was a fine romantic figure of the Swan-Knight. Julia Claussen and Clarence White-hill sang splendidly the respective roles of Ortrud and Telramund. Gustav Schuetzendorg, as the King’s Herald, and Charlotte Ryan, Laura Robertson, Grace Anthony and Grace Bradley, as the four pages, were all up to the high standard of the production. Artur Bodanzky conducted.
Mona Lisa, March 28.
Mona Lisa was repeated again on March 28 with the original cast. Max Schillings’ music was apparently enjoyed by a fair sized audience, and the acting of Michael Bohnen, Barbara Kemp and Kurt Taucher was found impressive. “The best thing about it,” as someone was heard to remark, “is the big noise between the second act and the Epilogue.” At least it is a big noise, probably the biggest noise that has ever been heard in opera house or concert hall.
Aida, March 29.
Owing to the indisposition of Giuseppe Danise, Aida was substituted on Thursday evening, March 29, for William Tell. Frances Peralta again was heard in one of her best roles and she sang and acted admirably, winning the favor of the large audience. Martinelli was a familiar Radames who shared in the applause of the evening, and Jeanne Gordon a beautiful and rich voiced Amneris. Jose Mardones was satisfactory as Ramfis, and Renato Zanelli gave a good account of himself as Amonasro. Moranzoni gave the score a fine reading.
Parsifal, March 30 (Matinee).
Parsifal was reverently listened to by a very large audience on Good Friday and made (he usual deep impression, an impression that seems to increase with time. The performance, under the direction of Bodanzky, was fine in every particular, and the entire cast was warmly applauded
Minnie Tracey’s Pupils Busy
Mrs. Maurice Joseph produced Art’s Rejuvenation, an operetta in one act, for the benefit of the Music Hall Organ Fund, at Emery Auditorium, Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday and Tuesday evenings, February 26-27. The music is by Roy Webb and the words from the pen of Kenneth Webb. Each year Mrs. Joseph gives a fine performance at this auditorium foT some charity, and this one was participated in by singers from the classes of Minnie Tracey. The soloist, Mary Margaret Fisher, who took part later on in the program in the Ballet Gitana, was also trained by Miss Tracey. In fact, this -teacher taught all the young vocalists their parts—musically and dramatically—and the performance was a remarkable success.
On March 24, Miss Tracey invented and produced a lovely Vision of Spring and gave it at the big fete given bv the Cincinnati Woman’s Club for the benefit of the City Playgrounds at which $4,000 was raised. The first and final
GLADICE
MORISSON
French Songs in Period Costumes Now Booking, 1923-24
New York Critics Say :
Combining the methods of the Diseuse with those of the singer, Miss Morisson sang with confidence, winning ample applause.—Tribune, February 26, 1923.
The songs in themselves were interesting and the personality the singer displayed in giving them held her audience at strict attention.—Times, February 26, 1923.
Her interpretations showed much sympathy.— Herald, February 26, 1923.
Always picturesque.—Sun, February 26, 1923.
She wore three brilliant period costumes that made a striking contrast against the dark curtain of the Belmont Theater. Though her voice is of light quality, it is remarkable how her crisp diction and intelligent interpretations can color these dainty chansons.—Evening Mail, February 26, 1923.
Management ERNEST BRIGGS, Inc. 1400 Broadway, New York City Personal Representative, Samuel Morisson 1370 Broadway, New York City