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MUSICAL COURIER
More Praise for Mary Potter
Mary Potter, contralto, has been widely lauded wherever she has appeared. The appended criticisms speak for themselves :
Mary Potter was a pronounced success. She included in her repertory all of the standard musical numbers, and this, coupled with her voice of natural beauty, gave her recital a most interesting aspect. —The Sunday Gazette, Atlantic City, January 14.
Of Mary Potter much might be said. She has a contralto voice of most flexible tone, and her control is admirable. She appeals, and it may be stated without fear of refutation that she is the most finished and polished singer to appear in Tyrone in many a day. Her first number was that which is the climax of the repertory of all contraltos, My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice.—Tyrone Daily Herald, February 23.
Miss Potter’s numbers were carefully selected. But one aria was on the program, her numbers for the rest being made up of lighter songs. She was generous with her encores, and though thoroughly pleasing in every one of her offerings, the audience’s greatest delight was in her Cadman’s The Spring Song of the Robin Woman, in which she was accompanied by the quintet.—Harrisburg Telegraph, February 28.
Miss Potter was altogether delightful. Her voice is a rich full contralto of wide compass, her interpretations excellent and her diction highly commendable. These things, added to a charming manner, won the audience from the start. She gave a nicely contrasted program, opening with a familiar aria and giving as an encore By the Waters of Minnetonka. A group of negro songs followed, and as an encore I Passed By Your Window, by Brane, was sung. The flexibility of her voice and her dramatic ability were best shown in the two final numbers of the program.—The York Dispatch, March 2.
A very fine mezzo soprano soloist also made her first appearance in this city, Mary Potter, and her singing was a feature of tnis concert. Saint-Saëns’ ever popular song has perhaps never been sung better here than by Miss Potter, and her work was equally good in the lighter numbers. .	.	. Miss Potter has a remarkable voice of
great power and beauty, and she sings with a rare intelligence.— Scranton Republican, March 5.
Miss Potter’s renditions were of the highest order and to the liking of the audience, who greeted her after each number with thunderous applause. Few contraltos of the present day are endowed with her remarkable power of control and notable richness of voice. ^ .	. She
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ability to produce full, wide compass was proven in her last number, The Spring Song of the Robin Woman, which was the crowning number of the program. ... It made the occasion one of exceptional enjoyment to all present.—The Gazette and Daily, York, Pa., March 2.
Mary Potter, a contralto soloist of marked ability and deep personal charm, a Virginian by birth, is a very charming young singer, possessed of a clear, sweet contralto voice of much power, and very expressive. She has excellent diction and her softer notes could be heard with ease. . . . Her ability was ably demonstrated in every number, but perhaps more so in her first and last numbers, the aria by Saint-Saëns, and The Spring Song of the Robin Woman which she sang with orchestra accompaniment. Her long residence in the south has made her familiar with the negro race, and her negro spirituals were well rendered.—North Adams.
Seldom has a voice superior to Miss Potter’s been heard on a local concert stage. Her interpretation of the aria was truly wonderful. This aria, together with her singing of negro spirituals and Love’s Old Sweet Song, the latter as an encore, were the outstanding features of the numbe’rs she sang.—The Allentown Morning Call, March 8.
That Mary Potter has a glorious voice has been indicated. That it came to its own in Cadman’s composition the storm of applause bore witness. Omitting the recitative, Miss Potter repeated the cry of Spring. Again applauded she gave By the Waters of Minnetonka. Her voice is so clear that, heard for the first time from a contralto, the song seemed peculiarly fitted with appropriate timbre.—The Morning Mercury, April 13.
(Continued on Page 55),______________________
NYIREGYHAZI
(Pronounced NEAR-EDGE-HARZI)
“A large audience wildly enthused over this poetic youth’s marvelous playing.”—New York Telegraph.
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baton of Albert Coates, and that she created an excellent impression will be gleaned from the following excerpts culled from the Bournemouth, England, Times and Directory:
This notice would be far from complete without special reference to the singing of Dora Gibson. Both in an aria from Tschaikowsky’s Jeanne D’Arc and in the Wagner Prelude, Miss Gibson sang most admirably and greatly to the delight of the crowded audience. Her voice, of rich mezzo-soprano quality, is under perfect control, and is used with considerable directness of aim and purpose. The singing of Miss Gibson provided the necessary contrast and relief from that of the continuous playing of the orchestra.
