June 28, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
26
some time ago. Many prominent musicians attended the reception.
Madge Daniell, soprano, an artist-pupil from the Dudley Buck studios, sang in Ridgewood, N. }., at the unveiling of the monument for the boys lost in the war. She sang The Star Spangled Banner and There Is No Death before an audience of about 20,000 people.
The Dudley Buck studios in New York will remain open until the end of July, the assistant teachers being, in charge of the classes during Mr. Buck’s absence.
Perfield Teacher of Muskogee Presents Pupils
Leila G. Munsell, a Perfield exponent of Muskogee, Okla., presented her pupils in a cycle of programs this month, the first of which was devoted to the Children’s Department on June 8. The junior and intermediate pupils, assisted by Dorothy Robison, violinist, were heard at the Congregational Church on June 11. On June 12, the high school students, assisted by Genevieve Stuckslager, violinist; Maur-me Robison, accompanist; Virginia Porter, soprano; and Grace Gaddy, accompanist, gave an interesting program.
Diaz Triumphs in Burlington
Following the appearances of Rafaelo Diaz at the City of Burlington (Vermont) Centennial Celebration, the Metropolitan Musical Bureau received the following telegram from Arthur Dow, chairman of the committee in charge: “Diaz sang to five thousand people and was tumultuously received, scoring greatest personal success any artist has won here in several seasons. His appearance here a triumph. Beautiful voice, beautiful art. Encores without end.”
Holyoke Society Gives Elijah
The first annual concert given by the Community Oratorio Society of Holyoke, Mass., took place at the Mountain Park Casino on the evening of May 28, when a splendid performance of Elijah was heard under the direction of Prof. W. P. Bigelow. The soloists were Jeannette Vree-land, soprano; Mildred Bryars, contralto; William W. Deroin, tenor, and Norman Jollif, bass-baritone, all of whom were praised highly for their artistic singing.
Magdeleine du Carp Off for Paris
Magdeleine du Carp, pianist, who will be heard in America next season under the direction of Concert Management Arthur Judson, has been announced for a series of joint recitals with Neida Humphrey, soprano, in Paris this sum-men In all her appearances, Mme. du Carp has been received with genuine enthusiasm and has established an enviable reputation as an artist of merit.
Mr. and Mrs. Mannes Vacationing
Mr. and Mrs. David Mannes, who have just concluded one of the most strenuous seasons of their professional career, have gone to Astricon Inn, Mount Desert, Maine, where they will spend the entire summer. They will return to New York about the middle of September and at once resume activities at the David Mannes Music School.
Another Mana-Zucca Hit
It is said that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but the proverbial “exception to the rule” proves itself again in the fact that Mana-Zucca has written another humorous song hit, entitled, Moo-oo. Her song The Big Brown Bear is one of the most popular American songs, and Moo-oo promises to be a close second.
Mary Potter Sings The Old Road
One of the songs used by Mary Potter, the contralto, on her recent four months’ tour of the country, was The Old Road, by John Prindle Scott. Other singers who have won favor with this song are Joseph Kayser, Ralph Thomlinson, Richard H. Warren, baritones, and Earle Trawsul, tenor.
Letz Quartet Reengaged for Brooklyn Series
For the fourth year in succession, The Letz Quartet has been engaged by the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences for a series of three concerts. These events will take place in the recital hall of the Academy of Music on Tanuary 14, February 14 and March 20.
Sittigs at Stroudsburg
Frederick V. and Margaret and Edgar Sittig, comprising the Sittig Trio, have left New York for the summer and will again spend the heated term at Stroudsburg, Pa. in rest and recreation.
Althouse to Sing in Southbridge, Mass.
Paul Althouse will appear in a concert for La Chorale Guilmant in Southbridge, Mass., on February 24 next, directly after his appearance in joint recital with Florence Easton at Muncie, Ind., on Washington’s Birthday.
Mabel Garrison to Summer “On the Farm”
Mabel Garrison, whose illness was reported recently, is now well on the road to health and will spend the summer “on the farm” preparing programs for her recital tour next season.
