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and the chorus was assisted by the orchestra. The chorus exhibited a rich quality of tone and a good balance of parts, and sang with precision and good dramatic effect. They always seemed to have a reserve of power which they were not required to use, and at no time was their tone covered by that of the orchestra. The orchestra itself, under the direction of Modeste Alloo, presented a concerto by Philip Emanuel Bach and gave it a splendid performance. They closed the concert with Mendelssohn’s overture, Ruy Bias.
A Novel Musical Presentation
Burdette Cleveland, talented pianist-composer of Kansas City, Mo., whose pianistic abilities have been favorably commented on by all the critics who have ever heard her, appeared in Chicago in a rather novel musical presentation. It is not unusual for comparison concerts to feature handplaying and reproducing pianos, but hand-playing compared to playing through the pedals is less common. Miss Cleveland did that, playing Liszt’s Liebestraume. First a few bars were played 'by roll, then Miss Cleveland broke in with hand playing, and farther on in the piece she resumed playing by roll. It was so smoothly and artistically done that the “breaks” in the piece could not be detected except by watching Miss Cleveland’s hands.
The novel presentation of the Gulbransen Player-Piano was made at the advertising Revue, given in the Florentine Room of the Congress Hotel, under the auspices of the Women’s Advertising Club of Chicago, on the afternoon and evening of Monday, March 20. In the afternoon a thousand of Chicago’s prominent club women heard the presentation, and in the evening an equal number of business men and women.
The Betty Booth Concert Company and Irene Stolofoky & Company, under the auspices of the Redpath Bureau, played at the afternoon and evening performances.
Capacity Audience Hears John Powell
“Powell kept at piano long after concert’s end,” was the headline of the press review of his Aeolian Hall recital, March 17. The program, an all-Chopin one, drew a capacity house. Continuing his review the Tribune critic wrote, “His ease and exquisite tone were characteristic of the high standard set by the pianist in earlier concerts. A large audience listened delightedly and applauded soundly.” W. T. Finck of the Post wrote as follows: “The large and enthusiastic audience kept the pianist busy half an hour longer, playing seven encores—which shows how the public adores Chopin when played by a pianist like John Powell, superpianist and composer.”
A Bach Festival Record for Mildred Faas
Mildred Faas, the soprano, has been engaged for the Bach Festival, Dr. J. Fred Wolle, director, at Bethlehem, Pa., May 25 and 26. She will be heard in the Bach B Minor Mass on May 26. During the last seven years, 1917-23, Miss Faas has been a soloist at every Bach Festival in Bethlehem, making ten appearances in all, including the aforementioned date.
Samaroff Delights Atlanta Music Lovers
Quoting The Constitution, Atlanta, Ga., “Olga Samaroff, pianist, closed the Atlanta Music Club’s civic concert series and left an indelible impression on the emotions of the 3,000 people who heard her. Her artistry, her power and fire, made Samaroff’s concert a fitting climax to the series of remarkable musical events that has delighted Atlanta concert goers during the 1922-23 season.”
Artone Quartet to Sing Elijah
The Artone Quartet, consisting of Dicie Howell, soprano; Edna Indermaur, contralto; James Price, tenor, and Walter Greene, baritone, has been engaged to sing The Elijah with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and th.e '׳University Choral Society in Minneapolis on April 16.
tions of I Love Thee Dear, Spring and Merza, songs by Mr. Phillips, with the composer at the piano. Emily Beglin, soprano, rendered effectively two groups of sonrs by Frederic W. Vanderpool—A Rose in Autumn, Lammie Love, Can It Be Love? The Light, Heart to Heart and ’Neath the Autumn Moon. Mr. Vanderpool accompanied at the piano. Edith Moxom Gray gave an excellent performance of Fannie Dillon’s piano sonata in C minor, op. 27. This work, still in manuscript, aroused much interest and called forth many words of praise.
A large audience attended and applauded all the artists enthusiastically. Interest is growing rapidly in this series of American concerts.
Kinney Soloist with Convict Band
Ruth Lloyd Kinney filled many engagements during January, February and March. She was the only soloist chosen to sing at the John Wanamaker Memorial Service and had
Photo by H. Zemsky.
RUTH LLOYD KINNEY, contralto.
the unusual experience of being guest soloist at a concert given by the convict band at the Eastern State Penitentiary. She also gave a recital over the Gimbel radio in Philadelphia and appeared as soloist at the Huntingdon Valley Country Club, Globe Ticket Company’s annual concert, at the new Lincoln Theater in Troy, N. Y., the Troy Kiwanis Club and the Shriners.’ Club. Other recent and forthcoming engagements are as follows: Two appearances in Philadelphia in Lehmann’s Persian Garden, soloist with string quartet at Witherspoon Hall, Philadelphia, appearances in Troy, Schenectady and Buffalo, N. Y., and Atlantic City, N. J. Miss Kinney will be soloist with the Shriners’ Band of Troy, N. Y., for the four-day Imperial Council in Washington, D. C.
