25
MUSICAL COURIER
June 14, 1923
Frank Van Gundy. This organization, now in its fifth year, has always been noted for its alert and expressive singing and the concert in question showed no deviation from regulation high standards. Assisting were Margaret Spalding Stages, contralto, who sang three arias, and Frances Nash, pianist, who played a Chopin group and six modern numbers wherein she attained an astonishing advance over her previous accomplishments. Always an individual artist, she has now ripened and developed her style adding technical brilliancy and emotional depth until the result is altogether admirable. Both artists were warmly acclaimed. G. P. D.
Axman Scores With Italian Grand Opera Company
Metropolitan daily papers have given considerable space to the performances of the Italian Grand Opera Company in the Lexington Theater, dell’Orifice wielding the baton. Some of the principals and orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera as well as from the San Carlo company, gave added strength to the performances. As Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Gladys Axman made a definite hit, as may be gleaned from the following press notices:
Gladys Axman was the Santuzza, a willowy Sicilian with pleasing voice and a convincing manner.—New York American.
In the Mascagni opera, Gladys Axman, heard here last fall with the San Carlo Company, was Santuzza. An emotional, rather shrewish Santuzza, who concentrated much of her singing into the highest notes.—New York Tribune.
Silvio in a scene from Pagliacci, with Ella Mylius singing the role of Nedda commendably. A scene from the third act of Aida as sung by Elsa Warde (Aida) and Richard Hale (Amonasro) made a fine impression on the audience. Miss Warde is the possessor of a beautiful soprano voice, strong and clear, which she uses well, and she has personality as well. Mr. Hale is another favorite among Saenger audiences because of his fine baritone voice, his knowledge of style and his clean-cut diction.
Although parts of nine operas were given, the interest of the audience never lagged, and the general excellence of the performance speaks well for the instruction received by these young artists. Mr. Saenger conducted and Willis Ailing and John Daley alternated at the piano as accompanists.
During an intermission Mr. Saenger made a plea for more opera in this country that young American artists might have a greater opportunity to gain experience. As a speaker Mr. Saenger is convincing and also witty.
OMAHA WOMAN’S CLUB’S
MAY CONCERTS A SUCCESS
Club Chorus and Orchestra Raised to Great Heights by Cuscaden’s Conducting—Omaha Composer’s Works Featured—Bakule Children, Legally Too Young to Appear on Stage, Sing
The Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana was Gladys Axman, who sang with fervor and style and succeeded in portraying dramatically the varying moods of Mascagni’s unhappy heroine. Especially effective was her hurling of the imprecations before the door of the church.—New York Globe.
Gladys Axman, once of the Metropolitan Opera Company, was Santuzza. She had sung the role with the Gallo forces, and she gave an adequate performance of this very dramatic role.—New York Evening Telegram.
Florence Irene Jones’ Pupils in Recital
Violin pupils of Florence Irene Jones, who has charge of the ensemble playing at the Granberry Piano School, New York City, gave an interesting recital recently. The work of the individual pupils was excellent and the ensemble worthy of comment. Both in the matter of attack and shading, the players proved themselves a credit to their teacher.
Those appearing on the program were:	Marie Seidl,
Henry Villa, Sylvia Levensohn, Eugene Kovalsky, Frieda Schwartz, Richard S. Brill, Lillian Rehberg, Eleanor Elies, Andrew Stemel and Alice Schwartz. Of these special mention should be made of the work of Richard S.’Brill, who is only ten, and Alice Schwartz, a fourteen-year-old youngster, who has been studying the violin for two years. Works by Eschmann, Dvorak, Seybold, Bohm, Haesche, Gretry, Nevin, Hackman, Kreisler, Mlynarski, Volkmann, Pache. Wagner and Haydn made up the program.
Hanna Van Vollenhoven at Rumford Hall
In spite of the warm night, an audience listened attentively to the playing of Hanna yan Vollenhoven, composer-pianist, at Rumford Hall, Friday evening, June 1. A strictly classic program included a toccata and fugue by Bach-Tausig a Beethoven sonata, op. 109, seven Chopin etudes, Mes Joies and Souhait d' une Jeune Fille by Chopin-Liszt and a Brahms rhapsody, op. 79, No. 1.
Miss Van Vollenhoven is a pianist of marked attainments־ she has artistic understanding, temperament and abundant technic. She was at her best in the Beethoven and Bach numbers, which she performed with clarity, power and distinction. The Beethoven sonata especially she played with real musical feeling and with beautiful tone. Miss Van Vollenhoven is very modest in her manner and has a gracious stage presence. She was called upon to give several encores.	;
Gray-Lhevinne’s Art Praised
The following is a copy of a letter received by Mme Gray-Lhevmne from Storer College, Harpers Ferry, W. Va.:	]
Office of the President,
Henry T. McDonald, LL.D.
