34
May 31, 1923
John Charles Thomas Not Leaving Concert Stage
Since the popular American baritone, John Charles Thomas, has been playing the leading character in a moving picture it has been rumored that he was planning to abandon the concert stage. Who started the rumors, and why, need not be entered into. The fact is, that these rumors have absolutely no foundation. Mr. Thomas himself, and his manager, R. E. Johnston, want them categorically denied. Mr. Thomas not only is not thinking of giving up his concert career, but is already booked for a large number of dates for next reason, both new dates and re-engagements.
How he came to be acting in a moving picture is a simple enough story. He was in London last year, booked with Lyonel Powell for concerts, when he had. a communication from William Randolph Hearst offering him a salary it was impossible to refuse, to play the part of Gil de Berault in Stanley Weyman’s Under the Red Robe for the Cosmopolitan Pictures. Considering the large amount of money involved and the publicity the picture would mean for him, Mr. Thomas did not feel justified in refusing the offer.
The picture is now being made—and Mr. Thomas grew himself a little mustache for the occasion, which is very becoming. So far as Mr. Thomas is concerned the picture will be completed in a week or two—likewise the mustache. For the baritone is sailing for London, June 12, leaving the movie star (and the mustache) behind. He appears at an Albert Hall Sunday afternoon concert, June 24, and will make a number of other European appearances before his return to America in time for his first New York recital at Aeolian Hall, October 14.
Mr. Thomas made a record first season in concert last year after graduating from light opera. During his tour of America he sang fifty-seven concerts which took him all the way to the Pacific Coast and through the South and Southwest. Beside his New York recitals he gave three in Chicago, three in Baltimore, four in Washington anil three in Boston. Everywhere he was enthusiastically received both by public and press. On the Pacific Coast alone he has twelve re-engagements and many others across the country.
During all these concerts Mr. Thomas has not sung the same program twice. In his four Aeolian Hall programs he did not repeat a single number except those songs that were sung by request. He has an ideal program in mind one made up entirely, of ׳•hits,” and is keeping a record ״is pronounced successes so as to discover what the publm likes best. Of course, as he says, audiences differ m their tastes, but there must be a certain number of universal successes, and these he is sorting out. It is a plan that should prove successful.
Mr. Thomas is also singing a number of new songs, some °\ them not published, as he is reserving them for his own private repertory. At his last Aeolian Hall recital he sang seven first times, ’ and during the season he used fifteen new songs, all but one of them scoring hits, which speaks well for his judgment as a picker.
And let it be repeated that Mr. Thomas is not leavi !״ the concert stage. He is on to stay.
At the Cincinnati Zoo
Ernest Briggs, who has for several years presented concert programs at the Grand Opera Theater of the Cincin-nati Zoological Park Association after the regular opera season, has been engaged to prepare programs, under the direction of Manager C. G. Miller, which will this season include three weeks prior to the summer grand opera as well as the customary post season. A band and male chorus, together with an entertainment of Russian music of the Chauve Souris style, under the direction of Sunia samuels, will be given in June.
For the fall program the Pavley Oukrainsky Ballet, and Lubovska, founder of the National American Ballet have been engaged for the dancing features, to appear with the Cincinnati Summer Orchestra, composed of members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Briggs is now busy engaging vocal and instrumental numbers to fill out the program which will follow the grand opera season.
Dupre Will Play All-Bach in Montreal
Announcement is made by Alexander Russell and Bernard Laberge, managers of Marcel Dupre’s (organist at Notre Dame Cathedral) second transcontinental tour, that Dupre will repeat his amazing Bach feat in America next season by playing the entire organ works of Bach in ten recitals in Montreal, beginning October 1. The recitals will take place on alternate days, and will cover a period of a little over three weeks. A special subscription list has been formed for this purpose. So great is the interest that Toronto has requested that Dupre repeat the recitals in that city on the days between the dates of the Montreal recitals.
This will be the third time that Dupre will have per-forrned this almost incredible feat, viz., the first time at the Paris Conservatory in the spring of 1920, and the second time at the Trocadero in Paris, in the spring of 1921.
