45 MUSICAL COURIER June 7, 1923 ELEANOR SPENCER BELIEVES IN SHORT PROGRAMS Celebrated Pianist Interviewed—Will Limit Her Programs Here Next Season to One Hour and a Half Duration— Returns After Two Years’ Stay Abroad Only to Go Back for a Summer in Europe—A Busy Season Already Booked had worked under trying and disheartening conditions, were all encouraged to put forth greater efforts. Their presence was evidence of that fact that the smaller towns, villages and hamlets were interested. It has been proposed that two musical festivals be held yearly, one Northern and one Southern, and only every three years a Provincial. This suggestion has been approved by the committee of the Saskatchewan Musical Association. Reasons for this change are that distances are so great it is impossible to have representative competitions in children’s choirs; the cost of transportation, too, has been the means in the past of preventing many organizations attending competitions. A new executive board has been elected for 1923-24, which comprises the following: Justice McKensie, A. W. Cam- eron, Saskatoon; L. A. Thornton, F. G. Kilmaster, Regina; D. Craven, T. Binns, Moose Jaw; A. E. Wilde, Mrs. E. Hawkin, Prince Albert; Ben Wallace, Yorkton; J. A. Han-bidge, Kerrobert; F. Sutton, Outlook; J. A. MacConachie, Tisdale, and E. M. Gunderson, Melfort. A wonderful radio achievement for Canada was accomplished by the CKCK broadcasting radio station at Regina, assisted by the Electric Club of Prince Albert, when music of the 1923 Music Festival was transmitted over 307 miles of telephone wires and broadcasted from the Leader Station. Much of the success of the undertaking was due to the Electric Club, which was said to have suggested the proposition. On the platform of the Armory Building, in which the musical contest was taking place, were four microphones, two on the conductor’s dias, from where the announcement by the adjudicators was made, and two on other pedestals placed amid the vocalists and musicians. Thus, there were four microphones parallel, and two or all of these four could be switched on. People from all parts of the Province listened and reported the success of this experiment. To commemorate the event the Prince Albert Electric Club is giving a gold mounted fountain pen to the person the longest distance away, who heard the program successfully. R. G. B. DRESDEN HEARS AMERICANS Dresden, May 19.—The American violinist, Florence Bryant, may feel gratified at the success she achieved in her recital on May 12. Except for a few lessons with Carl Flesch last winter, I understand she is a product of American teachers exclusively. She is well equipped technically and has a good sense of .style. Besides these attributes her tone is large, sonorous and agreeable. Her program contained the d’Ambrosio concerto in B minor; Brahms’ sonata for piano and violin, op. 100; and numerous shorter pieces. Wilhelm Scholz was an able accompanist. Another American was Ernest Bacon, a young pianist who drew a large audience. His chief asset seems to be a well developed technic which carries him along well enough until the work in hand calls for some display of emotional qualities. In this department, however, he is as yet undeveloped. His program was conventional enough and contained Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Liszt The audience applauded him heartily. A. Ingman The Perfect Artist Course Includes GAY MACLAREN Re-creator of famous plays Management: CAROLINE EVANS 326 West 76th Street :: :: New York City Dowell D minor concerto has been her favorite work when playing with orchestra. She played it with the distinguished Finnish conductor, Georg Schneevoigt; with Oscar Fried at Warsaw, Poland; and is to do it next season at Mannheim, with Kleiber, one of the most promising of young German conductors. On the occasion of her Vienna recital last winter she had the distinction of being the first American artist to play in the famous Ceremonien Saal of the former Imperial Palace, reopened as a concert room only a short time before. It was in this very hall that Ludwig van Beethoven himself sometimes played and sometimes listened to his new compositions. Miss Spencer studied for years in the