47
MUSICAL COURIER
June 21, 1923
the popularity of The Merry Widow. That the latter was as popular in this country as in Europe is proved by the fact of there having been over 5,000 performances here. South America also approved of the opera, for in Buenos Aires it was played simultaneously in five theaters and five languages in 1907. The opera was a gay light opera with tunes that caught the public and for months nothing was heard but a waltz from The Merry Widow, played everywhere until it played itself out. His first compositions were two sonatas submitted to Dvorak in 1887, who advised him to devote himself entirely to composition, which he did. He has ninety opus numbers to his credit and is still writing.
It is doubtful if The Merry Widow will be sung here again. W. H. Savage, the original producer^ gave it an elaborate revival two seasons ago, which was a decided failure, not exactly surprising, considering that the soprano was a Russian and the tenor a German, both of whom sang English that one had to strain the ears to understand; added to this, though the music sounded as delightful as ever, the book had not been revised, and there is nothing staler than a light opera book fifteen years old or more.
Other popular works of Lehar were The Count of Luxemburg and Gypsy Love. He has been bitten by the “grand opera” bug, the result being that his later works lack the frank and naive charm of his earlier ones.
Virginia Lee, Harriett McDonald, Muriel Myhre, Mildred Peters, Lenore White and Irene Fretheim.
Pupils of John Roy Williams appeared in recital in the Normal Auditorium which was packed with relatives and friends. Aside from the students appearing in solo the program presented Mr. Williams’ sixty piece orchestra.
The Music Teachers’ Club enjoyed a dinner at Mrs. Day’s Dining Room, twenty being present. Plans for entertaining the Washington State M. T. A., which meets here June 27-29, were discussed. Officers elected for the following year were Harrison Raymond, president; Maud Williams, vice-president, Elena Bateman, secretary-treasurer.
Hiram Tuttle, baritone, of Seattle, entertained the Women’s Music Club with songs by Buzzi-Pecci, Grieg, Lily Strickland, Wagner, Woodford-Finden and Donizetti. The program was concluded with Eliland, by Alexander von Fielitz.	L. V. C.
Dambois Has Sixty-one Engagements
Sixty-one engagements in England, France, Belgium, and Holland is the record of the past season for Maurice Dambois, the cellist. In London, alone, he gave ten recitals, appeared four times with orchestra at Bournemouth, and was heard in recital in St. Helen, Liverpool, Margate, Manchester, and Newcastle. He gave fifteen concerts in Brussels, and was especially invited by the royal family to give four concerts at the royal palace of Lacken; while seven concerts in Liege, two in Antwerp, two in Gand, and one each in Charleroi, Namur, and Verviers—this last with orchestra—rounded out thirty-one engagements in Belgium. In Holland he was engaged for Amsterdam, La Haye, and Maestricht. Appearances in France included two engagements with the Pasdeloup orchestral concerts, two recitals, and two trio appearances—these last with Eugene Ysaye, violinist, and Yves Nat, pianist—and recitals in Lille, Rou-baix, and Angers.
Mr. Dambois has reserved three months for his American tour this coming season. He will arrive early in January.
Diaz at Burlington, Vt.
Rafaelo Diaz, the Metropolitan tenor, was engaged to participate in the Burlington Anniversary Celebration at Burlington, Vt., on the afternoon and evening of Sunday, June 10.
Graveure’s Berlin Triumphs
Louis Graveure, the eminent baritone, has returned to America after repeating his sensational Berlin success of the past season. Mr. Graveure sang his first recital at Beethoven Hall on May 25 to a sold-out house and repeated the same feat a week later. The second recital was sold out in twenty-four hours with no other advertising than the announcement on the first program. Mr. Graveure will leave at the end of this month for the Pacific Coast, where he will conduct a master class in San Francisco under the management of Selby Oppenheimer.
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Answers to letters received in this department are published as promptly as possible. The large number of inquiries and the limitation of space are responsible for any delay. The letters are answered seriatim.
Teacher’s Certificate. •
“Would you kindly tell me it anyone is permitted to teach singing in New York without holding a teacher’s certificate? I have a diploma from a conservatory, honors in vocal work; have studied in Europe; in London, and with Trabadelo in Paris, and am a professional singer, having done lots of opera and concert work. May I accept pupils? I would thank you very much for the information as I am a stranger in New York.”