Chamlee Scores Great Success in Norwich
Mario Chamlee, singing for the first time in Norwich, Conn., was received with great enthusiasm by his audience, and the critics of the Norwich newspapers were lavish in their praise of his singing. Typical sentences from the Norwich Bulletin, which heads its review “Chamlee Charms Audience in Concert Program,” follow:
Mario Chamlee closed the season of the Slater Hall Concert Course with a program that was a succession of insistent encores from beginning to end 2for the talented artist. .	. Greeting him with a volume of
applause after his first number, his audience gave him unbounded approval with each succeeding number. His was a voice that the audience agreed deserved all the praise that had been showered upon it, rich in tonal beauty and perfectly rounded throughout its register of power, and used with consummate ease and lack of effort by the gifted singer.
The Norwich Evening Record observes:
Mr. Chamlee scored a fine success. In every instance his program was delightfully and artistically sung. He is master of the arts of song, and to an obviously musical nature he adds an intelligence as clearly perceptible. Numerous encores were asked and given. Mr. Chamlee is blessed with a resonant, finely timbered, luscious vocal organ under good control, and he is undoubtedly the most polished tenor Norwich has heard in years.
“Roberts Has Voice of Uncommon Beauty”
Emma Roberts, contralto, sang recently in Providence, R. I., for the Catholic Women’s Club. “Miss Roberts,” said the critic of the Providence Tribune, the following day, “has a particularly attractive stage presence and a vivacious personality which immediately wins admiration. The varied selections sung by her included arias from opera, folk songs of many lands, and negro melodies and soothing lullabys, each affording the singer opportunity to demonstrate the splendid capabilities of her magnificent voice.” The Catholic Weekly also praised Miss Roberts highly, stating that she has a voice of uncommon beauty, rich and deep in the !owe״ registers, full and beautiful in the upper range and of great volume. The writer for the Catholic Weekly also commented upon Miss Roberts’ adaptability in the matter of languages, for the contralto sang in English, Italian, Russian and Spanish with equal ease.
Macbeth Soloist with Boston Symphony
Florence Macbeth, coloratura soprano, was heard in Boston as soloist with the Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux conducting, Monday evening, April 23. She also was engaged for Artists’ Night at the Newark Music Festival. Other festival appearances were Spartanburg, S. C., and Ann Arbor, Mich., also on Artists’ Night. This month she also appeared in concert in Macon, Ga. and Kewanee, 111.
Middleton Gives Faust “The Final Touch”
Recently Arthur Middleton appeared again at the Spartanburg (S. C.) Music Festival as Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust and, in the words of the Spartanburg Herald, gave the performance “the final touch.” “It goes without saying that Arthur Middleton created his usual effect and swept the audience forward with his roaring counsel and taunts of a truly devilish Mephistopheles,” was the verdict of the Journal.
June 7, 1923
haired, dressed in a dark tailored suit and black t9que. ־ She had planned to stand in line and secure tickets for the opening night, but— the Miss Heckle of today can not do the things that would have meant nothing to the eighteen year old Emma Heckle of 1878, the year she sang the soprano solo at the first Music Hall festival.
“It was the greatest thing in my life,” said Miss Heckle. “The other soprano soloist was Mme. Eugenie Pappenheim, who came from Europe for the occasion. Just think how I must have felt when I was encored and had to rise and bow three times. Mr. Thomas would not permit encores, but he motioned me to rise and bow.
“I was just a student at the Conservatory of Music. My teacher, Prof. Andre, advised me to join the festival chorus for the training. I had been in the chorus previously. This was the third festival, but the first in Music Hall, They selected me from the chorus and had me sing the soprano part in Alceste by Gluck. Annie Louise Cary was one alto, Christian Fritch was the tenor, Myron Whitney the bass, and George E. Whitney the organist. I also sang in the festival Ode.”
Subsequently Miss Heckle studied in Europe at Frankfort-on-the-Main; then came back to Cincinnati as soloist at St. Paul’s pro-cathedral, then went to Chicago as soloist before a big congregation that met in the Chicago Music Hall. She was in other concerts and_ festivals. She went back to Berlin for more study. Then she became joint head of a Cincinnati music school, and a teacher of note.
Akimoff Well Received Everywhere
Alexander Akimoff, whose Boston recital several weeks ago was such a complete success, has enjoyed equal favor in other cities this season both in recital and as soloist with orchestra. Following an appearance with the Detroit Symphony, Ossip Gabrilowitsch conductor, the Free Press of that city said:
Alexander Akimoff, the bass, is one of the operatic type well endowed with personality and a voice of considerable range. For his ability to bring out the composer’s idea through facial expression and tonal phrasing, he deserves much credit. He was well appreciated and roundly applauded.