Dear Madame:
I want to tell you how much we enjoyed the concert given Wednes-day afternoon by yourself and your old Cremona. No flattery is ih-tended when I tell you that your friendly, democratic method of telling something about the numbers you rendered, as well as the superb rendering of each on your old Cremona, won for you at once the affec-structed7683™ °* t l°Se wh״m you st> charmingly entertained and in-
You are presenting the works of the masters, including your own charming melodies, in such a human way as to leave no uncertain effect upon the memory of those fortunate enough to hear you
We hope that you both pass this way again and that we may have the pleasure of a return date.	'
_________________ (Signed) Henry McDonald.
from a Box
Omaha, Nebr., May 31.—The Omaha Woman’s Club has as usual sponsored a series of May festival concerts given on the successive Wednesday mornings of May at the Orpheum Theater. Robert Cuscaden has functioned as conductor not only of the regular Woman’s Club chorus and the recently organized Woman’s Symphony Orchestra, but also of the special orchestra recruited for the occasion which alternated with the Woman’s Symphony. Mr. Cuscaden’s gifts as an _ orchestral conductor were again brought to notice. Again was his capacity for training a body of instrumentalists to the point of effective musical expression thoroughly demonstrated. The musicians performed with a unity of spirit and of style not usually associated with similar undertakings. Among the more important works performed in the series were the Athalia and Fingal’s Cave overtures by Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, the Peer Gynt suite, by Grieg, and Andromeda and the Storm King, by Augusta Holmes. As director of the Woman’s Club chorus Mr. Cuscaden also achieved notable results. Mozart’s Morning Song and Brahms’ The Bridegroom immediately set a standard for quality and balance of tone, correct phrasing and contrasted shading which was followed consistently by singers and conductor throughout the series. Soloists for the free concerts were Mabel Allen Smails, soprano; Samuel Carmel, boy violinist; Beryl Burton, soprano; Hazel Smith Eldridge, mezzo soprano; Harry Disbrow, baritone, and Robert Cuscaden, violinist. A feature of the festival was the performance by Mr. Cuscaden of a violin concerto by Wallace Wheeler, of Omaha, and a soprano solo sung by Beryl Burton from the same composer’s opera, Iphigenia, text by Charles Elgutter of this city. Both works were conducted by the composer.
Visiting Orchestra in Two Concerts.
The Minneapolis Symphony was heard at the Brander’s Theater on the afternoon and evening of April 25. The matinee program was popular in its nature and designed to appeal to school children who formed a large percentage of the audience. The evening concert was built up of rather popular orchestral numbers including the Tschaikowsky sixth symphony, Beethoven’s Egmont overture, prelude to The Deluge and Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns and Liszt’s Les Preludes. Owing to the indisposition of Mr. Ver-brugghen, Mr. Roentger conducted and brought to full realization the qualities of the works performed. Anne Roselle, the soloist, delighted by her exquisite voicing of arias by Mozart and Leoncavallo.
Children Too Young to Sing on Stage Take Part From Box.
The Bakule chorus gave a concert under the auspices of the Red Cross. The youthful voices blended exquisitely in the various Czecho-Slovakian songs and the numbers the little choristers had taken the trouble to learn in English were also greatly relished. Owing to laws of the State of Nebraska some of the youngest members of the chorus were prevented from appearing on the stage. They, however, sat in one of the first boxes and at the program’s close raised their tiny voices, receiving an ovation from the audience.
Male Chorus and Excellent Soloists Give Meritorious Concert.
The Association Male Chorus of over forty members presented its spring concert on May 16, under the direction of
AARON RICHMOND presents
PIANIST
' Mr. Fox’s active repertoire is comprised of 300 compositions taken from 76 composers.
^ It is safe to assert that no pianist has done more to introduce new and rarely heard works to the American
In presenting this artist for the coming season, correspondence relative to bookings is invited.
Concert Direction, AARON RICHMOND, 404 Pierce Bldg., Boston 17, Mass.