There has been much talk and argument for and against licensing music teachers, but so far it has not amounted to more than that. You seem to have all the requisites for teaching, and there is no reason why you should not accept pupils whenever you choose to do so. There are, of course, reasons why the question of licensing came up, for, as in all professions, unscrupulous people will take whatever advantage they can of a cohfiding public. A diploma from a conservatory carries weight naturally, and your experience in public appearances add to the value of the teaching you would impart to your pupils.
Books on Singing.
“I have been taking singing lessons from the best teacher we have in our neighborhood, but as I am going away for the summer, would like to have some books on the vocal art to take with me as they might help me in understanding and improving my voice.
Of course I know the names of the more recent ones, but am not sure that a book about the way Caruso sang would be of any benefit to me, with just an ordinary American voice and not intending to do public work unless in my own little town, where friends might wish to hear me.”
There are really so many books on singing it is difficult to send you any sort of list that would not be a very long one. When you realize that so many of the great singers and teachers have published books about singing, from their standpoint, either as singers, teachers or critics, you can understand the variety of opinions you would have to assimilate. Even doctors have written about the voice. Dr. Holbrook Curtis as early as 1900 wrote Voice Building and Tone Placing, from the experience he had in being a throat specialist and having successfully treated singers, lecturers, etc. Classical Singing is the topic of Max Heinrich’s book, while Lilli Lehmann felt her contribution to the art of singing was to show How to Sing. Every publishing house in New York, as well as those in Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago, have published books about singing and are still doing so. Would it not be the best thing for you to write to well known firms and ask for catalogues, then make your own choice?
The Merry Widow.
“Someone told me the opera, The Merry Widow, was to be revived in London soon, and I should like to know if you think it will be sung over here. I have heard so much about it and its success, but have never heard it sung. When was it written, and was it done in New York? Has the composer written other operas ?
It was December 30, 1905, that Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow was first sung in Vienna, and while it remains his most successful and popular opera, it was not his first one. As early as 1902 he had made a success in Vienna with Wiener Frauene, although it never attained
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Normal Classes as follows:—
MRS. CARRE LOUISE DUNNING, Originator, Waverley Country Club, Portland, Oregon, New York City, Aug. 1
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HARRIET BACON MacDONALD, 825 Orchestra Bldg., 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.
LAURA JONES RAWLINSON, Portland, Ore., 61 North 16th St., June 19, 1923; Seattle, Wash., Aug. 1 1923.
VIRGINIA RYAN, 828 Carnegie Hall, New York City.
ISABEL M. TONE, 469 Grand View Street, Los Angeles, Cal., June 18, 1923.
MRS. S. L. VAN NORT, 2815 Helena St., Houston, Texas.
MRS. H. R. WATKINS, 124 East 11th St., Oklahoma City, Okla.
ANNA W. WHITLOCK, 1100 Hurley Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas.
IDA GARDNER, 15 West Fifth Street. Tulsa, Okla.
CARA MATTHEWS GARRETT, 1319 West Lewis St., San Diego, Cal., Normal Class July 23.
MRS. JULIUS ALBERT JAHN, Dallas Academy of Music, Dallas, Texas.
MAUD ELLEN LITTLEFIELD, Kansas City Conservatory of Music, 1515 Llnwood Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.
CLARA B. LOCH RIDGE, 223 N. Fifth St., Mayfield, Ky.; Summer Classes— Bowling Green, Ky.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Long Beach, Calif.
CARRIE MUNGER LONG, 608 Fine Arts Bldg., Chicago, III.; Summer Normal Classes June, July and August.
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
entire season, the Juniors having brought two outside artists to the city and the Seniors three.
Hildur Levida Lindgrin also attended the State Federation as a local delegate and as soloist on one of the convention programs. Miss Lindgrin is a contralto soloist and member of the Bellingham School of Music Faculty.
The Junior Club was entertained at the home of Althea D. Horst with Mrs. Charles Yale acting as assistant hostess. The program included a talk on Scandinavian music and! folk dances by Miss Lindgrin. Ethel Gardner was the accompanist.
