22
April 12, 1923
In behalf of the association, he presented to her a large silver loving cup. She received it gracefully with a few words of gratitude, not alone to the guarantors, but to the large audiences who had stood behind her in her efforts.
The Musical Courier extends to Mrs. Hughes its best wishes on this twenty-fifth anniversary, and to the city of Cleveland its heartiest congratulations for having had so enterprising and far-sighted a head for its musical activities. As Mr. Bell remarks in other words, music in Cleveland today is practically synonymous with Mrs. Hughes and enterprises she has promoted and fostered. It is a tribute to her efforts that no other city in the country is more advanced today than Cleveland with its magnificent symphony orchestra, its splendid institute, and numerous other musical enterprises which owe their existence to her initiative.
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OH, PAIR-O’-DICE
Frank H. Warren, of the Evening World, went to see the Meyerbeer opera at the Metropolitan the other evening. “As it requires nearly three and^a half hours to perform L’Africaine,” he wrote, “it seems that the plot could be easily condensed, the story enlivened, the lyrics made snappier and the music brought to date. By no request, therefore, we assume the burden.” Unfortunately Mr. Warrens screed is too long to produce here in its entirety, but here is his suggestion for improving the famous tenor aria, O Paridiso:
Oh, pair-o’-dice, oh, pair-o’-dice,
Woulds’t but come up a seven,
This land of perfume and of spice Would be an earthly heaven.
Roll on, ye Fate; roll on, ye bones,
All hail enchanting clime,
Oh, L’Africaine, come in again And shoot another dime!
MUSICAL COURIER
been studied and played, must be returned to the publisher within a certain time.
“If I could purchase the American work at a reasonable price I should be perfectly willing to pay a nominal performing fee in addition to the purchase price, but unless there is some particular reason for producing it, I frankly do not feel like paying twice or three times as much for an American work, the interest in which is not particularly strong, and the success of which is decidedly doubtful, when I can get some standard European work at considerably less than half the expense.”
How about this, publishers ?
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HONORS FOR MRS. HUGHES
The following was taken from Archie Bell s Stars and Stardust column in the Cleveland Sunday News of April 1:
In several ways Thursday evening was a notable event in Cleveland’s musical history—made so by the concert at Masonic Hall, the fourteenth program of the season by the Cleveland Orchestra. Honors seemed about evenly divided between Mrs. Adella P. Hughes, Sergei Rachmaninoff, one of the world’s most eminent composers and certainly one of the greatest among living pianists, and Nikolai Sokoloff. Two Russians matched against one American, and as the American is a lady, let’s give her first place.
And I am not so certain that she does not deserve that position, even in this trio. Last night was the official recognition of the fact that Mrs. Hughes has been a concert manager in Cleveland for twenty-five years. _
She was called to the stage by Andrew Squire, representing the Cleveland Musical Arts Association, who made a fine speech reviewing her great accomplishments. A big civic asset, speaking in plain words that could be understood by everyone—that is what he made her.
He traced her managerial career from the beginning, noted the fact that many of the first guarantors were still on her list, and pointed to the Cleveland Orchestra as the culminating chapter of twenty-five years of honest effort to advance the gospel of music in Cleveland.
Operatic Performances Generally Poor—Queen and Queen Mother Attend Numerous Concerts
tion of Faust are to be the only repertory works having any merit. This no doubt is due only to the fact that the title role has been given' to Signorina Mazzoleni, who has a lovely lyric voice, and that of Radames is now sung by the Spanish tenor, Cortis, who likewise has a good voice.
Sala Sgambati Concerts.
Mme. Berenice Pasquali gave a joint recital with the Argentine violinist, Remo Bolognini, and it was a real joy to hear her sing. Her diction is excellent and she sang every number in perfect style, delighting all with her exquisite, flexible voice. An American composer, namely Cadman, was also represented on the program, together with such composers as Haydn, Mozart, Dvorak and Zandonai, The violinist also was first-class, playing as he did with thorough musicianship, sonorous tone and impeccable intonation.
The Lehner Quartet, of Budapest, must be mentioned. A more perfect ensemble than these four artists can hardly be encountered. Beethoven’s Quartet, op. 95, was so beautifully given that everyone was spellbound, and when the applause spontaneously burst forth it knew no end. The Leo Weiner Quartet, which won the Coolidge prize at the last Berkshire Festival, was heard in Rome for the first time, but was coolly received.
