The World of Music News

February 1921

VERDI'S "Don Carlols" has had its "Premiere" at the Metropolitan Opera House of New York, when its cast, including Matzenauer, Ponselle, Martinelli and De Luca, was probably one of the very strongest every assembled for this work.

A GREAT International Musical Festival, in which orchestras and opera companies from England, France, Italy and Germany will participate will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, in August 1921. American musicians will be asked to participate, but whether any of our larger organizations will make the trip will depend on whether any of our wealthy art patrons are will to back such an enterprise.

PUCCINI has been lionized in Vienna, whither he went to superintend the "premiere" of his opera, Le Rondine. Wherever he appeared he was loudly acclaimed by the people.

AN Indiana Federation of Music Clubs has been organized, with Mrs. Henry Schurmann, of Indianapolis, as president.

RUDOLPH Ganz is again concertizing in America, after an absence of many years.

"THE Beggar's Opera", the oldest English opera, by John Gay, and first produced at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theater in London, January 29, 1728, is being "revived" at the Greenwich Village Theater of New York.

GIULIO Gatti-Casazza, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera Company, has been nominated by King victor Emanuel, of Italy, as grand officer of the Royal Crown of Italy.

MR. Albert Coates, the celebrated English conductor, made a remarkable success in his three recent appearances as "guest conductor" of the New York Symphony Orchestra.

HENRI Morin, the new French conductor of the Chicago Opera Company, has created much interest by his good work, and is looked upon as "one of the really worthwhile additions to this season of the company".

WALTER Damrosch, at the close of the recent season of concerts given in London, under his direction, by the New York Symphony Orchestra, was tendered a luncheon in the historic old Mansion House by the Lord Mayor of London. During the festivities it was announced that Mr. Damrosch had been elected a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and he received the silver medal of that ancient and picturesque society founded in 1604 by James I.

THE widow of Leo Delibes has left to the Institute of France the sum of $10,000, the income from which is to be divided at the end of each year among students of musical composition.

LOS ANGELES is to have a permanent opera company of its own, with W. G. Stewart as general conductor.

"TO Work for Music Credits in the Public Schools" and "To Make America the Music Center of the World" are two of the "Federation Aims" decided upon at the annual meeting of the National Federation of Music Clubs, held in November, at Stan-Hywtt Hall, the Akron, Ohio residence of Mrs. Frank A. Seiberling, the president of the federation.

THE La Scala Orchestra, from the famous La Scala Opera House of Milan, Italy, gave its first American performance in New York in December. It has created quite a sensation by the wonderful precision of its playing.

THE Clemson Anthem Competition is still open. The Clemson gold medal (value $50) and an additional prize of $50 by the H. W. Fray Co. are offered. For particulars address the General Secretary of the American Guild of Organists, 29 Vesey Street, New York.

EDWARD Ellsworth Hipsher, formerly Musical Director  of Morris Harvey College (Barboursville, W. Va.), after many successful years of teaching has joined the staff of The Etude as assistant editor. For many years Mr. Hipsher has been a regular contributor to our columns.

BENJAMIN Godard, remembered now mostly by his 2d Mazourka and 2d Valse for piano, and the two songs, Chanson de Florian and the Berceuse, from Jocelyn has been honored with a memorial tablet on the house where he lived many years, at Rue Pigalle, No. 34, Paris.

CARUSO, according to the latest reports will sing no more this season, but will spend this time recuperating from his recent illness and operation.

CAROLINA Lazzari has added her name to the list of American singers who have won a high place among the artists of the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York.

THE State (formerly Imperial) Opera and the State Playhouse (formerly Hofburgtheater), of Vienna, have a deficit of $1,300,000 for the last year, in consequence of which the prices of seats are to be increased six to ten times their former rates.

$2,500,000 is practically subscribed for a memorial hall to be erected in the beautiful "civic center" of San Francisco. In addition to a beautiful concert auditorium for the San Francisco Orchestra, it will have salons for art exhibits and other public functions.

SELMA Kurz, famous prima donna of the Vienna Opera House, who combines remarkable gifts in both coloratura singing and dramatic expression, has joined the forces of the Metropolitan Opera Company.

