59 MUSICAL COURIER May 31, 192 3 was heard in a group of English ballads and in several French songs, to which Leo Shorr gave her fine piano accompaniments. Miss Hayden created a fine impression. C. H. A. LOS ANGELES GREETS ZOELLNER QUARTET ON RETURN FROM TOUR Oratorio Society Gives Samson and Delilah—Lyric Club’s Closing Concert—Notes Los Angeles, Cal., May 14.—The Zoellner Quartet gave the first program following its eastern tour of several months, at the Ebell Club House, April 23, to a full house. A welcome that was a personal as well as a musical tribute greeted the quartet and the evening was marked by a cordial and informal atmosphere. There is a very human appeal in the work of ■this organization, free from the pedantry and formal coldness too often felt with the chamber music. The lovely Haydn quartet, op. 64, No. S, opened the program and the colorful sonata quartet in E minor closed it. The Sinding Serenade, op. 56, for two violins and piano, was^ most interesting, and a new number to Los Angeles audiences. The Zoellner Quartet is comprised of the members of the family of Joseph Zoellner, Sr., who plays the. viola in the quartet. The others are Antoinette Zoellner, violin, and Amandus and Joseph, Jr., violin and cello respectively. Oratorio Society Gives Samson and Delilah. The Oratorio Society of Los Angeles, John Smallman conductor, gave Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah on May 1, at the Philharmonic Auditorium. The chorus, numbering 225 voices, was accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra, and the organist, Dr. Ray Hastings. The soloists were Arthur Hackett, as Samson; Anna Sprotte, Delilah; Ettore Campana, High Priest, and Henri de la Plate, Abimelech. Mr. Hackett has an enviable reputation as one of the leading-oratorio singers of the country. Mme. Sprotte, a well known contralto, has sung this role both in this country and abroad many times, with marked success. Her remarkable range, quality, and dramatic sense have a fine vehicle m this role. Mr. Campana and Mr. de la Plate added greatlv to the effects. Mr. Smallman is a conductor par excellence. His marked ability, coupled with a personality that makes him beloved of every member of his chorus, gives him a command of all his forces. The work he is doing is inestimable, for nothing of moment in this line has ever before received a continued support in this city, and he has established a bulwark in the musical life. Lyric Club’s Closing Concert. The Woman’s Lyric Club of Los Angeles, under the direction of J. P. Paulin, has become, in the nineteen years of its existence, one of the finest trained women’s choruses in the country. It has held this position for ■the past ten or fifteen years, and has jealously maintained its standard, although the personnel has necessarily changed. The last concert was marked by the finesse and vocal clarity characteristic of the chorus’ work and was refreshing in its selection of numbers. The audience demanded a repetition of the exquisite Silver, by Victor Harris, the incidental solo by Anms Stickton Howell. A Vision of Music, by Harry M. Gilbert, was beautifully given, with the rich contralto of Tilda Rohr and the cello obligato of Carlyle Walker adding greatly to the impressiveness. Others especially attractive were an adaptation by Spross of Debussy’s Mandoline (given in French) and Cyril Scott’s Lullaby. The piece de resistance was the closing number—Mabel W Daniel’s Eastern Song, accompanied by violin and cello' It was the most ambitious chorus number on the program Many advanced and ambitious violin students are eagerly anticipating his arrival. Mr. Deru was for many years official violinist to the King and Queen of Belgium and has not only won honors in his own country but has also had many conferred upon him by the French Government. Uda Waldro, the popular California composer-pianist and organist, has resumed his former position as organist in the Geary Street Synagogue. Mr. Waldrop held this position for seven years prior to his departure for New York City, where his musical activities called him. Upon his return to this city Mr. Waldrop’s several other organ positions prevented him from immediately taking up his duties at the synagogue. Pearl Hossack Whitcomb sang for the members of the Pacific