April 19, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
38
(Francoeur-Kreisler), all this brought him numerous recalls. The enjoyable and well attended affair closed with a Contredanse (Beethoven-Elman) and Wieniawski’s Scher-zo-Tarantelle, with a blaze of violinistic fireworks.
Press comments on Mr. Malkin’s playing were uniformly favorable. The American said he was scholarly and played with good taste; the Times called him a player of sincerity and experience; the Herald said his audience was numerous and well pleased; the Tribune said his performance was good, and the evening papers (The Sun, World and Mail) gave him praise for musicianly qualities, etc.
TUESDA Y, APRIL 10
BANKS’ GLEE CLUB
Is there any form of music more appealing to the masses than the male chorus? How easy it is to recall the days of youth when the “swipes” and the unique harmonies to the accompaniment of a harmonica could be heard through the open window late on a summer’s eve; the delightful effects of the glee club during college days; the thrill of the war-time songs when thousands of soldiers joined together; the male quartets on the phonographs, and the male choruses at the opera.
On April 10 the writer heard the New York Banks’ Glee Club, conducted by Bruno Huhn. Some sixty or seventy men of all ages were grouped together on the stage of Carnegie Hall and they sang as though they enjoyed it. There were young men and old, all of whom undoubtedly found recreation and relaxation, as well as real joy, in their work. Under the competent training of their conductor they had developed into a chorus of first rank and the program they offered bespoke many rehearsals and hours of diligent study.
And all this the audience, huge in size, must have known, for there was a. sympathy between singers and listeners hard to explain. Most of those in the audience were friends or business acquaintances, it is true, but there were also present many who attended for sheer love of good male chorus singing. The enthusiasm seemed unlimited and the loud and hearty applause was indeed well deserved.
Rogers’ Bedouin Song, with incidental solo by William Roberts, opened the program. Then the club sang Bullard’s Come O’er the Sea, Abt’s Sleep, Thou Wild Rose and Mohring’s Awakened Are the Breezes. In the last mentioned the incidental solos were taken by Juliet Mosher (guest soloist), Messrs. Fisher, Hollander and Imrie.
The big number was The Leap of Roushan Beg, by Horatio Parker, with incidental solo by Dr. Stephen McGrath. This proved rather an intricate work, which had undoubtedly entailed a lot of study, but it was interesting and the audience enjoyed it. Dr. McGrath has a voice of excellent quality, although the range at times was too high for him.
The old, but ever popular My Lady Chlo’ (negro love song by Leighter), scored an immediate “hit,” and De-Koven’s Hunting Song from Robin Hood had to be repeated; in the latter, Carroll Voorhees, a big bass, sang the solo. Another humorous bit was But—They Didn’t (Rogers), a selection which the club used last year with
that the audience thoroughly enjoyed every number presented and demanded several, encores.
The first movement of the Beethoven Pathétique sonata was given by Ruth St. Denis and the ensemble with an extraordinary sense of rhythm, and was so full of beauty and grace that the audience was enthralled. Ted Shawn made his first appearance in an equally effective number, Chopin’s Revolutionary etude, which was given a most dramatic rendition with the assistance of three members of the ensemble. In the first group there also was Schumann’s Soaring, the lyric idea of wind, wave and cloud being given a well nigh perfect visualization; Ruth St. Denis in two solo numbers, the popular Brahms waltz, op. 39, No. IS, and the Liszt Liebestraum, in both of which she was exquisite pnd showed vivid imagination; ending with a scintillating performance of Mana Zucca’s Valse Brillante by Ted Shawn and ensemble.
Group two consisted of a Spanish suite, a solo for Miss St. Denis and Mr. Shawn, and one number in which they appeared together, their piquant dancing making them quite irresistible, and five numbers in which the ensemble took part, the last number, Valse Directoire, danced by Ted Shawn and Lenora Scheffer, being particularly effective.
Xochitl, a dance drama based upon an ancient Toltec legend, was exceedingly colorful in regard to the dancing and the costumes were gorgeous. The closing group was given over to Oriental dances, a phase of the terpsichorean art in which Miss St. Denis is especially successful.
Excellent accompaniments were furnished for the dancers by an instrumental quartet, conducted by Louis Horst.
According to the critic of the World, “The color, life and variety of the ensemble make the entertainment one worth seeing,” The Mail agreed with this, stating: “The Denishawn Dancers will be at Town Hall all this week, and they are worth seeing, because they use fabrics with deft effect, and they think before they dance. It helps.”
