15
MUSICAL COURIER
May 10, 1923
THE SUN, FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1923
Percy Hemus in Song Recital
American Barytone Includes Scena by Rupert Hughes; Bruno Walter Five Weeks Next Season
Percy Hemus, a barytone well known to America and continents contiguous, gave his first recital of the season in Aeolian Hall last night. He continued the strict custom of singing all his program in his native tongue of English, and included as one of its four groups a vocal scena, “Cain,” by Rupert Hughes.
Mr. Hemus sings buoyantly. Heart¡- -----------------------------
ness and sincerity issue out with his production and help make his voice ring. It is the voice of an optimist and the style of an actor. For Mr. Hemus has found his place on the operatic stage, as well as on the concert. Mr. William Wade Hin-shaw, fondly remembered for his im-presiarioship of the Society of American Singers at the Park Theater, has now been sending the late Henry Edward Krehbiel’s version of Mozart’s “The Impresario” around the ■country with much success—and Mr. Hemus has had a large vocal and dramatic share in the furtherance of the project. Indeed, one of the first things that Mr. Hemus sang last night (and one of the most cherished) was the aria from “II Seraglio,” which is interpolated into “The Impresario.”
Mr. Hughes’s “Cain,” too, made its effect upon an audience of enthusiasts.
NEW YORK EVENING POST, APRIL 27, 1923
Music
Recital by Percy Hemus
Mozart, who died in 1791, would have shaken his head incredulously had any one foretold him that in the years 1921-1923 an American manager, William Wade Hinshaw, would successfully tour the United States of America with one of his operatic trifles, “The Impresario.” It is owing to the vocal art of the well known baritone, Percy Hemus, that he has been able to achieve this surprising feat.
Incidentally, this long tour has kept Mr. Hemus from singing in New York as frequently as he used to. Last night he reappeared in Aeolian Hall and entertained | a good-sized audience.
NEW YORK HERALD, APRIL 27, 1923
Percy Hemus, Opera Barytone, Gives an Enjoyable Recital
Singing of Mozart Air With English Text by Late Mr. Krehbiel Effective.
By W. J. HENDERSON.
Percy Hemus, barytone, gave a song recital " last evening, in Aeolian Hall. He was heard oftener in former seasons than of late. He has recently been a member of the opera company which tours the country under the direction of William Wade Hinshaw singing Mozart in English. And it was in a Mozart air with English text by the late H. E. Krehbiel that Mr. Hemus had one of his most delightful minutes in this recital.
The English title of the air is “Confound Every Squalling Woman” and the opera in which it is found is “The Escape from the Seraglio.” Mr. Krehbiel interpolated in his English version of “Der Schauspieldirektor,” entitled “The Impresario.”
Mr. Hemus has of late been the impersonator of the impresario and his stage experience has enlivened his song 'singing in concert. He was always a good singer but there were new touches of humor and a fresh deftness in delineation in his art last evening.
He was not continually humorous, for he sang Handel’s “Wher’er You Walk,” Beethoven’s “Creation’s Hymn” and “Adelaide” and Schubert’s “Wanderer.” He also sang Sidney Homer’s “The Pauper’s Drive” and Walter Damrosch’s “Danny Deever.” The central number on his program was a vocal scene entitled “Cain,” with words and music both by Rupert Hughes, the versatile gentleman who ranges from composition to novel writing and movie creation.
It is a pleasure to hear Mr. Hemus in spite of some personal idiosyncrasies which might be made subjects of debate. But this barytone knows so much about vocal technic and uses his voice with so much interpretative skill that he interests music lovers in all kinds of songs.
He sang everything in English last evening and made everything intelligible. He gave a clear demonstration of the possibility of conveying to an audience the words of every song with English text. He also published a perfectly clear and well formed plan of interpretation in each number.
Some hearers might disagree with his plan, but none could fail to acknowledge that it was firmly made and fully made known. His audience was large and rewarded him with abundant applause.
NEW YORK TRIBUNE
Percy Hemus Sings Concert Program Entirely in English
NEW YORK EVENING TELEGRAM
Percy Hemus Sings Music by Novelist
NEW YORK TIMES, APRIL 27, 1923
Percy Hemus Pleases In Songs
Percy Hemus, who has been on tour this season with a production of Mozart’s “The Impresario,” gave a recital of varied songs, ■both modern and classical, in Aeolian Hall last evening. The large audience gave signs of enjoying his singing and demanded that he give several encores during the evening. With dramatic zeal and power of voice he gave Rupert Hughes’s “Cain” in a commanding manner which won favor with the audience and the composer, who bowed acknowledgment for his part of the applause from a box. Gladys Craven made the accompaniments a valuable aid to the singer.
AVAILABLE FOR RECITALS UNTIL SEPT. 15
ALSO SPRING OF 1924
Management : Wm. Wade Hinshaw, 1 West 51st Street, New York City
RIVIERA HAS BRILLIANT
MUSICAL SEASON
Many Americans Stop for Rest and Music
Nice, April 9.—The present season here has been unusually brilliant, so far as the musical world is concerned. Innumerable concerts of major and minor artists have kept the Salle Victor Hugo before the public eye, and the creation of two operas in Nice within a period of six weeks has added to the pleasures of music lovers.