And Mr. Gabrilowitsch’s personal opinion of this artist is :
Mr. Akimoff, who has just made a very successful appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, is the possessor of a bass voice of unusual beauty. His diction is excellent and his interpretation most vivid and dramatic.
Other critical opinions follow:
Alexander Akimoff possesses a youthfully virile and musical bass voice.—New York Times.
Mr. Akimoff discloses a rich, powerful voice which he used with dramatic effect.—New York Herald.
Mr. Akimoff’s program was broad in scope and appeal—it was in the operatic numbers Mr. Akimoff gave the greatest satisfaction.— New York American.
Alexander Akimoff .	.	. whose fresh youthful
voice and sincere and genuinely musical style made a deep impression on his audience. It will be a pleasure to write more of him.— New York Evening Post.
Mr. Akimoff showed yesterdav a warm, mellow voice which was of great beauty at its best, handled with what borders upon excellent usage. He had, too, a warmth of manner that might be developed into something for the sensation seekers.—Chicago Daily Journal.
Pietro Yon Acclaimed
Pietro Yon, eminent concert organist, composer and honorary organist at the Vatican, Rome, who has appeared as soloist in leading European and American cities, scored tri-umps in recital on May 4 in Shreveport, La., and in Memphis, on May 7. In both cities Mr. Yon’s artistic and finished playing won the hearts of his hearers.
The Shreveport Times on May 5 says in part:
Pietro Yon, distinguished *concert organist, appeared again last night in Scottish Rite Cathedral and again gave a masterful exhibition of creative talent and executive artistry. His impeccable technic and skillful adaptation of tempo, registration and nuance to the varying emotional character of the numbers commanded the amazed admiration of the audience.
The Commercial Appeal of Memphis comments as follows :
So inspiring have these dedicatory services been, so splendidly has the new organ been enshrined in its residence, that one would wish for a week of such beautiful service, or rather would one wish that Mr. Yon could prolong his stay here. He has imparted to the new instrument a spirit that will always be a part of it; he has ennobled even that superb instrument with the greatness, the sincerity, the high idealism of his playing. It remains for other souls to touch the pipes to life—the one who has first imbued them with that life has made them vibrate unforgettably for all who heard.
Maria Caselotti in Recitals
Maria Caselotti, coloratura soprano, an artist pupil of the well known New York vocal teacher, G, H. Caselotti, appeared in recital on the afternoon of May 13 in the Capitol Theater, Ansonia, Conn., and on Monday evening, May 14, in the grand ball room of Hotel Stratfield, Bridgeport, Conn. At both performances she scored a triumph.
The Bridgeport Evening Star says in part:
Madame Maria Caselotti, coloratura soprano, who has recently returned to this city after a most successful tour in opera, gave a most enjoyable recital last evening in the ballroom of the Stratfield before an audience composed for the most part of her own countrymen who were decidedly appreciative of the fine program she offered. Each group of songs were sung in a costume appropriate to the nature of the selections and the costumes were very handsome. .	.	. Mme.
Caselotti was in excellent voice and showed herself as a coloratura singer of no mean ability. In most of the cadenzas and trills there was a richness and fulnness of tone usually not as marked as in her voice. Mme. Caselotti has distinct power, and she ran the gamut of languages as her selections were given in French, Venetian, Spanish, German, Italian and English. Her husband acted as her accompanist and added much to the evening’s pleasure by his sympathetic work. Mme. Caselotti was forced to respond to encores after each group.
Harold Land Makes Hit at Symphony Concert
Commenting on Mr. Land’s singing at the Symphony Society concert, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., May 7, the Star and Enterprise said:
Mr. Land possesses a rich, sympathetic baritone voice, and his singing is pleasing indeed. He interprets each number so that the artist’s conception is conveved to his listeners, and his enunciation and diction are faultless, his tone quality sweet and clear. His first group of numbers consisted of Die Lotosblume (Schumann), Tal Du Sagte Unge Nattergal (Hakon Baerresen), and At Night (Rachmaninoff), and these were supplemented with Harriet Ware’s Mammy Song, which gave the desired touch of lightness to a group of song classics. Especially appealing was his second group of selections, which consisted of the ever popular Tommy Lad (Margetson), Philosophy (Emmill) and On the Road to Mandalay (Oley Speaks), and with Lindy Lou, the delightful little song of Lily Strickland, he decidely pleased.
Dora Gibson Sings Under Coates’ Baton
Dora Gibson, the well known soprano, who has been in Europe for some time past, appeared recently under the
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