53
MUSICAL COURIER
Harold Bauer
Recognized the world over as one of the very great • pianists of all times, writes concerning the
Iksmt&IjMiti
PIANOS
--<S-
Mason & Hamlin Co.
Gentlemen:
It gives me keen pleasure to testify once more to the excellence of your pianos. The instruments I have used this year not only represent the most perfect examples of the piano maker s art, but fulfil every imaginable requirement from the point of view of both pianist and audience, and are the most superbly beautiful instruments that I know.
(Signed)
HAROLD BAUER.
a combine with Max Rabinoff and looked after Mine. Pav-lowa, on her initial tour of this country, also arranging a tour for the late Lillian Russell. In 1916 he gave up ,all artistic work and was an operative in the United States Secret Service of the Treasury Department, assigned to Baltimore, Washington and New York. During the time he was stationed at Baltimore, he was instrumental in arranging concerts (two) for Mme. Galli-Curci and an appearance in the great armory at Baltimore for John McCormack and Luisa Tetrazinni.
In 1920 he became associated with Charles L.' Wagner and traveled with Galli-Curci, McMormack and Mary Garden. For the past three years he has been Miss Garden’s personal representative, and during her absence in Europe has been engaged by Mr. Insull for the Chicago Civic Opera, being in charge of the subscription department and looking after publicity as well. Mr. Potter will rejoin Miss Garden when she returns early in the fall. She will open her season in Lynn, Mass., on September 30, and is already booked for fifty concerts before Christmas, at which time she will rejoin the Chicago Company and appear in her favorite French operas.
BALTIMORE “CHERKASSKY MAD”
Music Notes of Interest
Baltimore, April 12.—This town is still “Cherkassky mad.” Cherkassky is the eleven-year-old Russian piano prodigy who set us into ecstacies on his several appearances here, three in all. There is to be a fourth early next month, due to the insistence of those who have been unable to satisfy their desires to hear him at his other recitals. Shura Cherkassky made his first appearance here less than two months ago at the so-called Little Lyric, a smaller hall connected with the Lyric, where all of Baltimore’s big musical events take place. This smaller hall accommodates less than 400 and the seats were sold long before the day of the concert. Frederick R. Huber, municipal director , of music, who has taken the youngster under his managerial care, then had him appear at the Peabody, but this hall seating about 2,000 was also sold out far in advance. The climax came, however, when seats were placed on sale for the lad’s concert last Sunday night. The crowd that appeared in line the' morning of the sale made it look like circus day and the seats for the entire Lyric were disposed of in little over an hour. From that morning until after the concert Manager Huber was beside himself trying to appease all who wanted tickets, of which none were to be had. The only consolation he could give was that the boy would appear in another recital this season.
Playing the large Lyric, the young Russian showed to as great advantage as on his previous appearances in the smaller halls. His program was entirely new. There is not a dissenting voice in the opinion that Cherkassky is a genius, an opinion concurred in recently when Mr. Huber took his prodigy to New York, where he gave a private concert for a number of the metropolitan musical critics.
Baltimore’s musical season is rapidly waning, something really to be regretted. We can look back with much joy, for there has been much in the musical line. Among the closing concerts was a recital by Jascha Heifetz, who drew the usual large gathering.
The return of the German Opera Company here next week to present The Ring gives every indication of attracting capacity houses.
Quite a number of musical events by local organizations are planned before the season closes. Among these is the annual concert by the Vocal Ensemble, an organization conducted by George Castelle, a former ■member of the Metropolitan, and cantor of the largest reformed Jewish synagogue in Baltimore. The work of this organization has been of the highest and better choral singing than given last year at the annual affair is seldom heard.
E. D.
Many Reengagements for Swain
Edwin Swain recently returned from a very successful Southern tour. The word “ uccessful” is used advisedly, for if the appearances he made were not already re-engagements, they joined his. reengagement record, for he was immediately signed up for next season. Nor does this apply only to Mr. Swain’s tour engagements, for he has two appearances this season with the New York Oratorio Society to his credit, as well as a fourth return to Bucknell University. Then, too, he has been re-engaged as soloist at the fashionable St. Andrew’s Dunes Church in Southampton, L. I., where Francis Moore is the organist. Spring festivals are occupying his attention just at present, as well as recitals in various cities in the East and Middle West.
Hazel Gruppe Busy
Hazel Gruppe, the well known pianist, was heard in a radio recital from the Waldorf, on WJZ, February 11. Later she received numerous letters from various parts of New York State and New Jersey telling her of the splendid concert and how much it was enjoyed. On February 19, Miss Gruppe was heard in a recital program at Wurlitzer Hall. Her numbers included many Chopin selections, Valse Triste (Sibelius), Polka (Ebell), En Automne and Caprice Espagnol (Moszkowski).
On March 21, Miss Gruppe gave a joint recital by radio with Camille Plasschaert, violinist, of Paris. At the end of April she will give an entire program at Carnegie Hall Chambers.
Phillip Gordon and Elinor Whittemore Active
The popular artists—Phillip Gordon, pianist, and Elinor Whittemore, violinist—have been traveling all the way from Niagara Falls, N. Y., to Dallas, Tex., delighting large audiences with their splendid program of classical selections. The concerts have been a triumph for these American artists. Mr. Gordon plays his difficult numbers with a tremendous technic and brilliant power. Miss Whittemore’s playing is a rare pleasure.	G. F. D.
Sackville, N. B., Added to Hutcheson’s Dates
Sackville, N. B., has been added to the list of other recital engagements which will keep Ernest Hutcheson busy well past the middle of May. He has been engaged by the Mount Allison Ladies’ College for a recital there on May 19.
April 26,1923
A Sketch of Howard Potter’s Career
In choosing Howard E. Potter to augment the executive forces of the Chicago Civic Opera Company, Samuel Insull has shown his usual keen discrimination, for probably no man in the business has been so closely connected with so many of the greatest artists as Mr. Potter, and, furthermore, he not only knows the executive and financial end of
HOWARD POTTER
the business but is also a keen judge of art in its varied aspects.
Born and brought up in Newark, N. J., Mr. Potter started out as a business man, being associated with the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company. Business could not take away the love of the artistic, however, and he arranged a course of concerts for Newark in which such artists as Lillian Nordica, Mme. Sembrich, David Bispham, Joseffy, Kreisler, Ysaye and Josef Hofmann appeared.
In 1909 he became identified with Loudon Charlton, and while with him went on tour with Mme. Sembrich and other noted artists. In 1912 he managed the tour of Edmond Clement, the noted French tenor, while the preceding year found him traveling with Jan Kubelik, on a concert tour which comprised one hundred and fifty recitals and during which he. acted as treasurer.
1913 found him on the road with Nellie Melba and Kubelik on their transcontinental tour. In 1915 he formed
Maestro A. SE1SMIT-D0DA
54 West 39th Street, New York	Phone 4045 Fltz Roy
(Composer, member Royal Academy of St. Cecilia of Rome, Italy;! formerly of the faculty vocal and coaching department National Conservatory of Music of New York, and of New York German Conservatory of Music. Chevalier of the Crown of Italy.)
R	TEACHER OF SINGING
t_, Studio: 167 West 79th St., New York. Tel. Schuyler 1978
ARVIDA VALDANE
SOPRANO
407 Knabe Building	New York, N. Y.
RUTHECTÏÏN
SOPRANO
Address : 437 Fifth Avenne, New York City
SUMMER
SESSION
CLAUDE
WARF0RD
Teacher of Singing
Metropolitan Opera House Studios, 1425 Broadway, New York City