Musical Society at its last concert and pleased a discriminating attendance with the beauty of her mezzo-soprano voice. Her voice is well placed and she sings with a plenitude of tone and emotional warmth. Her numbers included Massenet’s Les Larmes, from the opera Werther, which is seldom heard here. A group of Russian songs and modern French were her contributions. Irene Miller proved an excellent accompanist. Other artists who participated in the program were Rudy Seiger and J. Chandler Smith, who rendered the Grieg sonata in G minor for violin and piano, and Esther Deininger, who played in admirable style Liszt’s La Campanella, Palmgren’s Prelude, and Schumann’s sonata in G minor. This concert was one of the most enjoyable that the Pacific Musical Society has given throughout this year. Tania Akounine, a thirteen-year-old violinist, was the soloist at the recent concert given by the Minetti Orchestra. The lad gave a vital reading of Max Bruch’s G minor concerto. Madame Rose Florence, well known mezzo-soprano, also appeared at this concert, singing the aria from Samson and Delilah, Duparc’s Phidyle, Gretchaninoff’s Triste est le Steppe, and Hugo Wolff’s Er Ist’s. Mr. Minetti conducted the orchestra in his usual dynamic manner, giving fine renditions of Strauss’ Tales from the Vienna Woods, intermezzo from Carmen, Mozart’s symphony in G minor and the overture to the Merry Wives of Windsor. Edna May Stratton Nies played for the first time before a local audience when she appeared as soloist with the Zech Orchestra, offering Bruch’s violin concerto No. 2 in D minor. Arline Elizabeth Lynch played the piano score The orchestra, under the leadership of William Zech played Beethoven’s Egmont overture, Schubert’s “Unfinished” symphony in B minor, two Slavonic dances by Dvorak and Wagner’s prelude to Die Meistersinger. Zech’s orchestra has been in existence for over nineteen years and has contributed much toward the musical education on the Pacific Coast, giving a number of semi-professional musicians opportunities to display their talents. Hother Wismer contributed viola and violin solos with refined taste and brilliant technic at the recital of monologues and dialogues given by Marie Nrock at Sorosis Club., Mr. Wismer played without accompaniment J. S. Bach’s Sarabande, from the C major suite, Rode’s air in G minor with variations, on viola, and an adagio by Spohr and Fritz Kreisler’s recitative and scherzo for violin. Augusta Hayden, a delightful and charming lyric soprano, was the soloist at the Hotel Whitcomb Sunday evening concert, given under the direction of Stanislas Bern Miss Hayden’s bright, clear and splendidly schooled voice SAN FRANCISCO STIRRED BY ROSA PONSELLE’S ARTISTRY People’s Symphony Orchestra Gives Pleasing Concert- Notes San Francisco, Cal., May 14.—Rosa Ponselle, soprano of the Metropolitan Opera, sang her way into the hearts of hundreds of San Franciscans when she gave her first song recital at the Curran Theater. After Miss Ponselle’s first group of songs the audience was stirred to a pitch of enthusiasm which knew no limit and this same demonstration of approval was evidenced after each of her numbers. Miss Ponselle chose as her opening number the aria, Pace, Pace, from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, and this operatic excerpt enabled her to reveal the richness of color, stupendous range and luscious quality of her voice. Miss Ponselle possesses the keenest instinct for dramatic values and she sings her recitative passages with the true declamatory style and impassioned intensity. She is equally at ease in songs as in the arias and she sang many of the modern works with polished artistry, distinct enunciation and fine interpretative style. In addition to her marked artistic ability, Miss Ponselle possesses a charming stage appearance. Manager Frank Healy announces another recital by Miss Ponselle, which is being anticipated with no small amount of enthusiasm. People’s Symphony Orchestra Gives Pleasing Concert. Alexander Saslavsky and his aggregation of musicians presented an interesting program of symphonic numbers at Scottish Rite Halk The outstanding feature of this program was the andante from Mendelssohn’s violin concerto, the solo part being played by the entire first violin section of the