STOCKHOLM AT LAST HAS PREMIERE OF ALFVEN’S PANTOMIME
Sibelius and Weingartner as Guest Conductors—Schneevoigt Introduces New French Music
has successfully been arranged for concert use. An altogether new name is that of Helmer Alexanderson, whose G minor symphony, thanks to its “northern blonde” character and the freshness of its melody, scored a spontaneous success with the public. A suite entitled Tableaux Rustique, by the Swedish organist, Daniel Jeisler, long a resident of Paris, showed an influence of the new French school, but at the same time an undertone of Swedish homesickness was noticeable. His Legende for cello, beautifully played by his wife, Marguerite Caponsacchi, was also introduced for the first time.
In chamber music concerts given by the Kjellstrom Quartet an outstanding novelty was a quartet by Hilding Rosenberg which dazzled more by its consistent cacaphonous atonality than by original invention. One really original in harmony and subtle perception, however, is Josef Erik-sen, a composer of songs.
Herman Glimstedt.
Ethyl Hayden “Soothes” the Critic
There is a certain quality in the singing of Ethyl Hayden which invariably soothes the savage breast of the critic. Ralph Holmes, music critic of the Detroit Evening News, is an instance of this beneficent Hayden influence. Upon her appearance with the Orpheus Club of that city, he recommended as an antidote to the weary end of a hard-worked day, “Ethyl Hayden singing Debussy in a room with soft-shaded lights and deep-cushioned arm chairs.” A
IN RESPONSE
to many inquiries
Alberto Jonas
the renowned Spanish Piano Virtuoso and Pedagogue, teacher of many famous pianists, announces that he
Never Accepts Pupils During the Summer
Mr. and Mrs. Alberto Jonas’ summer address is:
Wagner Platz No. 6, Berlin-Friedenau, Germany
Alberto Jonas reopens his New York Studio on OCTOBER 1st at
19 WEST 85th STREET
Applications may be sent in now to insure acceptance for next fall.
Five Assistants for Beginners and advanced pupils.
Address: Secretary of Alberto Jonas, 19 West 85th St., New York, N. Y.
second instance is Harvey Gaul, of the Pittsburgh Post, whose summaries of musical events sometimes suggest the bitterness of gall. Fie wrote: “She has voice, beauty and intelligence. In quality_ her voice is limpid and rich. At times there is a Sembrich resemblance.” A third instance —for in criticism as in poker, three of a kind are worth two pairs—is Richard Aldrich, of the New York Times, who, on^ the occasion of Miss Hayden’s debut, wrote: “Her voice is an unusually beautiful one; its quality is peculiarly individual, fresh, poignant, searching with potency of even greater expressiveness than it now discloses.”
Dudley Buck at University of Kansas
Dudley Buck, the vocal teacher of New York, is busy-conducting master classes at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kans. This is his third summer there and liis success continues to be extraordinary. The classes cover a period of six weeks, beginning June 11. Mr. Buck also is teaching in Kansas City with equally fine results. A reception was given to this pedagogue in Kansas City by Franklyn Hunt, baritone, whose friendship with Mr. Buck dates from the days spent by them in Italy
Stockholm, May 26.—The closing weeks of the spring season have finally brought the première of the long promised pantomime entitled The Mountain Spirit, with music by Hugo Alfvén. The action is woven around a young Swedish shepherd girl, who, becoming lost in the forest, is taken prisoner by nymphs and fairies and led to the mountain king, before whom she is made to dance. She finally escapes from the king, aided by a shepherd boy who loves her. Several acts are required for the performance, giving ample opportunity for numerous effective stage scenes. Concentration of dramatic ideas are lacking, however, and as a result the artistic significance of the work was depreciated. Alfvén’s music, though it does resemble Strauss’ in the use of leading motives and the style of his orchestration, must nevertheless be classified as masterful, in spite of the fact that the work showed little individuality owing to a too prevalent eclecticism.