Concerts in Various Halls.
In the Sala Gregorio XIII, which, after the Saint Cecilia, is Rome’s most beautiful hall, Ghita Lenart was heard in a recital devoted to songs of the Middle Ages, accompanied by two harps and organ, ,appearing in the costume of the period. Some of the songs were translated into English by Leo Sowerby, who is continuing his work in composition here since winning the American Academy scholarship. From among all the numbers on the program, it must be said that her interpretation of Le Voyage a Betleem and La Passion is the most impressive bit of sentimental singing I have ever heard, and the public was evidently of the same opinion. The concert was repeated at the request of the Giornale d’ltalia for the benefit of the Sanatorium for Sick and Weak Children. As is usual in Mme. Lenart's recitals, these two musical recitations had to be repeated. Ghita Lenart has become a great favorite in Rome.
Finally I will mention the very young Spanish cellist, Gaspar Cassado, who has made quite a stir in musical circles. His playing is marked by an almost inimitable fullness of tone and expression. He has been heard here on several occasions, always with the splendid support of Manolita de Anduaga, a Spanish pianist. Cassado is said to be the favorite pupil of Casals.	Dolly Pattison.
Segurola’s Managerial Plans
Andres de Seguróla, the well known Spanish bass, for so many years with the Metropolitan Opera Company, is now devoting all his time to being an impresario, and is especially interested in projects for Havana and Mexico City. He has just signed a contract with S. Hurok, manager of the Russian Grand Opera Company, by which that organization will appear under his direction in Havana and Mexico City during the fall, leaving New York on August 15 and going first to Mexico City for a season of several weeks, to be followed by a similar season in Havana.
_ In January, Mr. de Seguróla will bring the entire Parisian production, called the Revue de Bataclan, from Paris for a season in the two cities. The company will be headed by Mistinguette, the eccentric Parisian comedienne.
Besides these activities, Mr. de Seguróla is manager and personal representative of Miguel Fleta, the young Spanish tenor, whose reputation has preceded him here and who, it is rumored, will sing with the Metropolitan part of next season,
Rome, March 6.—Leopold Stokowski, appearing as guest conductor in two concerts at the Augusteo, achieved an immediate success. His first program contained a work for which he is famous in America, namely Tschaikowsky s sixth symphony. His interpretation of this work differs somewhat from the Italian view, being very dignified tad beautiful, but to the fiery Italians it seemed cold. He was judged to be an aristocrat of the baton with perhaps too much dignity for the impassioned and sometimes peasantlike full-blooded Russian’s music. Other composers represented on his first program were Lulli, Vitali and Btah, whose Passacaglia, arranged by Stokowski, was the work most liked. It earned volumes of applause and was demanded as an encore, but Stokowski declined to repeat it. His second concert was also interesting and equally successful as the first, although his Wagner performances were also adjudged to be rather cold. Except for differences of opinion as to his temperamental qualities, Mr. Stowkowski should be quite satisfied with his Rome success, since the Augusteo public as a rule is not lenient toward foreigners.
Mascagni the Fiery.
Quite a contrast to Stokowski, though frankly not preferable is the fiery Mascagni, who allows himself to be carried away by his temperament, thereby altering the musical line. His reading of Beethoven’s second symphony was, to say the least, novel; his Brahms Hungarian Dances were diabolic but they were not Brahms. Of course, toe public went wild! Mascagni is such an enfant gate that should he conduct with his feet instead of his hands, he would be considered a god just the same. After all it was Rome that gave him the baptism of fame.
After having had samples of the wares of several guest conductors, the public greeted Molinari on his return to the Augusteo with much satisfaction. He gave a masterly performance of Beethoven’s fifth symphony, which he conducted with his usual verve and sincerity. The outstanding feature of this and the following concert, however, was Stravinsky’s Sacre du Printemps, heard in Rome for the first time. While judged as a most extravagant but highly interesting composition, its success nevertheless was the subject of great dispute.
An interesting feature of the following Augusteo concert was the appearance of the Moravian_ Singers. This male chorus sings with a precision which is admirable, and the warmth as well as the vivid shading with which their interpretations are replete are extraordinary. As one might suppose, most of the compositions selected were by Czecn composers—Zuk, Dvorak, Novak, etc—and in a number of folksongs for tenor solo with the accompaniment of the chorus. The Queen and the Queen-mother both attended this concert and seemed to enjoy it immensely.