orchestra. The body of strings played in delightful unison, causing the effect to be more like one voluminous tone rather than that of many. William McCoy’s prelude to Hamadryads was an interesting novelty. This work was composed by the California musician especially for the Bohemian Club and the work reveals individuality in construction and contains haunting melodies and lilting rhythms. The symphony of the concert was Beethoven’s fifth and the last programmed number was the William Tell overture, which brought the concert to a brilliant and effective climax] Notes. Lillian Birmingham, former president of the San Francisco Musical Club, left recently for Washington, D. C., where she will attend the Woman’s Universal Alliance Convention as an official representative from California Mrs. Birmingham received this distinction directly from Washington, the appointment coming from Mrs. C. C. Calhoun, national chairman, to serve on the National Historical Research Committee. While in Washington, Mrs. Birmingham will make a strong attempt to urge the establishing of the National Conservatory of Music in California. Before returning to San Francisco, this active and enthusiastic clubwoman and musician will attend the national convention of the Federation of Music Clubs of America in Asheville, N. C. Edouard Deru, one of the foremost exponents of the Belgian school of violin artistry, has secured a studio in San Francisco, which he will occupy during the summer months. PACIFIC NORTHWEST DIRECTORY A RMSTRONG, FRANCIS J. A*■ Violinist-Teacher-Conductor. The McKelvey, 1519 Third Ave., Seattle. [ ACQUES JOU-JERVILLE of Paris *׳ Operatic Tenor Formerly Boston Opera and leading grand opera of France Head Voice Dept. Cornish School, Seattle j^URHYTHMICS OF JAQUES DAL- Hellerau-Dresden. Geneva. ELSIE HEWITT McCOY Odd Fellows Temple, Seattle CPARGUR, JOHN Director Seattle Symphony Orchestra People's Bank Bldg., Seattle p ADY, CALVIN BRAINERD Normal Courses and Private Tuition or Advanced Piano Students, July 17-Sept. 1. Cornish School, Seattle, Wash. T HOMPSON, MRS. CHARLES W., A Northwestern Soprano, Pupil of Harold Hurlbut (Disciple of Jean de Reszke) Season 1922-1923 in New York 222 Riverside Drive Phone River. 9881 IZ ANTNER, CLIFFORD W. AY Voice Representing Edmund J. Myer 306 Spring St., Seattle A/IcNEELY, PAUL PIERRE Lt-1 Concert Pianist, Instruction 206 The McKelvey, Seattle, Wash CORNISH SCHOOL OF MUSIC, INC. Dramatic Arts and Dancing Nellie C. Cornish, Director Roy Street, at Harvard. Seattle, Wash. JT LWYN CONCERT BUREAU— L׳ Western Management Concert Artists and High Class Musical Attractions Broadway Building, Portland, Ore. KRINKE, HARRY Suite 506, The McKelvey, Seattle, Wash. Advanced Instruction of Piano QATMAN, JOHN R. ^ Musical Courier Correspondent 1506 Yeon Bldg., Portland, Ore. TOWNS, KIRK Baritone 205 The McKelvey, Canadian Club Seattle New York PACIFIC COAST DIRECTORY DECKER, MR. and MRS. THILO AA Piano, Violin 431 So. Alvarado St., Los Angeles BRETHERTON, GLORIA Vocal Instructor and Coach Placement, Diction, Interpretation Studio 501 Tajo Building First and Broadway, Los Angeles UTILLMAN—MRS. ADA B. A A Soprano and Vocal Teacher Pupil of HAROLD HURLBUT (de Reszke disciple) 764 Moreno Road Santa Barbara, Cal. DERSINGER, LOUIS A Management Selby Oppenbeimer 68 Post Street, San Francisco BEHYMER, L. E. Manager of Distinguished Artists 705 Auditorium Bldg., Los Angeles C PROTTE, MME. ANNA RUZENA 1־J School of Vocal Art Sixth Floor of Tajo Bldg., Los Angeles BRONSON, CARL Voice, Phone 10082 204-5 Music Art Building, Los Angeles T OTT, MR. and MRS. CLIFFORD A-׳ Voice and Piano 912 W. 20th St., Los Angeles STETZLER, ALMA Voice—Opera Coach Egan School 1324 So. Figueroa St., Los Angeles BOWES, CHARLES Teacher of Voice 446 South Grand View, Los Angeles Y^OLBERT, JESSICA Concert and Theatrical Management 619 Hearst Bldg., San Francisco (")PPENHEIMER, SELBY C. ^ Musical, Operatic, Lecture and Concert Manager Foxcroft Building, 68 Post St. Near Kearney, San Francisco BRESCIA, DOMENICO Voice Specialist—Composition 603-4 Kohler Sc Chase Bldg.,San Francisco TNE AVIRETT, ABBY A-A Teacher of Piano Studio 246 Junipero Street, Long Beach. Calif. ,VOELLNER CONSERVATORY OF AG MUSIC Complete Faculty of Artist Teachers 1250 Windsor Blvd., Los Angeles, Cal.