Giannini to Sing at Bar Harbor
Dusolina Giannini is one of the first artists announced for an appearance in the summer series of concerts at the Build-mg of Arts, Bar Harbor, Me. She will give a recital there on August 18, her engagement being timed to accord with the visit of the Italian Ambassador, who will establish a summer Embassy at the Maine resort. Miss Giannini has also been engaged for a recital by the Woman’s Club of the Sewickley Valley, Sewickley, Pa., on November 12.
MUSICAL COURIER
and then for their last appearance offered Verdi’s duet, Vendetta, from Rigoletto. Mr. Danise was first to appear and captivate his audience with the Credo, from Othello, by Verdi, and in his second appearance sang the Romanza from William Tell. He was obliged to reappear several times after each number and to respond with encores. Miss Macbeth chose for her first number David’s Charming Bird, from The Pearl of Brazil, and for her second offering the Bell Song, from Lakme, by Delibes. Her voice is a pure coloratura and she made a splendid impression. Hempel, Galli-Curci, and other singers in this particular field have been heard in Ann Arbor and Macbeth made a place for herself alongside her illustrious predecessors. Like Danise, she had to sing several unannounced numbers. Interspersed with the offerings of these two stars, were splendid numbers by Mr. Stock and his band of players including Humperdinck’s prelude to Die Kbenigskinder, Dance Poem Le Peri, by Dukas, Hungarian _ dances by Brahms-Dvorak, Elgar’s march, Pomp and Circumstance, in addition to a suite from the opera The Perfect Fool, which Mr. Holst, the composer, again conducted. Altogether the evening’s entertainment was a most attractive performance and fully substantiated the Friday night tradition.
Fourth Concert
Saturday offered two excellent programs. In the afternoon the Chicago Symphony Orchestra followed Bruch’s prelude to Loreley with a masterful performance of Schumann’s symphony No. 2 (Rheinish). This work, transcribed for modern orchestra by Mr. Stock, is a most worthy compo-
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sition and was greatly enjoyed by a capacity house. After the intermission, Ernest Schelling made his Ann Arbor debut in a stirring rendition of his own Fantastic Suite for piano and orchestra. Schelling is one of the most satisfying pianists who have ever appeared in Ann Arbor and his performance was flawless. At its close he was given an ovation and was obliged to respond with numerous encores. Even after the orchestra had left the rostrum he continued to play a number of selections.
Fifth Concert
The climax of the festival was reached in the evening when Saint-Saëns’ monumental opera Samson and Delilah was heard in Ann Arbor for the sixth time. Frederick Stock led the University Choral Union and the Chicago Orchestra m a splendid performance. The soloists were all in excellent voice and a better selection could not have been made. It is interesting to note that the cast was entirely American. Jeanne Gordon, of the Metropolitan Opera Company, was heard for the first time in Michigan in a big way. The fact that she is a Detroiter lent special interest to her appearance. She made an excellent Delilah and interpreted the role as only a real artist could. Charles Marshall could hardly be improved upon in the role of Samson. Hé is a commanding figure with a well-handled voice of particularly pleasing quality. Clarence Whitehill as the High Priest was heard to excellent advantage while Henri Scott in the role of The Old Hebrew and Abimelech completed a most attractive group. The Choral Union was splendid and their fine work reflected great credit upon Mr. Moore, who had trained them faithfully.
Altogether the festival was a tremendous success. Crowded houses greeted each program. The orchestra and choruses, as well as artists, were all in fine fettle and gave of their best at every concert.
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Bach’s B Minor Mass were offered under the leadership of Earl Vincent Moore, first the Sanctus was sung by the Choral Union, then Agnus Dei, in which Mabelle Addison, distinguished Bach singer, with violin obligato by Jacques Gordon, appeared to wonderful advantage, and thirdly the Hosanna_Chorus. Mr. Moore was given a tremendous ovation, for he has won a warm spot in the hearts of festival patrons. As acting conductor of the Choral Union and festival he has carried heavy responsibilities and this performance proved conclusively his capabilities. The chorus and orchestra responded beautifully to his leadership and he conducted with the poise, dignity and assurance of one who might have been in the habit of presiding over one of the world’s greatest orchestras every day.
The appearance of Miss Addison brought forth much enthusiasm. She is a very notable singer of Bach music, and on this occasion was at her best. Her voice is beautiful and handled artistically and with deep intelligence. She understands what Bach wanted and knows how to accomplish it. So pleasing were her efforts that great regret was expressed that she could not have been heard more. The violin obligato by Mr. Gordon was played ‘in that excellent musician’s usual splendid manner.