Better than anything else in the production were the stage decorations, painted with great skill by Prince Eugene, brother of King Gustave. The fresco work as well as the Swedish landscapes, both unusually well adapted to the stage, were exquisite examples of coloristic charm. The gorgeous costumes likewise deserve a word of praise. After all, the pantomime is only a work of parts and turned out to be more of a show-piece than anything else. The two artists who were received most warmly were Siri Oester-holm, who made a rapturous shepherdess, and Prince Eugene.
Mahler’s Eighth in the Stockholm Opera.
An innovation in our music season has been a series of concerts given in the Opera House. Mahler’s eighth symphony, conducted with imposing grandeur and fiery temperament by Armas Jarnefelt, was a prominent feature. It met with such enthusiasm that a repetition of the gigantic work was necessary. Henri Marteau presented himself as conductor and composer in one of these concerts, when he directed his Sinfonia Gloria Natura. Chiefly by reason of its thick orchestration it failed to enthuse either press or public. Marteau left a much more favorable impression as a composer with a new string quartet, well performed by the Kjelstrôm String Quartet.
As usual, most of the orchestral concerts were conducted by Georg Schnéevoigt, regular conductor of the Konzert-foeringen. The latter, however, is absent from Stockholm so often that several guests had to take his place. On one of these occasions, Jarnefelt made Stockholm acquainted with the A flat major symphony of Edward Elgar, a noble work of solid workmanship. Max Fiedler later conducted Reger’s Beethoven variations for the first time here, so that now we know practically all of Reger’s big orchestral works. Siegmund von Hausegger in another concert offered a Serenade by the Austrian composer, Carl Prohaska, heretofore unknown here.
Weingartner’s First Stockholm Visit.
Aside _ from these guests there was Felix Weingartner, who visited Stockholm for the first time. Under his temperamental and at^ the same time elegant leadership, we again heard the entire Beethoven symphonic output, a series becoming rather too steriotyped these days. Weingartner, however, was enthusiastically acclaimed, and in certain circles was mentioned as a possibility for the opera directorship. This plan has since been abandoned, however.
Schnéevoigt, when he was present, was favorable to new works unfamiliar to Sweden and we were grateful for works of Charles M. Loeffler, Scriabin (Poème de l’extase), and still more recently he introduced Viviane, a symphonic poem by Ernest Chausson; Louis Aubert’s Habanera, the character of which seems to call for choreographic pantomime; and a Nocturne of Spring, by Roger-Ducasse. Besides these novelties Schnéevoigt also was responsible for the first Stockholm performance of the Val-encian Aquarelles, genuine Spanish folk music by Eduardo Chavarris; and the colorful Procession de Rocio, of Joaquin Turinas, another young Spaniard.
Modern Finnish Music.
Further novelties of interest were those offered by Robert Kajanus, a prominent conductor of Helsingfors, whose introduced works of Sibelius, Kuula and Selim Palmgren, whose piano concerto, Metamorphoses, was played with great virtuosity by Ilmari Hannikainen. Later on, Sibelius himself appeared in three concerts which were high-water marks in the season’s festivities. Sibelius is hardly a baton virtuoso, but especially when conducting his own works he reveals a hypnotic kind of authority. Among the works heard in these concerts were his first and second symphonies, the symphonic poem, Pohj ola’s Daughter, and the Swan of Tuonela, with which Stockholm was already ¡acquainted.
An absolute novelty was the sixth symphony, which could well bear the motto, “Voces intimæ,” found over his string-quartet, since the work is pervaded with a subdued spiritual mood, giving it the character of chamber music rather than a symphony.
Swedish Composers Plentiful.
Among the new works of native composers should be mentioned the fifth symphony, “Funèbre,” of Kurt Atter-berg, which had its première in Berlin last winter, and his ballet pantomime, The Wise and Foolish Virgins, which
DE LUCA
Baritone of the IVI et гор о lit an Opera Co.
THROUGH TO PACIFIC COAST IN OCTOBER
Management: R. E. JOHNSTON L, C. Breid and Paul Longone—Associates 1451 Broadway, New York, N. Y.
KNAAE PIANO
TOUR
VICTOR RECORDS