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Concert
The fourth concert of the season at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music was given before a crowded house. The evening was eventful in that three debuts were made. The first was that of Lloyd Miller in the Grieg concerto for piano and orchestra. It was a brilliant performance, no less in the accompaniment than in the solo part. Another was that of Gladys Fried, violinist, who played the same fantaisie on Russian themes by Rimsky-Korsakoff, which her distinguished master, Jean ten Have, had recently performed at a concert of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She gave a spirited performance, and was recalled many times by the audience. The third debut was that of the Conservatory Chorus under the direction of Burnet C. Tut-hill, general manager of the conservatory. Brahms’ Song of Fate was the number chosen for this initial appearance,
Birdice Blye Is American Composer’s Friend
The Chicago Evening Post of January 17, in writing of the MacDowell Anniversary Week, warmly_ praised Birdice Blye for her playing of the MacDowell music:
To Birdice Blye much credit is due for making known the larger works of MacDowell, and in her extended tours she has presented the Eroica sonata in more than 200 recitals and has played the Keltic sonata in more than 100 recitals, but the Eroica seems to be the favorite with her audiences. She also has played the D minor concerto many times. Her programs always contain a sonata or a group of his smaller compositions. She also has played them in Europe and made friends for MacDowell’s music where before he was entirely unknown, and both in Europe and the principal cities of this country, from coast to coast and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada inclusive, she has thrilled her audiences with her brilliant interpretations of them.
In presenting Miss Blye with one of the rare autographed photographs of MacDowell, Mrs. MacDowell wrote: “I want to express to you my keen appreciation of your devotion to the MacDowell music. Quite aside from anything else, I realize what hours of intense work you must have given to the Sonata Eroica to have made the great success with it that you have. My warm thanks.”
Birdice Blye, on her extensive concert tours usually includes one or more American compositions, on her programs. She is an admirer of the works of Eleanor Everest Freer and has had great success with them. Mrs. Freer said no one could play her Lyric Etude with such delicacy of touch as Birdice Blye. Many beautiful compositions have been written especially for Miss Blye. Ethelbert Grabill, of Los Angeles, noted author of an important work on piano technic, has written an ultra modern composition in a minor scale of unusual intervals, for Miss Blye. Last year he wrote for her a Haitian Incantation that aroused much interest and favorable comment all through her Pacific Coast tours.
The eminent Polish-American pianist, Heniot Levy, whose playing made a sensation in London last season, dedicated three compositions to Miss Blye, with which sbe has had unusual success in the East, West and South. Miss Blye arouses great enthusiasm in playing _ works by Ernest Kroeger, which, in St. Louis, his home city, always amounts to an ovation for her and the composer. Mr. Kroeger has dedicated his brilliant and extremely difficult Polonaise to Miss Blye. Frederick Emerson Farrar, of Nashville, wrote his brilliant Storm Spirit for her and T. S. Lovette, who is active in musical circles in Washington, D. C., dedicated his beautiful Nocturne to her. An ultra modern, clever little sketch by Robert Warner, of Chicago, was dedicated to Miss Blye and has found place on many of her programs and always has to be repeated. She was firmly convinced of the genius of this young boy who recently died at such an early age.
Carl B. Vogt, of Indianapolis, and Philip P. Keil, of Pittsburgh, wrote charming solos for Miss Blye and Mrs. Clara Duggan Madison, of San Antonio, dedicated her Berceuse to her, which is full of grace and charm. Edmund Newpert, the Danish pianist, to whom Grieg dedicated his piano, wrote a ballade for Miss Blye when she was a very little girl that has been a perfect joy on the program or as an encore. Prof. Ernst Rudorff, director of the piano department at the Royal Hochschule of Music in Berlin, chose Miss Blye for his own pupil out of over three hundred applicants and always sent his compositions to her to introduce in the United States. Sergius Liapounow, of Petrograd, Russia, dedicated his Humoresque to Miss Blye in compliment for her introducing bis Carillon. _ Besides giving a large part of her program to the classics, Miss Blye also plays the modern French, Spanish, Italian and Russian compositions.
Third All-American Concert at Wanamaker’s
The third concert in a series of American composers and artists presented by Caroline Lowe, chairman of the American music committee of the N. Y. F. M. C., was given in the Wanamaker auditorium on Wednesday afternoon, March 21. Louis Baker Phillips, organist and composer, opened the program with James H. Rogers’ organ sonata in E minor, first movement. He also played later a group of his own compositions for organ, including Lullaby and Prayer, Shadows, Caprice Grotesque, and part of an orchestral suite, No. 2. Claire Stickles, soprano, gave pleasing interpreta-
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״The Romanticist of the Concert Platform”
“His splendid voice, romantic temperament and fine artistry unite in giving him the power to interest and thrill his audience.”
Management: LOUDON CHARLTON, Carnegie Hall, New York
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