Opera Standard Very Low.
Among the recent operas at the Costanzi, performances of Tristan, Christopher Columbus and Butterfly stand out by reason of the pitiably poor work of the singers, some of whom are passe, while others are deficient vocally. In fact, aside from the excellence of the orchestra under Vittorio Gui, it was a bore to sit through the performance of Tristan. When there are so many singers who could do the role of Isolde with honor, it remains^ a puzzle why Mme. Carelli persists in serving the public with a singer like Lucy Weidt, who was bad two years ago, but who is now worse, having practically lost all her voice in the higher register. The little she has left is so harsh and disagreeable that it gets on one’s nerves. Bassi, who sang the role of Tristan, was no better. These two simply murdered the beautiful duet in the second act. The work of the chorus, however, was commendable and the scenery was good.
Performances of Butterfly and Franchetti’s Columbus were equally bad, and it seems as if Aida and the Damna-
COMPETING COMPETITION
There has been some little pother in the world of art, it seems, because when the Society of American Musicians arranged a competition in which the prize was to be an appearance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at one of the popular concerts of that organization, the schools of music and the teachers who■ impart the verities of art in private studios hastened to submit their pupils, and one of the principal institutions in the country did not. The Chicago Musical College, which always has made much of the competition idea, apparently has pained a number of our art loving citizens by having adopted an indifferent attitude to the contest of the society. Is this, it has been asked, because the Chicago Musical College has fallen out of conceit with an educational enterprise which it has formerly advocated and exploited, or is it because the institution is annoyed with the Society of American Musicians for having apparently encroached upon its preserves? As there is nothing like having first hand information, the president of the institution on Michigan avenue, that city, was asked the reason for these things.
“So far,” said Felix Borowski, “from being out of conceit with the competition idea, the Chicago Musical College is thoroughly in favor of it; and so far from being piqued because the Society of American Musicians has imitated its plan of associating its contests with Orchestra Hall and the Chicago Svmphony Orchestra we are delighted that it has done so and wish it all possible success._ There cannot be too much emulation if progress is to be made, and the more people who enter the competitions of our own and other institutions the better it is for music in general and, incidentally, for us in particular.
“The reason why the Chicago Musical College failed to throw itself with unreserved enthusiasm into the contest plan of the society is very simple. Anything that is done at all must be done thoroughly if success is to result. We were committed to our competitions several years ago and, having instituted them in conjunction with some of the best known firms in America, it was at once our pleasure and our duty to make them a success. That they have been a success has been proved by the extraordinary interest that has been manifested in them by students in every part of the country,•by the interest of the most distinguished musicians in the world, who have so generously officiated as judges, and by the sincer-est form of flattery on the part of the Society of American Musicians. The Chicago Musical College could not have accomplished this result unless it had concentrated its energies. It had, and has, all respect for the Society of American Musicians ; it wishes its enterprise all possible prosperity, but it owes to itself, its faculty, its students, and owes equally to the Mason & Hamlin Company, the Cable Piano Company, Lyon & Healy, who give prizes of great value, the duty of pushing the contests in which all these factors are directly concerned.
“Nor, I may add as a last word, ought we to be greedy. By reason of our contests no fewer than twelve students of the Chicago Musical College are given an opportunity of appearing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra which Mr. Stock, with the generosity that has characterized the other illustrious artists who have interested themselves in the work of the students, directs and judges. Giving our students these twelve appearances, why should we try and gobble the three which are offered by the Society of American Musicians? It is all very simple.”
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EXPENSIVE
Talking with the conductor of one of the permanent symphony orchestras of a large American city, we were discussing American orchestral compositions and were surprised to find—since he is thoroughly interested in that direction—that the conductor had not played the particular number in question, one of the best that an American has ever written.
“Why not?” we asked.
“Frankly,” he answered, “because it was too expensive. I can’t buy the work, because the publishers will only rent it. They ask $50 for every performance and I want to play it at least five times in our regular concerts and on tour, which means $250 for that one piece. Of course $250 is not a tremendous sum, but if I want to do three or four American pieces it means well over a thousand dollars, and that is a distinct item when you take into consideration the fact that every symphony orchestra in America operates, under best conditions, with a large deficit which must be made up by public spirited guarantors. On the other hand, any European work I may want I can buy at a price ranging from $50 to $100, and it becomes a permanent part of my library; whereas the American work, after having