Mason & Hamlin Pianoforte	.	_
•__________________________________Ampico Records
Tokatyan Scores Brilliantly in Tosca
Tosca was the vehicle for the opening of the four weeks’ season of the De Feo Opera Company in Baltimore, Md., at Carlin’s Park Arena, on June 4. Those appearing in the principal roles were Armand Tokatyan, tenor of the Metropolitan Opera Company; Alfredo Gandolfi, baritone, and Edith De Lys, soprano. The performance was a splendid one and the audience manifested much pleasure. “But the surprise of the evening was in Tokatyan,’ according to the Baltimore Sun of the following day, which commented as follows: “A year ago when this young Armenian first was heard in Baltimore he gave brilliant promise. The promise is fulfilled abundantly, for, added to the natural qualities which he had in those days, the twelve months just passed have rounded out his lyric tones and added a confidence which makes him one of the really brilliant figures of present Italian opera. He easily has reached the point where De Feo, desperate at times last year for a lyric tenor, no longer has any cause for anxiety.” The Baltimore American, of June 5, said: “Armand Tokatyan, as Cava-radossi, showed a warm, rich tenor voice of unusual power and smoothness, and his acting was spirited, refined and fervid.” The Baltimore News wrote: “Armand Tokatyan gave a strikingly effective presentation of Cavaradossi. His voice, a pure dramatic tenor, is admirably adapted to the part. An organ of full volume, splendidly controlled, perfect in intonation and of a very appealing quality, he evinced a thorough comprehension of the vocal requirements of the
ARMAND TOKATYAN,
tenor.
unfortunate lover. While the character makes less demand upon the histrionic element, the artist showed himself a fitting interpreter of the role.” The Baltimore Evening Sun commented: “The brilliant singing of the young Tokatyan was the outstanding triumph of last evening. His facile, lyric tenor lends itself peculiarly to the fine, almost liquid melodies of the Puccini opera. The appreciation of the audience was manifested in the overwhelming applause which greeted Tokatyan’s charming aria, Recondita Armonia, in the first act. There the smiling sacristan who followed was obliged to lift his hand to silence the admiring audience.” The Daily Post stated: “Tokatyan was the performance’s outstanding artist. His fine tenor was at its best in the gorgeous arias of Mario’s wistful, romantic magnificence. E lucevan le stelle was superb.”
Following his engagement in Baltimore, Mr. Tokatyan will proceed to Ravinia Park where he will sing the entire season.
Closing Recital of Oscar Saenger’s Opera Class
On Saturday evening, June 2, Oscar Saenger’s opera class was heard in its closing recital, at his attractive studios. Mr. Saenger explained at the start that this was not a real “performance,” but the last lesson, and that even the greatest opera stars sometimes deviated from pitch, so he would not stop for that sort of thing, but he would stop to correct bad mistakes. However, the whole performance went off so smoothly that there was not a break. He also added that the audience could feel free to manifest either approval or disapproval. But for every number there was genuine enthusiasm.
In all, scenes from nine operas were given. One of the finest was the first act of Lohengrin. This was a particularly excellent cast, which included Marie Louise Wagner, Elsa; Florence Wunzer, Ortrud; Austin Hughes, Lohengrin; Telramund, Richard Hale; George Walker, the King, and Paul T. Flood, a herald. All of the voices were pleasing, but Miss Wagner and Mr. Hughes especially had opportunity to show the suitability of their voices in dramatic roles. A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana was artistically rendered by Phradie Wells as Santuzza and Paul Flood as Alfio. Miss Wells has been engaged for the Metropolitan next season and with her splendid dramatic soprano voice she has great possibilities ahead. Mr. Saenger stated that she is his thirty-third pupil to be engaged at the Metropolitan. Hanna Rovilla made an attractive Siebel and sang the Flower Song from Faust with grace and good style. A scene from the third act of Rigoletto was excellent as interpreted by Jean Hannon (Gilda) and Norman Yanovsky (Rigoletto). Miss Hannon has a clear, bell-like soprano, yet mellow in quality and well placed. She sings with much feeling and makes an appealing Gilda. Mr. Yanovsky as usual, won favor with his fine baritone voice. Hermina Earnest, Bertha Garver and George Walker offered an amusing scene in the trio from the first act of Martha, taking the parts of Lady Harriet, Nancy and Lionel, respectively. Mr. Walker has sung in opera professionally, and gives his parts with authority and finish of style. His voice is a resonant baritone, of good timbre. A dramatic portrayal of a scene from the second act of Aida was given by Marie Louise Wagner and Florence Munzer. Both displayed voices of power and good range, and acted and sang with understanding of their parts. Marie Deal and Paul Flood were heard in a scene from Carmen, first act. Miss Deal was pleasing as Micaela and Mr. Flood, whose rich baritone voice has often been admired at the Saenger recitals, made an excellent Morales. He again won favor as