Austrian capital with the most famous of piano pedagogues, the late Theodore Leschetizky, and was delighted to find so many old friends still there, among them Frau Dr. Malwine Bree, for many years assistant to Professor Leschetizky and still busy teaching. Naturally Miss Spencer is looking forward to a pleasant and busy season across the water this winter, but her real interest centers in the fall of next year, when she will return to play for her fellow countrymen for the first time in several years. H. O. O. SASKATCHEWAN HOLDS MUSIC FESTIVAL AT PRINCE ALBERT Two Festivals Proposed for Next Year, One Southern and One Northern Regina, Sask., May 25.—Saskatchewan has just concluded its 1923 Musical Festival at Prince Albert, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all music lovers of the province who were fortunate enough to be in attendance. The presence of enthusiastic crowds which invaded the city Victoria and Empire days lent a festive appearance to the city. Most prominent in the musical cricles of America among all those assembled was Granville Bantock of New York; he and Plunkett Green and Dr. Perrin were adjudicators. The Armory building at Prince Albert was given over to the musicians for concert purposes and the city welcomed its guests. Much praise was given to individual artists and societies from Regina, which is recognized as the musical center of Western Canada; nevertheless competition with other cities of the Province was so keen that the Capitol City will have to look well after its laurels if it retains its position in this respect. Saskatoon and Prince Albert are close behind on the trail, to use a pioneer’s expression. On the second day of the festival Regina scored successes as follows: Regina Choral Society, under the direction of George C. Coutts, won the chief event; the Regina Orchestra and Teen Age Orchestra, under the direction of W. Knight-Wilson; T. L. Elliott, Richard Pollock and Robert Britton were successful in winning prized positions. At the evening performance the honors for choirs went to Knox Church, Mrs. Sherry director; to Third Avenue Church, Saskatoon, Francis Stephenson director, and Westminster Church, Regina. Granville Bantock praised the Metropolitan Choir of Regina especially for its memory singing and commended the Regina Orchestral Society under the direction of W. Knight-Wilson. Adjudicator Greene also spoke in a masterly and friendly manner about faults, and his criticisms were of a constructive nature. Cornet players, young and old; violinists, small and large; choirs; vocalists, many of whom Eleanor Spencer has the right idea. “I believe in short programs,” said she. “ ‘Amen’—and that goes twice,” said the Musical Courier staff writer, with heartfelt recollections of the innumerable artists who feel that it takes at least two hours to display their wares. “One that I used a good deal in Europe last season was made up of the Brahms-Handel Variations, the Schumann ELEANOR SPENCER Fantasie, and for a final group—if you can call two a group —the Liszt Campanella and that other work of his called Meine Freuden in German.” “That can’t take more than an hour and a quarter, even with long, intermissions,” suggested the scribe. "I play it in about an hour,” said Miss Spencer. The scribe rose and pressed Miss Spencer’s hand firmly and with warmth. “I thank you,” said he, brushing a tear of joy from his left eye. “I thank you again, and tender you a silent and unanimous vote of gratitude in the name of the Amalgamated Critics’ Union of the Universe. And how did your audiences seem to feel? Did it seem too short to them?” “No, indeed,” answered Miss Spencer. “In fact I received many compliments for the construction of a program which they were kind enough to say was so well balanced. It has always seemed to me in the case of pianists at the forepart of the program is often so loaded with heavy items that the attention of the audience is bound to wander before the final group comes. A dry sponge can absorb so much water and no more, and a human brain is the same way as regards music.” “Will you play the same kind of program when you come back here in the fall of 1924?” “That depends, of course, where I am playing. I