JACQUES MALKIN
The enterprise and ambition of the three brothers Malkin—Manfred, pianist and founder of the conservatory of that name; Joseph, solo cellist on tour with Farrar, and Jacques, the violinist—was well exemplified in the recital at Carnegie Hall, April 9. Besides these brothers there is a sister, a leading operatic soprano in Mannheim, Germany, and little Anita Malkin (daughter of Joseph), now studying the violin in Berlin. Mr. Malkin’s program was made up of the classic Ciaccona (Vital¡), with organ accompaniment by A. Richardson, played with solid style, the double stopping and various difficulties being completely surmounted by the player. The B minor concerto (Saint-Saëns) followed, and French style and grace predominated in this work, as it should. The pastoral effects, with flageolets, finely augmented by the dainty accompaniment, and the bravour of the close made a big effect. A spontaneous and effective concert piece is Improvisation, by Gustav Saenger, in D minor-major, which is full of taking effects^ including a sonorous piano part. The flowing cantilena in Lenormand’s Le Lahn de Mabed (paraphrase), as well as the rhythmic surety of the Siciliano and Rigaudon
NEW YORK CONCERTS
MONDAY, APRIL 9
PAVEL LUDIKAR
On Monday evening a large audience was present at the debut of Pavel Ludikar, baritone, at his song recital at Aeolian Hall. Accompanied at the piano (except when Wintter Watts presided for his group of compositions) by the attractive Meta Schumann, who is a fine accompanist, the newcomer made a profound impression. He is, to be exact, an artist in every sense of the word. He has a big voice of admirable quality, which he generally uses with taste and skill. As an interpreter, Mr. Ludikar ranks high. He finds little difficulty in conveying the smallest details of his songs to his enrapt listeners, and in the big dramatic works he is remarkable. Dormiro Sol, from Don Carlos, was superbly done and aroused the audience to great heights of enthusiasm. The program included two songs from his own pen—Nuestras Vidas and A Mother’s Tears —which won favor, and for which he played his own accompaniments, proving also that he is a good all around musician. Among the numbers that received the most favor were:	Wohin, Schubert; Wood Song, Wintter
Watts; Gypsy Songs, op. 55, Nos. 4 and 7, Dvorak, and Slovak Songs, arranged by Novak; Oraison domincale, Caplet; My Lord, What a Mornin’, Burleigh, and On the Steppe, Gretchaninoff. The audience was very enthusiastic and rounds of applause were his after every number.
The program in full follows : La Partenza, Beethoven ; Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur, Beethoven; Vor Meiner Wiege, Wohin, Gruppe aus dem Tartarus, Schubert; Wood Song, The Dark Hills (dedicated to Pavel Ludikar), Song Is So Old, Miniver Cheevy, the last three for first time, Wintter Watts (composer at the piano) ; Dormiro Sol, from Don Carlos, Verdi; Czecho-Slovakian composers— Nuestras Vidas, and A Mother’s Tears, Pavel Ludikar; Biblical Song, op. 99, No. 1, Dvorak; Gypsy Songs, op. 55, Nos. 4 and 7, Dvorak; Slovak Songs, arranged by V. Novak; miscellaneous—Oraison domincale, André Caplet; Nenia popolare (dedicated to Pavel Ludikar), Giulia Recli ; My Lord, What a Mornin’, and Go Down, Moses (negro spirituals), arranged by H. T. Burleigh; My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose (Scotch song), arranged by A. Gretchaninoff ; On the Steppe, A. Gretchaninoff.
RUTH ST. DENIS, TED SHAWN AND DENISHAWN DANCERS
After attending a performance by Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn and the Denishawn Dancers, one readily understands why this company has been so tremendously successful this season. A week’s engagement was begun at the Town Hall on Monday evening, April 9, and, although the program was a long one, such fine artistry was displayed
ZERFFI
TEACHER OF SINGING
VOICE PRODUCTION
WITHOUT
INTERFERENCE
“When dealing, with the teaching of singing it must be remembered that unlike the teaching of other branches of music, which consist in the main in helping the pupil to acquire sufficient technical skill to manipulate an already perfected instrument, it is the task of the instructor to supply the pupil with knowledge which will enable him to proceed with the actual development of the instrument itself.”
Extract from article “Is Singing a Psychological Phenomenon or a Physical Exercise?” by William A. C. Zerffi, Musical Courier, November 2nd, 1922.
For Terms address Secretary
ZERFFI STUDIOS, 309 West 78th Street New York City	Telephone Schuyler 9139
Mr. Zerffi will teach in New York during the entire summer"