The Women’s Club presented the last act from The Daughter of the Regiment (Donizetti) at the Aftermath Clubhouse. This is the first time the club has undertaken an entire act from an opera and the clubroom was crowded with enthusiastic patrons who pronounced the affair a complete success. Those taking part were Mmes. Yule, Cotterall, Raymond, Vike, Scott, Mathes and Inez Douglas. Althea Horst, pianist, and Mrs. C. B. Harter, violinist, assisted. Vilma Sundborg, of the Bellingham School of Music, was in charge of the staging and directing. Mrs. Lyle Greenwood read a synopsis of the play prior to its presentation.
The Junior Music Club presented as its last visiting artist, Eldridge Byrd Elliott, fifteen-year-old violin pupil of Vaughn Arthur, of Seattle. Katherine Myers, pupil of Harrison Raymond, sang two groups with Miss Horst as accompanist. Miss Elliott’s program included a concerto■ (Vieuxtemps), Scherzo Tarantelle (Wieniawski) and a Bach prelude for the violin alone.
- Cortot Gives Artistic Satisfaction.
Bellingham music lovers have never heard a more satisfying program than that offered by Alfred Cortot. The house was packed and the applause enthusiastic and sincere. The simplicity, sincerity and directness of his manner was a great pleasure.
Study Program at Women's Club.
The Romantic Period was the subject of the program presented at the Women’s Music Club meeting for members only. Miss Gardner was chairman. Those taking part were Miriam Best, Mrs. Ecker, Mrs. Whipple, Mrs. Stark and Mrs. Grant. Miss Gardner gave historical talks about each number presented. Composers represented were Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Those elected to office in the Music Club for the coming year are Mmes. Fred Raymond, president; C. X. Larrabee, vice-president: W. A. Davis, second vice-president; C. H. Barlow, corresponding secretary; Minnie Clark, treasurer, and Lulu V. Caffee, correspondent.
Benefit Band Concert.
The Juvenile Band of sixty-five pieces offered a varied program at the Eureka School Auditorium. The proceeds were given to the school. Frank Bauldauf is director.
Orchestra Concert Presents Child Violinist.
The Benson Symphony Orchestra of fifty members with Albert Benson conductor, gave its second concert of the season at the Garden Street M. E. Church. Emily Dow, child violinist, of New York, and a pupil of Leopold Auer, was presented as soloist and her performance pronounced astounding for one so young. Mrs. Malcolm Hughes, of Seattle, was accompanist.
Another special feature of the orchestral program was the xylophone solo played by Cecil Smith, of Bellingham, with orchestral accompaniment.
Other Programs.
Maxine Lawson and Genevieve Green, pupils of Maude Williams, appeared in Spanish and ballet dances at a meeting of the Twentieth Century Club.
The P. L. F. Club held an open meeting at the Bellingham School of Music and Art. They were entertained with a musical program by faculty members and pupils of the school as follows: violin solos, Albert Benson (accompanist, Lois Wilson); zither solo, Mr. Gottschalk; vocal solos, Hildur Lindgrin; readings, Vilma Sundborg. Students taking part were Dorothy Frost and Bernice Judson in two and four-hand piano numbers.
Marie Sidenius Zendt, lyric soprano, appeared in a delightful concert at the Garden Street M. E. Church. Mme. Zendt was accompanied to Vancouver, B. C., by Hildur Lindgrin the day after her recital here.
Ethel Gardner and Miriam Best, exponents of the Fall-ton System, presented a number of small piano pupils in recital at the Aftermath Clubhouse. An attractive program was presented by Josephine Kindall, Kathryn Berkley, Calista Simonds, Sallie Paige, Robert Jaffe, Barbara Schute, Suzanne Cissna, Helen Stark, Janet Dodson, Ruth Harrison, Katherine Mae Laube, Grace Graham, Margaret Lawson, Dorothy Sasse, Susanne Waters, Katherine Kort-hauer, Evalda Anderson, Sue McMillin, June Wetherall, Cecil Bacon, Melba Coffman, Martha Thompson and Leon-ardine Miller.
Several concerts have been given at the Normal School Assembly by the Girls’ Treble Clef Club and the Men’s Quartet. Arthur Thai played violin solos including one composed by Emma Whipple, of the Normal.
Pupils of Edith Strange, who gave a delightful program at the Aftermath Clubhouse, before a large audience, were Virginia Carver, Doris Philips, Elfreda Moller, Eilene Morrison, Mary Morrow, Jacqueline Randall, Hazel Spiers, Maxine Lawson, Marian and Helen Fitzwater, Maude Flack, Clarence Stone, Margaret Morrison, Jean Philips,
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