YORK Bowen, the young English composer, won his third important prize in the last two years, when he recently captured the $1,000 offered for the best orchestral suite, but the Chappell's Music Publishing Company of London.

THE Nelson Home for Songwriters, at Bremerton, Wash., has been established by the will of Karl Gustaf Nelson, composer of My Eastern Rose and My Kentucky Belle. Mr. Nelson, who said, "Pipe fitting has been a necessity, song writing a pleasure", stipulates that applicants must be American citizens (color and sex to be disregarded), able to write both words and music for songs, and preference to be given to those who are self supporting.

THE Harvard Glee Club has been invited by the Department of Public Instruction of the French Government to visit France and give a number of concerts there.

PRINCESS Tsianina has entered the "screen world", having joined the forces of a California firm which is producing with an all Indian cast, Shnawis, and the legend from which Cadman wrote his Land of the Sky Blue Water. Cadman's music will be used to accompany these pictures.

"THE Claque" has been ousted from the performances of the Chicago Opera Association. Money was returned and suspected claquers ejected from the auditorium. Long live the American spirit of Chicago!

THE Chicago Opera Association opened its New York season at the Manhattan Opera House on the evening of January 24th.

BEETHOVEN'S "Fidelio" is having is first performance in Spain this season, at the "Gran Teatro Liceo", of Barcelona.

RICHARD Strauss has been in Buenos Ayres conducting his own works. That the Argentine capital has an orchestra capable of playing the Strauss scores may come as a slight surprise to some.

A STUDENT'S Orchestra, trained under the guidance of Frederick Stock and his assistant conductors of the Chicago Orchestra, has given remarkably creditable programs, and again places Chicago in the lead as in "innovator".

GRAND Opera in English, by the Royal Carl Rosa Opera Company, at the Covent Garden Theater of London, has been turning people from the doors. The best classic and modern works of the operatic repertoire are being given.

A KUBELIK $1,200 Scholarship has been offered by the great violinist to the most talented violin pupil entering the competition for this prize, furnishing a year of study with his master, Sevcik, at the Ithaca Conservatory of Music.

SOUSA'S Band recently completed its most successful tour of its history. The March King and his band visited more cities and towns and played to more paid admissions than has ever been the experience of any musical organization in the same length of time on tour.

"THE Messiah" had, this year, its ninety-ninth Christmas performance by the Oratorio Society of New York.

THE Highest Note Ever Sung by the human voice is that of Robert Murray, the boy soprano, of Tacoma, Washington. He reaches the D on the sixth added line above the treble staff.

A NATIONAL Opera at Washington project is being fostered with considerable prospects of success.

HENRY Alexander Matthews has been awarded $100 prize, offered by the Matinee Musical Club of Philadelphia, for the best composition by an American composer. The successful work is for organ, harp, violin and violoncello, and the composer is organist of one of the Quaker City's leading churches.

THE Blumenthal Prize, given by wealthy American residents of Paris to deserving young French musicians, has been awarded to Georges Migot, a member of Widor's class at the Conservatoire. He will receive an annual pension of 6,000 francs for two years.

MADAME Calve, who, in the second decade back, was the greatest of "Carmens", is announced as planning a recital tour of America.

DE PACHMANN, the "Patti of the Piano", in his perennial farewells. When he "farewelled" at Queens' Hall London, November 3, so many failed in gaining admittance that he has announced another "positively last farewell" for the benefit of those who missed the last of his series of adaptable adieus.

ZENATELLO, former star tenor of the Hammerstein and Boston opera companies, is reported to have turned hotelkeeper in Milan.

HELEN L. Cramm, the composer, well know to Etude readers through her compositions and her articles, has added politics also to her repertoire of attainments. She writes that she is the Chairman of the City Committee in a large ward in a busy Massachussetts city.

SIR Thomas Beecham is promised a worthy successor in his son, Adrian Wells Beecham. Though only fifteen years of age, he has already to his credit two operas, two symphonies for full orchestra, and a ballet.

WILLEM Mengelburg, conductor of the Amserdam Concertgevouw Orchestra, is in America to lead the National Symphony Orchestra of New York from January 11 to March 23, inclusive.

The Etude Magazine February 1921