Operas Produced.
Christiane (a lyric drama by Henri Gasave) was presented at the opera with very little success, notwithstanding the excellent singing of Hermance Gellaz in the title role, with M. Ovido in the role of Roger. At the Casino Municipal La Villa Médicis, a comédie lyrique in three acts by Jules Mazellier, was a success. Several solos, were unusually beautiful and well sung, and Mile. Nedge-Gauthier in the tite role of Fiorellina was most commendable.
Song Programs.
At Cannes, in the early part of last week, Mme. Margaret Valdi (who has already been heard in the United States), gave a recital of English, French and Italian arias and songs at the Cercle Nautique and was well received. Mme. Valdi has a voice that is well worth all the praise she received, and her songs were presented with an artisiic conception.
Mme. Pearl Barty, formerly with the Chicago Opera Company and the Teatro Reale, of Madrid, recently appeared in Nice as soloist at the Gala de la Presse. She sings with the confidence of a well trained artist, displaying an exquisite voice in selections from the Barber of Seville.
At a musicale given by Mrs. Frances Ogden at her home, Villa Cortland, Cannes, Weyland Echols, a young Californian tenor, assisted by Mme. L. de Kniageritch, of the Conservatory of Moscow, gave a most enjoyable program of French and English songs. Mr. Echols is returning to the States shortly.
Huberman Scores.
So great was the success of Huberman, the Polish violinist, in his recital of March 27, that he gave a second concert two days later at the Salle Victor Hugo, where an equally enthusiastic and appreciative audience greeted him. It is to be hoped that such a great artist as Huberman will not remain away from this city very long, for if memory serves the writer well, it is ten years since we had the pleasure of hearing him.
Easter Week Interesting.
Easter week was a week to be well remembered, what with the arrival of the King of Sweden on the Riviera, and the wonderful productions of the Monte Carlo Opera Company, augmented by the renowned John McCormack’s presence. Massenet’s Don Quichote was given at the Monte Carlo Opera in a wonderful stage setting, Y^^'Mar-coux’s singing was excellent, and Lucien Fougère, of the Paris Opéra Comique, was also well received.
John Heath, pianist, appeared in the Riviera Palace Hall in a recital, with a varied program by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Granados. Mr. Heath disclosed an unusual balance of tonal values and in his interpretation of Chopin was unusually brilliant. Mr. Heath is the director of ■the Institute Leschetizky, in Paris.
Among the notables seen in Monte Carlo the past week were Mary Garden, John McCormack, Jean de Reszké, Edwin Schneider and Rudyard, Kipling.
At a recent “at home” given at the Villa O’Hagen, by Mr. O’Hagen, Mr. McCormack rendered an excellent program of Irish ballads, a splendid song by Mr. McCormack’s accompanist, Edwin Schneider, Your Eyes, and To the Children and When Night Descends, by Rachmaninoff.
De Reszké-Seagle Pupils in Parsifal.
Our Easter Monday, under the direction of Reynaldo Hahn, twenty-eight pupils of Jean de Reszké rendered the flower music from Parsifal at Cannes. Noted among the artists were Mme. Rachel Morton Harris, soprano, of New York, and Floyd Townsley, a pupil of Oscar Seagle and M. de Reszké, who appeared in the role of Parisfal.
Mme. Walska Expected.
Mme. Ganna Walska (Mrs. Harold McCormick) who recently arrived in France from her American concert tour, is expected to spend a fortnight here in Nice, prior to her departure for Poland, where she will appear in opera at the invitation of the Polish government. Mme. Walska is also to appear in Rigoletto, shortly, at the Paris Opéra, and plans to return to New York for the early part of July.
Samuel Insull, president of the Chicago Civic Opera Company, who has acquired the presentation rights to nine or ten of the leading French operas for next season, among which are Samson and Delilah, Lakme, Monna Vanna, Cleopatra and others, stopped here accompnied by Giorgio Polacco, musical director of the company. They came from Milan, where they have been looking over the operatic field for new singers.	M. Lord Vernet.
Mme. Gray-Lhevinne Recalled to Richmond
Richmond, Va., April 19.—As a special event worthy of the Intercollegiate convention attended by delegates from nearly every state east of the Mississippi, north and south, the University of Richmond, Virginia, brought Mme. Gray-Lhevinne, the popular violinist, whose recital here created such a sensation on February 5 that Richmond is still agog over it, back from the State of Ohio for another concert.
The University auditorium (West Hampton Hall) was crowded with an eager, enthusiastic audience to greet and applaud the artist on the night of April 18. Owing to the storms of applause the program lasted until eleven p. m.
This violinist establishes a contact with her audiences which is made possible by her personal magnetism and charm. This method of conducting a recital is of great value in interesting persons who usually find the deeper classics “over their heads,” but it takes a most gracious personality and a sterling artist to put it across. Richmond wants her a third time, if it can possibly be arranged. J.
John Powell Booked for Williamsburg
John Powell has been engaged for a recital at Williamsburg, Va., May 11, under the auspices of William and Mary College.