admit that the program I mentioned is perhaps a little heavy and a little short for regular use in America, but I hope to stick to a general scheme that is similar as regards balance and that will not take more than an hour and a half at the outside.” Miss Spencer has been at home on a flying visit after two years abroad, where she has won a notable artistic reputation for herself. She is leaving again on Saturday, June 9, to spend the summer in Europe, having made only a five or six weeks’ stay in her native land. She will rest through the warm weather, preparing the programs she is to play the coming winter. Her engagements call for appearances in London, Paris, Spain, the principal cities of Holland and of the Scandinavian countries, in Berlin, Vienna and in Hungary, and they are nearly all reappearances in places where she has won success during the past two seasons. Miss Spencer is especially fond of Holland and says that general musical taste there is very highly developed, especially in Amsterdam, where Willem Mengelberg has ruled for a quarter of a century. It was she who had the honor of being selected as soloist when the centenary of César Franck’s birth was celebrated, playing the Symphonic Variations with Mengelberg and his Concertgebouw Orchestra both in Amsterdam and the Hague. She spoke highly, too, of the Residentie Orchestra at the Hague and of its conductor, Van Anrooy. She has not forgotten American music, and the Mac- of Improved Music Study for Beginners, Inc. DUNNING SYSTEM ENDORSED BY THE LEADING MUSICAL EDUCATORS OF THE WORLD Originator, Waverley Country Club, Portland, Oregon, New York City, Aug. 1 TRAVIS SEDBERRY GRIMLAND, HARRIET BACON MacDONALD ftp* Memphis, Tenn.; for booklets ad- rwu .......״---------׳< ■■ dress, Clifton, Texas. IDA GARDNER. 15 West Fifth Street, Tulsa, Okla., June 4, 1923. CARA MATTHEWS GARRETT, 4121 Jackdaw St., San Diego, Cal., Normal Class June 14, Orchestra Bldq.. Chicago: Dallas. Texas, June¡ Cleveland, Ohio, July 2; Chicago, Aug. 6. MRS. WESLEY PORTER MASON, 5011 Worth Street, Dallas, Texas¡ Classes beginning first week In June: second week In July. MRS. JULIUS ALBERT JAHN, Dallas Lt,ld5Ar.'!.?Nf? Port־ Academy of Music, Dallas, Texas. ion?.r c’ ״, hu 6*J st-> June MAUD ELLEN LITTLEFIELD, Kan- 9, ׳^f׳ ***'*’ Wash•׳ AuS■ 1. 1828- sas City Conservatory of Muelc, VV,G,r'!!A, RY,AN> 828 Carnegie Hall, 1515 Llnwood Blvd., Kansas City, ,״eJ'L,Yor¡' City. Mo. ISABEL M. TONE, 469 Grand View CLARA B. LOCHRIDGE, 223 N. Fifth ?923**’ L°־ Angeles׳ Cal,> June 18׳ St., Mayfield, Ky.; Summer Classes— mra "a i v/am n״dt , Bowling Green, Ky.; Cincinnati, MftS‘ ®ourton TexiJ ׳ *"* Ohio; Long Beach, Calif. s>t” M0U8ton׳ Texas. CARRIE MUNGER LONG, 608 Fine M״,S' ״b,?u״WATJ5iNS’4^?״ East 11th Arts Bldg., Chicago, III.¡ Summer St’ Oklahoma City, Okla. Normal Classes June, July and ANNA W. WHITLOCK, 1100 Hurley August. Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas. Normal Classes as follows:— MRS. CARRE LOUISE DUNNING, MRS. ZELLA E. ANDREWS, Leonard Bldg., Spokane, Wash. ALLIE E. BARCUS, 1006 College Ave., Ft. Worth, Texas. Summer Class— Amarillo, Texas, begins July 2. ANNA CRAIG BATES, 732 Pierce Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.; classes held monthly throughout the season. MARY E. BRECKISEN, 354 Irving Street, Toledo, Ohio. MRS. JEAN WARREN CARRICK, 160 East 68th St., Portland, Ore. DORA A. CHASE, Pouch Gallery, 345 Clinton Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. ADDA C. EDDY, 136 W. Sandusky Ave., Bellefontaine, Ohio; Summer and Fall Classes—Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati and Bellefontaine, Ohio; Atlanta, Ga. BEATRICE S. EIKEL, Kidd-Key College, Sherman, Texas. JEANETTE CURREY FULLER, 50 Erlon Crescent, Rochester, N. Y. INFORMATION AND BOOKLET UPON REQUEST GIACOMO RIMINI Baritone Chicago Opera Company Available for Concerts October, 1923 April and May, 1924 Management: R. E. JOHNSTON, 1451 Broadway, New York Associate,: L. G. BREID and PAUL LONGONE BALDWIN PIANO VOCALION RECORDS ROSA RAISA Dramatic Soprano Chicago Opera Company The Phenomenal Pianist Season 1823-1824 In Amerlca Exclusive Management: DANIEL MAYER Aeolian Hall, New York Steinway Plano Amplco Records