61
MUSICAL COURIER
Aprii 19, 192 3
panist of high standard, but he is also equipped to assist in the matters of diction, interpretation and languages.
Following his appearance with Eva Gauthier at the American Music Guild’s third concert at the Town Hall on March 7, Deems Taylor in the World commented: “Mr. Steinert contributed four ‘Lacquer Prints,’ set to poems by Amy Lowell, and Mr. Vaughan offered three songs with lyric by Ruth Harwood. Eva Gauthier did all that intelligent singing and perfect diction could do for them, abetted by some stunning accompaniments by Frederic Persson.” In Portland, Me., when he assisted Mme. Gauthier recently, one of the papers commented: “Frederic Persson, as accompanist, played an important part in the success of the entertainment, responding surely and spontaneously to the moods of the mezzo-soprano. The background throughout was a masterly performance.” And a Detroit daily said: “She is fortunate in having so able and understanding an accompanist as Frederic Persson.”
May Peterson’s Singing Pleases Portland
Portland, Ore., April 2.—With Charles Touchette at the piano, May Peterson, Metropolitan Opera soprano, gave a delightful concert here recently. Her program was varied in contents, allowing wide scope for the versatility of the artist. According to the Oregonian: “A slim little figure in Nile green and silver, carrying a nosegay of orchids and violets, May Peterson appeared in recital before her audience last night at the Heilig Theater. Her voice was lovely in the Voi che Sapete_ aria (Mozart), the first number. . . . Miss Peterson’s voice is not the usual disembodied soprano, but a warm, full, rich voice that it is a pleasure to listen to. One notes the fine breath control and ease of phrasing, accurate intonation and ringing high tones.”	R. S. D.
Merle Baeck to Return to Europe
Merle Baeck, soprano, who returned to America following a summer abroad, during which she worked with Maurice De Clery in Brussels, will sail for Europe in June to make a tour of the principal cities. At the present time Mme. Baeck is studying with William Thorner.
SUMMY’S CORNER
A CHEERY OPTIMISM
is the key-note of these new READINGS WITH MUSIC
by
Mary Wyman Williams
Numbers that will grace any program . _	and please any audience
A REASSURANCE.....................30	cts.
Words anonymous
A LITTLE GENTLEMAN	.	  50	cts.
Words by Mary Wyman Williams
BROWN ..........................    60	cts.
Words anonymous
CLAYTON F. SUMMY CO.
Publishers
429 So. Wabash Ave.	Chicago
Frederick and Mrs. Delius. A reception and performance of Deliu$ works were tendered to the English composer at Frankfurt, on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday, on January 29, 1923, in which Percy Grainger played his two-piano arrangement of the Delius Dance Rhapsody, together with Alexander Lippay, the Czecho-Slovakian composer and conductor.
Deems Taylor Galls Persson’s Accompaniments “Stunning”
When Frederic Persson is not acting as accompanist to well known artists in concerts in New York and not far away (his work at the studio prevents his making too long tours), he is working with a number of artists on
Photo by Mishkin.
FREDERIC PERSSON
their repertory for next season. At the present time Mr. Persson is engaged in that capacity with Mario Chamlee, tenor of the Metropolitan, who is preparing for his European appearances this summer; wtih Marie Tiffany on her fall programs, and also with Paul Ryman, tenor, who is preparing some interesting numbers for next season.
Mr. Persson is not only a vocal coach and concert accom-
Answers to letters received in this department are published as promptly as possible. The large number of inquiries and the limitation of space are responsible for any delay. The letters are answered seriatim.
Month of Birth.
“Will you kindly tell me the month and day of Emma Calve’s birth? The encyclopedias give the year 1864 or 1866. I wish the month and day for a birthday book I am making.”
None of the encyclopedias seem to have much information as to the month and date of Calve’s birth, but the English Who’s Who In Music states positively 1866 as the year. Baker gives 1863 or 1866 but furl nishes the name of the town where she was born—Decazeville, near Aveyron, Southern France. Both authorities agree that her first appearance was in Brussels in 1882 as Marguerite in Faust.
How Many Entries ?
“Can you tell me if the prize hymn tune contest stated on page 43 of the Musical Courier, February 15, 1923, will allow of more than one entry by one person, and how many ? I would like to submit two entries.”
You can send in as many entries as you like for the hymn tune contest, so if you have more than two why not submit them all?
Beginnings of Opera.
“When was opera first'composed and produced? is a question that we often discuss without arriving at any real conclusion. Can you give me any information on the subject? Probably there is some book that tells ali about it but I do not know of any. Have any of the earlier operas continued to exist? So many of those of comparatively recent years have disappeared from sight, even some that were great favorites at their production, that I suppose earlier ones are no longer sung.”
