23
MUSICAL COURIER
vital musical fixtures of the Pacific Coast, with the likelihood that its operations will extend also to much wider spheres.
At the concerts given during the past season the repertory was most comprehensive and in addition to performing many of the standard works by Mozart, Beethoven, Franck, Schumann, Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Bach, Schubert, Haydn and Dvorak, the players presented also a great many modern works and distinct novelties, including scores by Suk, Holbrooke, Dubois, Felix White, Ravel, Kreisler (quartet in A minor), Goossens, Mouquet, Marquarrd, H. Waldo Warner (string quartet), Arthur Bliss and Borodine.
The Los Angeles Chamber Music Society plans to give twelve concerts again next season and already the subscription sales promise an even increased attendance for 1923-24.
-----®----
MORE ABOUT ROYALTIES
A friend writes commending our attitude on the matter of music royalties as outlined in the editorial entitled Broadcasting Royalties, issue of May 3, but says that there is one point on which he disagrees with us. “I do not think that composers, either of so-called serious music or of jazz, are at all satisfied with what is obviously an inequitable arrangement with regard to a fixed royalty placed on records by the law. In fact, at a recent meeting of the ‘Song Writers’ a decision was taken to bring this matter up before Congress this next autumn, and a Senator of New Jersey, who was present, and certain other political gentlemen, are actively interesting themselves in righting what seems an unfair arrangement.”
is indeed a real pleasure to chronicle another success in these days of musical sterility. Riccitelli’s music is gay, light and rhythmic and fits the text beautifully. True, the work contains many reminiscences of Mascagni (Riccitelli is Mascagni’s favorite pupil), but no one seemed to mind them, since they are sympathetic and well handled. Riccitelli has been struggling for years and has had a hard time of it since the goddess of fortune declined to smile upon him. With this success, however, his future is assured. The public went wild with delight and author and singers were called out a dozen times after the only act. This new work is bound to have many performances, not only because of its merit but also by reason of the fact that it has been linked with Caval-leria, for which it makes an especially satisfactory foil, since its humor is refreshing after so cruel a tragedy. Signor Parvis again performed brilliantly and so did the tenor, Cortis, and Signoria Afelia Parisini. Maestro Santini, who conducted, entered into the spirit of the comedy in a masterful manner.
Giovanetti’s Petroni Fails to Enthuse
Although Petroni was the first of the three novelties performed it must be mentioned last since it was the least successful. The reason for its failure was due as much to the subject as to the music itself, which revealed no character whatever.. The city of Lucca, whence hail both Puccini and Giovanetti, has assisted its native son in a manner which might well be followed by others. A subscription was made and a sum said to have reached 100,000 lire was collected and sent to Mme. Carelli, the operatic “boss” of the Constanzi, to insure the opera’s performance, since it is well known that the wily impresario often promises novelties that fail to appear.
Maestro Giovanetti never rises above mediocrity. His music, though having pleasing moments, is nevertheless void of any character which is also true of the discourse of his characters. It is to be hoped that in another effort which Giovanetti has promised us he will be more successful.
Bonci Still a Star
A fine performance of Ballo in Maschera, in which Alessandro Bond starred, deserves mention and, as if to accentuate the miserableness of this season, which is rapidly drawing to a close, a disastrous performance of II Trovatore was sandwiched in between the novelties. Of this the less said of it the better.
Albert Coates Introduces American Novelty
In the two concerts which Albert Coates conducted at the Augusteo, several works heard for the first time in Rome were included on the programs. In the first, his own new work, l'he Eagle, was presented. It is a heavy, lengthy com; position, splendidly worked out but absolutely unorginal. It earned a “success d’estime.”
Another novelty in the first concert was Leo Sowerby’s Ballata for two pianos and orchestra. It is a clever bit of composition with numerous effective moments. Intricate though it is, there are phrases of great melodic beauty whose effect are enhanced by reason of a rich orchestration. The first part seemed the best, while the length of the second detracted from the interest aroused by the former. However, Mr. Sowerby scored a good success and had to appear twice to acknowledge the applause. The composer played the first piano and Carl Zecchi the second.
The second program brought us Vaughan Williams’ interminable but very interesting London Symphony. Full of atmosphere of a gray, foggy and melancholy variety, the public found it to be such a contrast to the bright Italian color scheme that they received it with sympathy as well as curiosity. Maestro Santoliquido’s Acquarelli, a suite of four sketches charming in their simplicity, were also heard. The delicate orchestration enhances their beauty to a ravishing degree, and the interpretation given them by Mr. Coates was delightful. Santoliquido, too, had to appear twice to acknowledge the applause.
Besides these novelties, Mr. Coates conducted a number of standard works including the third Leonore overture, the
they understand the words. That is, if the singer sings English with proper pronounciation and enunciation.
But the men do not matter, you will say. Ah! But they do. The women alone can never make America musical. They must get the men to the point of going to opera and concerts because they like it, not because they are dragged there by the wife. Until that time comes America will not be musical in the sense that France, Germany and Italy are musical. And that can only be accomplished by leading the men up to musical understanding through the words of the songs they listen to. And that, again, can only be accomplished by proper enunciation.
Therefore, sing English, and enunciate!
