MUSICAL COURIER
14
June 2 8, 1923
is indeed welcome news to those students who are anxious to avail themselves of such an excellent opportunity while vacationing in New York.
Mabel Ritch Now Under Hopper Management
Mabel Ritch, contralto, who has sung much in concert, oratorio, and more recently in opera, will hereafter be under the Evelyn Hopper management. She has had many excellent engagements during the past season, numbering half a hundred in all, and including concerts in Greater New York, Mt. Vernon, Rutherford, South Orange, Hast-ings־on-the-Hudson, etc. She was heard on June 19 at Reading, Pa. (dedication of new Skinner organ) ; June 22, Academy of Music, Brooklyn; New York’s Silver Jubilee; with others in prospect. As usual she will be contralto soloist all summer at the Elberon, N. J., Memorial Presbyterian Church.
She sang at Staten Island, May 18, with Dicie Howell, Fred Patton and James Price, and next day received a letter from a prominent music-lover, saying: “You completely captivated us all ; such beautiful things are being said about you on all sides ! Your wonderful voice, charming and gracious manner, marvelous poise and absolute freedom from mannerisms—these are things we are raving over.”
Recent notices of the statuesque prima donna contralto are those appended, emanating from Newark, New York, Newburgh and Brooklyn :
A satisfying Amneris was Mabel Ritch, statuesque contralto, who made a propitious operatic début.—New York American.
Mabel Ritch, of New York, sang in so pleasing a manner as to hold her hearers spellbound.—Hudson Observer.
The combination of skilful training and a contralto of power, wide range and remarkable evenness paved her way to immediate success.— Brooklyn Times.
Miss Ritch has a most pleasing personality and is one of the most charming soloists Newburgh has been recently privileged to hear. She has a beautiful rich contralto voice of excellent range and flexibility. —Newburgh Daily News.
O'ne of the more gifted and pleasing singers is Mabel Ritch, contralto. Fine in texture, pure in quality, and so voluminous as easily to fill the auditorium, her voice is so well managed and her enunciation is so distinct that her singing pleases the most discriminating.— Newark News.
Miss Ritch has a splendid liquid contralto voice of excellent range and flexibility. She displayed intelligence in the rendering of her songs and a true comprehension of their dramatic import, and the varied emotions suggested in the verses were reflected in her expressive
© George Maxilard Kesslere
MABEL RITCH
face. She has beauty, a graceful bearing and a winning manner, and is refreshingly free from affectations and mannerisms.—Brooklyn citizen.
Ballester on Metropolitan Opera Roster
Vicente Ballester, heard last season as a member of the San Carlo Opera Company, is now a member of the Metropolitan Opera forces and will make his debut at that house next fall. Mr. Ballester has been re-engaged for this summer at Ravinia Park, where he has become a great favorite.
ties of the University School of Music. Particularly attractive have been the various concert courses. This year’s festival as well as that of last year, which were so enthusiastically received, are due almost entirely to Mr. Moore’s administrative ability. It is predicted that Michigan ■has in Mr. Moore a man through whose splendid qualities as a leader, director, conductor and administrator, the^ future will add much to the musical prestige of the University, Ann Arbor and the Middle West.	B. G.
Sokoloff Again Acclaimed in London
Nicolai Sokoloff, conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, Is again guest conductor in London with the London Symphony Orchestra. It will be remembered that last year he created a tremendous sensation at the big Welsh festival. He was so enthusiastically received by the directors and music lovers that a second invitation followed. During his first concert Mr. Sokoloff programmed the first Brahms symphony and at his second concert he offered the second symphony of Brahms. This was the result of the decision of an overwhelming majority of the committee, who declared that not since Nikisch and Stembach had London heard Brahms played as it was by Mr. Sokoloff, directing the musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra, which fact in itself is a splendid compliment. Mr. Sokoloff had intended to use some modern Russian compositions, but the desire for the classics postponed his introducing these new numbers.