It: was in 1597 that a work by Jacopo Peri, Dafne, in what was called the new style of composition, was performed, but no trace of this work survives. The actual foundation of opera, however, is supposed to date from 1600 when a public performance of Euridice, also by Peri, took place in Florence on the occasion of the marriage of Maria de Medici and Henry IV of France. There is a copy of this work in the British Museum. With this began the history of opera, rhe whole work consists of accompanied recitation, with the exception of a “few bars of insignificant chorus.” The voices are accompanied by a violin, large guitar or harpsichord. Claudio Monteverde came after Peri with Arianna in 1607, and Orfeo in 1608, when the development of the art really commenced. Monteverde employed an orchestra of thirty-nine instruments. Immediately there were imitators of his works, and he soon had many pupils, the most famous of them being Cavalli. Italy took the lead in the new art, great enthusiasm being shown in all the large cities, and it was not until much later that France in 1647 first heard Euridice. From that time, however, opera continued to develop and advance. Lulli, who had such an influence on music in Paris, writing no less than twenty operas himself carried on the good work, while by that time England had begun to ‘‘sit up and take notice” sending Pelham Humphreys over to Paris to learn all about the new music and study with Lulli. It took longer for opera to penetrate into Germany, the works of Italian composers being produced with Italian singers. Few, if any, of the early operas survived. There are such a number of composers who wrote opera in early times, whose names are forgotten except in some biographical dictionaries, that the interval before the nineteenth century has little of interest excepting to those writing a history or some review for a club. You undoubtedly know about the operatic music of the past hundred years.
Grainger in Frankfurt-on-Main
Percy Grainger is spending several weeks in Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany, where he is together with his friends,
AMERICAN CONSERVATORY
Chicago’s Foremost School of Music and Dramatic Art
Ninety Artist-Instructors	Catalog Mailed Free
John J. Hattstaedt, President. Karleton Hackett, Adolf Weidig, Heniot Levy,
Associate Directors.
Kimball Hall, Chicago, III.
KANSAS! riTY
CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
KANSAS CITY, MO.
Piano, Voice, Violin, Expression, Dancing
JOHN A. COWAN, President	ARNOLD VOLPE, Musical Director
Send for Catalog
Founded 1867 by Clara Baur. A Complete School of Musical Learning. A Faculty of International Reputation. Ideal Residential Halls on Beautiful Wooded Campus.
56th Summer Session
Six Weeks’ MASTER CLASS Conducted by The Great Pianist and Teacher
^inchinati
ж ¿^■■.4•״■'■*,,.׳	..»,,VV- ־
шГ.	INCORPORATED
MME.
MARGUERITE MELVILLE LISZNIEWSKA
Intensive Course in PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC, State Accredited—for Six Weeks, from June I5th to July 28th, 1923. PROGRESSIVE SERIES OF PIANO LESSONS All Departments open until Aug. 1st. Students may enter at any time.
Send for announcement to Bertha Baur, Directress, Highland Avenue and Oak Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF APPLIED MUSIC
Metropolitan College of Music—Thirty-Seventh Season
Summer Session, June 18th to July 28th Summer Rates, May 15th to September 15th Special Pedagogy Courses for Piano Teachers
All branches of music taught by a Faculty of Specialists
KATE S. CHITTENDEN, Dean	J. LAWRENCE ERB, Managing Director
212 West 59th St. (Central Park South), New York City	Tel. Circle 5329
% HAMILTON MORRIS A Soprano CONDUCTOR Teacher 835 Lincoln Place Brooklyn: N. Y. Tel. 6935 Lafayette	JOHN HEIMEL Concert Violinist and Pedagogue Studio: 151 Second Avenue (near 9th Street) New York City Telephone Dry Dock 4070
g BUTLER rr A PUPILS ACCEPTED 512 Fine Arts Building. Chicago, 111.	& CADMAN COMPOSER-PIANIST In Recitals of His Composition and His Famous “Indian Music-Talk.” 2220 Canyon Drive Hollywood, Cal.
GORDON CAMPBELL 1■ Vocal Coach—Professional Accompanist 17 Peschke Str., Berlin-Steglitz	
	GRANBERRY Carnegie Hall, New York SUMMER pisu ACCOMPANISTS Sight, Touch and Hearing. Booklet Mr. Cranberry will again have charge of the music In the University of Georgia Summer School, giving courses for the Professional Training of Music Teachers.
Milan Lusk Concert Violinist Manarement: LUDMILA WETCHE 206 W. 99th St.. N. Y.	
	IREUTER L P PIANIST H Management: HAENSEL & JONES, Aeolian Hall New York
B E R G E Y Chicago Opera School Lyon & Healy Bldg.. Chicago	
LOVETTE, Welsh Pianist Teacher of International Reputation EVA WHITFORD LOVETTE ART OF SINGING A Limited Number of Resident Students Accepted 2019 N Street, N. W. WASHINGTON. D. C.	
	DO YOU STUDY SINGING? ARE YOU MAKING PROGRESS? IF NOT. WHY? Read—“The Secrets op Svengali” By J. H. Duval And You’ll Find Out $2.00 at all Music Dealers and Booksellers Published by James T. White, 70 Fifth Ave.. New York City
Moritz Emory PIANO TEACHING VOICE 1617 Spruce St.a Philadelphia	—To Visitors to England— MR. MURRI M0NCRIEFF Diploma Canto, Conservatorlo Napoli Voice Consultant Production and Training for Opera. Vocal Troubles in Singing or Speaking, Hoarseness, etc., removed entirely. 5 Princes Street, Cavendish Square London, W. 1. Telephone Mayfair 4030
Management: DANIEL MAYER & CO. Crafton House, Golden Square, W. 1 “ROST §W H Y Contralto d E Bass-Baritone A LONDON R ENGLAND