27
MUSICAL COURIER
A letter from Carl Hauser, the talented composer of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,”
ABOUT
LEONE KRUSE
Who Created the Soprano Role With the Waterbury Choral Club, May 17, 1923
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Concert Direction M. H. Hanson,	873 E. 231st Street.
437 Fifth Avenue, City.
Dear Sirs :—
When I was informed that Miss Leone Kruse was to take the part of “Katrina” in the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” I began to worry, for she was unknown to me, and I knew her part was difficult. Now, that the concert is over, this fear changed into admiration. Much of my success is due to her artistic singing. Her voice is powerful in the dramatic parts, and most flexible in the lyric passages.
Besides having this beautiful voice, she can also claim—musicianship.
Yours very truly,
New York, May 22nd, 1923.	(Signed) Carl Haixser.
Miss Kruse is under the exclusive management of
CONCERT DIRECTION M. H. HANSON -	437 Fifth Avenue, New York
May 31, 19 2 3
NASHUA’S TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL PROVES A REAL SUCCESS
Vesta Thyden, Marion Aubens Wise, Charles Stratton, Walter H. Kidder, Ernest H. Johnson, Anna Sanderson and Mildred L. Chaplin Take Part—Eusebius G. Hood Conducts Chorus—Boston Festival Orchestra Participates—High School Chorus Gives Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast and Gallia—Nashua Oratorio Society Heard in Aida—A Surprise in Last Program
Nashua, N. H., May 18.—A concert performance of Verdi’s Aida at the Auditorium, Friday evening, May 18, brought Nashua’s twenty-third annual music festival to a close. The event consisted of three concerts, two evenings and a matinee. As usual the high school chorus, 300 voices, sang at the opening concert Coleridge-Taylor’s Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, after which the soloists and the Boston Festival Orchestra furnished a program of forty-five minutes, closing with Gounod’s Gallia. The afternoon program was furnished by three of the soloists and the orchestra. The Nashua Oratorio Society, 100 select voices, provided the final concert. The soloists were Vesta Thyden, soprano; Marion Aubens Wise, contralto; Charles Stratton, tenor; Walter Kidder, baritone, and Ernest H. Johnson, bass. Eusebius G. Hood was conductor.
The Nashua Oratorio Society has sponsored these festivals that the young people in the high school might have the opportunity to study the best in musical literature and sing at the festivals with soloists of national renown and a professional orchestra, though the high school has an orchestra of its own.
Miss Thyden sang the solo part in Gallia, and a group of songs at the first concert, and Charles Stratton sang Onaway! Awake, Beloved! from Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, and also a group of songs. These soloists and the young people of the school were successful in their endeavors and the general opinion of the large audience was that this year’s concert by the high school was the best in the long series that has been furnished at these festivals by the school chorus.
In Aida the title part was taken by Miss Thyden, who disclosed talent very much out of the ordinary, and a glowing, rich voice of unusual range, equally full and brilliant in all registers and capable of coloring the tone to make the interpretation vital. Miss Thyden established herself as a favorite in the hearts of this community, which has brought many fine singers here for many years.
Mr. Stratton sang the part of Radames, and though he had sung at the last two festivals, a marked progress was noted in his work. Blessed to begin with in a marked degree with a voice of splendid tenor quality, this young Southerner has made big strides in his art. until he now has a full, vibrant voice of excellent quality, capable of both lyric and dramatic work that is telling to a very high degree. No tenor since Lambert Murphy and Paul Althouse has won the esteem in this city that Mr. Srat-ton has achieved.
Amonasro’s role was entrusted to Mr. Kidder, another established favorite in Nashua, and he, too, displays much progress since first he sang here three years ago. The voice is big and round in quality, with ringing brilliance hi the highest register and fullness in the lower registers.
Mr. Johnson sang the small role of the King, and a few pages of Ramphis‘ part with a splendid quality of tone and considerable dramatic fire.
There was an unusual occurrence during the _ performance. Miss Wise was assigned the part of Amneris and she came here after battling with a slight cold for a week and did really fine work in the matinee concert, but complained that the voice was tightening up, though she sang with luscious tone quality, with dramatic fire and a fine sense of proportions. At the evening performance she told the conductor that she didn’t believe she could go on with the evening’s work, but she was urged to make the attempt, which she did. But before the end of the first act the vocal cords refused to work and she had to give up the attempt. The conductor, Mr. Hood, had been told that among Boston people in attendance at the festival was Josephine Knight, the talented soprano, who had sung at some of the Nashua festivals in the past, and knowing her to be a very fine musician he turned to the audience and said: “If Miss Josephine Knight is in the audience I wish she would come to the front of the hall, as I would like to speak to her.” Miss Knight came forward and the conductor told her he wished she would sing the part of Amneris. She said she was not familiar with the role, but if the conductor wished it she would attempt it. There were cuts in the part, but she took Miss Wise’s book, stepped upon the stage, the audience breaking out wildly with applause of admiration for her courage. She sang the part at sight, with never a wrong note from the beginning to the end, with a voice that was beautiful, vibrant, dramatic and capable of all manner of coloring. At the close she was given an ovation such as has never been granted anyone in this city, with applause, calls of “bravo” and shouts of admiration.
It has been said by all that the chorus sang with the finest tone quality, the best balance of parts and the greatest variety of expression that it has ever displayed, classing this as the finest concert ever given in this city. The society was given the largest audience it has ever had at a concert.
The pianist for the high school concert was Mildred Chaplin, the regular pianist of the school, who played beautiful accompaniments for the soloists. Anna Melendy Sanderson, the regular pianist of the Nashua Oratorio Society, played at the matinee for the soloists, and at the final concert, with a sureness and accuracy that was a tower of strength to all concerned. The Boston Festival Orchestra, John W. Crowley principal, did splendid work in its orchestral numbers and in the choral accompaniments. Financially the festival was also a success.	B. C.
Forsberg’s Success on Tour
Conrad Forsberg, pianist, has returned to New York after a series of ten appearances in New England, including concerts in Springfield, Mass., and New Britain, Conn. Mr. Forsberg was so successful that he was immediately re-engaged for three concerts on May 17, 18 and 19 in other cities in New England.