Following the intermission and Holst’s Dirge For Two Veterans, Erna Rubinstein, the girl violinist, not only main-tained the high reputation which preceded her, but surprised the veteran concert-goers •by her playing. She has the appearance of almost a child but she is reputed to be seventeen. She is frank, carefree, but serious in a way. At all times she is perfectly at home with what she is trying to do and her playing last Thursday night was worthy of a Kreisler or a Heifetz. Insistent applause followed her number. The program was closed by the orchestra playing Scherzo L’Ap-prenti Sorcier by Dukas.
Third Concert
The third concert Friday afternoon injected a delightful change from the heavy programs which preceded it. On this occasion 500 school children, under the direction of George Oscar Bowen, held the right-of-way. With their smiling, jubilant and enthusiastic expressions they would have been sufficient to have pleased any audience. But their beautiful singing held their listeners spellbound, and Mr. Bowen is to be congratulated upon his excellent training. With his associates in the various schools of the city he has worked long and faithfully, and during the last few weeks of the season has held many mass rehearsals. The children previously had been taught in groups by the teachers in the several schools.
Three soloists were heard to great advantage, Arthur Kraft, the American tenor, who sang a group of songs and also the solo in Agnus Dei; Anthony J. Whitmire of the university School of Music Faculty, who played three violin numbers and an obligato for Mr. Kraft, and Suzanne Keener the young Metropolitan Opera star. Mr. Kraft possesses a beautiful, pure tenor voice and he handles it splendidly. His singing added much delight to the program. Mr. Whitmire spent several years abroad and has gained wide recognition as a concert artist of great attractiveness. Almost any violin music after Miss Rubinstein’s appearance the evening before would have been in the nature of an anti-climax, but Mr. Whitmire apparently was inspired for he played with a finish and beauty which carried away his audience and they would not let him go until he offered several unannounced numbers. His obligato for Mr. Kraft was also done in a delight-ful manner. It was left, however, for Miss Keener to make the big “hit״ with the children. She appeared twice in the program, and if the children and the audience had had their way there would have been no end at all to the program. First of all she is a particularly attractive little maiden and she understands how to please. Then, she possesses a beautiful soprano voice, most attractive in every way. Her tones are clear and perfect and she sings with assurance and sincerity which is most refreshing. At the close of the concert when one would think she had sung herself out, she graciously consented (for she is a professional story-teller) to talk to the youngsters and she held them spellbound for another half hour. Mrs. George B. Rhead, pianist, of the faculty of the University School of Music, was largely responsible for the splendid success of the afternoon soloists, for she played the piano accompaniments for them all. She is a splendid artist of exceptional ability. Her experience m playing for many soloists has given her a sureness which always affords an opportunity for the soloists to give of their best. Piano and organ accompaniments for the choral selections were played by the following young musicians: Irene Finlay, Lucile Graham, piano; Philip LaRowe, organ. The program in full was as follows: A Prayer (Beethoven), The Linden Tree (Schubert), The Children’s Chorus; Quel Ruscelletto (Paradies), O Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me? (Handel), Love Has Eyes (Bishop), Mr. Kraft; Nearest and Dearest (Caracciolo), A Streamlet Full of Flowers (Garacciolo), Wanderer’s Night Song (Rubinstein), The Childrens Chorus; gavotte (Burmester-Gossec), berceuse (Grieg), Alla Zingaresca (Tschetschulin), Mr. Whitmire; waltz, Voce di Primavera (Strauss), Miss Keener; Ave Maria (Luzzi), Agnus Dei (Bizet), Mr. Kraft, Mr. Whitmire and High School Girls’ Glee Club; The Night Wind (Farley), There Are Fairies at the Bottom of Our Garden (Lehmann), The False Prophet (Scott), Miss Keener; selections from Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck), The Children’s Chorus and High School Girls’ Glee Club.
Fourth Concert
The fourth concert, which tradition has designated “Artist Night,” fully justified this title for it brought to the fore two splendid singers, Florence Macbeth of the Chicago Opera Association and Giuseppe Danise, baritone, of the Metropolitan Opera Company. These two singers each sang twice
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MISS MINNIE LIPLIÇH, Secretary