The following comments are only two picked at random regarding the first concert on May 17:
At Queen’s Hall last night Mr. Sokoloff conducted Strauss’ Don Juan. It was full of life and youthful fire; it had great outlines and was beautifully finished in detail. A set of four Oriental Impressions, by the American composer, Eichheim, representing Korea, Siam, Japan and China respectively, was also given. The novel orchestral effects are quaint, and sometimes diverting, but we have
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had enough Orientalism in music of late years.—London Daily News, May 18, 1923.
Nikolai Sokoloff (who is an American conductor, though of Russian birth and race) had a popular success at his first London concert given in the Queen’s Hall last night. The first impression was one of remarkable energy and a complete knowledge of those effects of contrast and climax that appeal to the crowd. That he has other qualities of a more subtle kind he showed in a well-balanced performance of Strauss’ Don Juan, and still more in a series of four Oriental Impressions by the American composer, Henry Eichheim. The huge and specialized collection of instruments was most completely and efficiently supplied by the London Symphony Orchestra.— Evening Standard and St. James Gazette, May 18, 1923.
H. A.
Arthur Beckwith New Goncertmaster of Cleveland Orchestra
Arthur Beckwith has been engaged as concertmasjer of the Cleveland Orchestra. This is interesting news indeed. Mr. Beckwith is known here for having been the temporary leader of the London String Quartet, playing first violin
Buxbaum & Morse photo.
ARTHUR BECKWITH,
concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra and leader of the Cleveland String Quartet.
during the absence, due to illness, of Mr. Levy for the past season. It will be remembered that this organization filled a long list of engagements throughout the United States and Canada.
Mr. Beckwith enjoys an enviable reputation as a musician. At the age of sixteen he won a scholarship at the Royal Palace of Music in London, where he studied violin for five years under Achillo Rivarde, the American violinist. When he had completed his scholarship period he won the gold medal for general ability and the presentation was made by the King.
For seven years Mr. Beckwith was concertmaster with Sir Henry J. Wood and the Queen’s Hall Orchestra and for two years he filled a similar position at the Covent Garden Opera House. In 1913 he formed the Philharmonic String Quartet, he himself playing the first violin. Later he became concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London.
For seven seasons he was prominent among the soloists at the Queen’s Hall Promenade Concerts and two seasons at Sir Thomas Beecham’s concerts. During this time he completed many tours throughout England.
The new members engaged for the Cleveland Orchestra, under the directorship of Nicolai Sokoloff, are Victor de Gomez, cellist; Carlton Cooley, viola, and Ralph Silverman, second violin.
The coming season promises to be the most brilliant in the history of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Mr. Sokoloff has arranged some unusually interesting programs. Among the soloists engaged are many of our most prominent artists. A detailed announcement will follow in an early issue.
Eleanor P. Sherwood Begins Summer Classes
Eleanor P. Sherwood, a sister of the late William H. Sherwood, will have a master class in piano, harmony and analyses of composition, to be held through the summer months. Miss Sherwood has long •been recognized as a teacher of profound knowledge of the piano. Her classes specialize in the analyses made from the interpretive standpoint of proportionate inter-relation between musical and technical requirements.
Not only is Miss Sherwood among New York’s most prominent instructors, but at various intervals she has been prevailed upon to contribute articles to various publications. November 30, 1922, the Musical Courier published an interesting discourse on Music Interpreted Through Piano Technic, the antidóte lo mechanical playing.
That Miss Sherwood will conduct a summer master class
New Post for Earl Vincent Moore
Ann Arbor, Mich., June 21.—By joint action of the board of directors of the University School of Music and the Regents of the University of Michigan, Earl Vincent Moore has been appointed director of the University School of Music and professor of music in the University, the dual position held for so many years by Dr. Albert A. Stanley. Upon Dr. Stanley’s retirement two years ago, Mr. Moore, who previously had served as assistant to Professor Stanley in the University and as a member of the faculty of the School of Music, was appointed assistant professor and acting director of the University Choral Union. For the past two years he has carried these heavy responsibilities splendidly and has loyally adhered to the general policy followed for so many years by Dr. Stanley. Under Mr. Moore’s leadership splendid progress has been made both in the University fiepartment of Music and in the activi-
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