-----®----
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER MUSIC
One of the great additional advantages which a city enjoys when it possesses a first class symphony orchestra is the possibility of owning also an important chamber music society organization. The propagation of orchestral music and chamber music appears to go hand in hand and many of the most important of the smaller bodies have been fathered by the symphony orchestras whose players usually make the best chamber music performers. One of the recent chamber music undertakings to spring into action and also into quick fame is the Los Angeles Chamber Music Society, which gave twelve concerts during the past winter and appeared before large and enthusiastic audiences. A number of wealthy music loving residents of Los Angeles are sponsoring the organization financially, and therefore it is likely to become one of the prominent and
Rome, April 30.—Of the three operatic novelties heard at the Costanzi recently, La Grazia, by Vincenzo Michetti and I Compagnacci, by Riccitelli, were both crowned with success. Of the two, perhaps La Grazia is the more important with regard to subject, structure and music. Michetti has penetrated most profoundly into the veiled vindicitive soul
VINCENZO MICHETTI,
composer of La Grazia, which ivon a success at thè Constanzi in Rome.
of the Sardinian and has interpolated several folksongs, as choruses, into the work with telling effect, not only musically but dramatically as well.
The drama is based on a novel of Grazia. Deladda, herself a Sardinian, who has become famous for her stories of her own country, in which she has specialized. While the declamatory style of the work is always expressive, there is, nevertheless, a bit too much of it. The orchestration is coarse, wild and original by degrees and acts as a perfect mirror in reflecting the gloomy passions of those on the stage. It reveals the composer’s real instinct for theatrical effects, in the manifestation of which, however, he is often excessive.
The leading parts were sung by Mme. Arangi Lombardi, the baritone Parvis, and Radaelli, tenor. A tendency to exaggerate, however, seemed to prevail in the entire cast, all seeming to be imbued with the feeling that a success must be made. Maestro Gui conducted the work with intelligence and care. Composer and principals were called before the curtain at least eighteen times amidst the greatest enthusiasm. The second performance is already announced, and it looks as though La Grazia will become a regular repertory number.
Riccitelli’s I Compagnacci Scores Immense Success
In direct contrast to La Grazia is Riccitelli’s I Compagnacci, a comic opera which scored an immediate success. It
May 31, 19 2 3
ENCOURAGING AMERICANS
Let us begin by prefacing this paragraph with the remark that the Metropolitan Opera is under no obligation to produce American works. It is a private institution and can do as it pleases. But it seems as if there were a certain moral obligation to do something for the land which has produced the dollars that have made so many of the foreign personnel, including the director himself, well off for life. The Metropolitan a few years ago produced Charles Wakefield Cad-man’s one act opera, Shanewis. It was not a great work—no one is readier than Cadman himself to admit this. But it was a work of great promise, especially as it was without doubt the nearest approach to an actual opera yet made by an American. It was not an oratorio acted on the stage nor a slightly more pretentious comic opera, as so many American efforts have been. It had genuine dramatic values in the libretto—which, by the way, as in all American operatic efforts, was much worse than the music; for Mr. Cadman in his score showed that he had a genuine talent for writing effective music to fit a scene, which is quite different from writing songs or instrumental pieces.
Over a year ago Mr. Cadman submitted the score of his second opera, a work in two acts called The Witch of Salem. Never having seen a note of this, we cannot judge its merit. But Mr. Cadman had learned a lot from his experience with Shanewis—־ which, by the way, was kept in the repertory for two seasons—and we are willing to wager that it was at least equal to that opera. The manuscript score was kept eleven months and then returned to Mr. Cadman with the report that the management regretted that The Witch of Salem could not be fitted into its plans for the coming season.
Of course the Metropolitan had the right to turn down Mr. Cadman’s opera; but it seems to us that, just as a cold business proposition, it would have been worth while to encourage the composer of the most successful American work the Metropolitan ever produced, by taking his second work. You will search the Metropolitan list for next season in vain for any sign that America exists. It is perfectly true that no great American opera has yet been written. Very likely The Witch of Salem is not a great American opera. But if it is any worse than that monstrosity, The Polish Jew; if it is any more futile than The Blue Bird; if it is more vapid than the book and music of Anima Allegra, or if it is any more tiresome and uninspired than L’Amico Fritz, coming next season, then we do not know Cadman—and we think we do.
One thing is certain. If the more deserving of our composers are not encouraged and sustained by an occasional adequate performance, so that they may learn their own mistakes and profit by them, there never will be an American school of opera. And on no institution does there lie such a moral obligation to recognize this fact as on the Metropolitan Opera. Of course there is no money to be made out of American opera now. The big “stars,” who carry worn out things like William Tell and L’Africana, are not assigned to parts in American operas; most of them cannot sing the language of the country in which they earn their money, though American artists singing abroad sing with entire competence in the language of the land where they appear.
But Mr. Gatti denies emphatically that the Metropolitan is run with its eye on the box office.
——<®>-----
“ENUNCIATE!”
For the first time, probably, in the history of music, the importance of proper enunciation was brought to court recently in a suit between a singer and a manager. The singer sued on the ground that she had resigned a $550 a week engagement in big-time vaudeville to accept a $200 a week engagement with a musical production. She was laid off at the end of the first week. The defense was that the singer’s enunciation was not clear enough. The manager said he heard her sing at the opening and could not understand her. It was the worst he ever heard, he claimed.
“Whatever may go in opera,” he said, “our singing must be in English and every word must be understood.”
Regardless of the above mentioned case, it is true that opera has but little success with the majority of our people simply because they cannot understand what it is about. This is especially true with the men. Uncultured you may call them if you like. But they are not. They are just as cultured as the men of France, Germany or Italy. None of those men would go to opera if they had to listen to foreign languages, and why our men should be expected to be different in that regard is not easy to understand. Men enthusiastically applaud singing at club and lodge meetings and such, if it is the right kind and
ROME HEARS THREE OPERATIC NOVELTIES
Albert Coates Conducts at the Augusteum—Leo Sowerby’s New Ballata for Two Pianos Heard