The World of Music News

At Home August 1915

THE death has occurred of Rose Bloch Bauer, one of the best known vocalists on the Pacific Coast. She died at her home in Portland, Ore.

TWENTY-EIGHT novelties are promised next season by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, including a new work by the conductor, Frederick Stock.

THE Boston "Pop" concerts, given by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Andre Maquarre, are attracting their usual delighted audiences once again.

A NEW four manual organ has been installed in the Fort Street Presbyterian Church, Detroit, of which Mr. N. J. Corey is organist.

THE possibilities of securing an adequate guarantee fund for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, under Max Zach, are getting increasingly rose. Of the sum of $50,000 required, $30,000 has already been secured.

LOUISE converse, daughter of Frederick Converse, the well known composer of the operas, The Sacrifice and The Pipe of Desire, was recently married to Junius Spencer Morgan, a grandson of the late J. Pierpont Morgan. Mrs. Morgan is herself an able musician.

THE visit of the Boston Symphony Orchestra to San Francisco has been a memorable one, the wonderful art of this great organization having made a profound impression upon music lovers in California.

GORDON Balch Nevin, son of Geroge B. Nevin, has recently become the organist of the Second Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, one of the desirable positions of the Middle West.

THE sudden death of Riccardo Lucchest is deeply regretted in Los Angeles, Cal. Lucchest came to this country as the result of a duel in his younger days in which he wounded his antagonist. He became prominent in San Francisco as vocal teacher, critic and composer.

WORKS by Spanish composers are few and far between, and it is interesting to know that the Metropolitan Opera Company is intending to produce Goyescas, an opera by Enriquez Granados. The composer, who is a Catalonian, may possibly be present at the performance.

THE "Opera Academy" which is being founded by Henry Russell for the purpose of training students for opera, more especially for French opera, has been endorsed by the Opera Comique of Paris, which undertakes to provide the best students with an opportunity of making their debut in the French  capital.

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THE raucous cry "Swat the Fly" that has risen from the throats of millions of men and women all over the world is not always uttered purely in the interests of health. An English musical contemporary contains an inquiry from a music dealer who asks: "Can you tell me the best way to get rid of flies? My shop is near that of a butcher, so that in the summer I am pestered with them, their habits greatly depreciating my stock, especially the sheet music".

THE Loeb Memorial Prize of $1000.00, which is given by the Institute of Musical Art of New York, was divided this year between Sascha Jacobson and Elias Breeskin, both pupils of Mr. Franz Kneisel. Dr. Frank Damrosch also announced that the faculty prize of $150.00 for the season 1915-1916 had been awarded to Mr. Charles Gildersleeve Vardell.

MR. CARL BODELL, recently head of the Piano Department of Sullius College-Conservatory, Bristol, Va., died suddenly from heart failure on the evening of May 31st. Mr. Bodell was born in Sweden in 1850 and early exhibited great musical promise. He received his education under such noted teachers as Tellefson, Lubeck, Delabord, and Reinecke. In his earlier years he excelled as concert performer, but after his arrival in this country in 1888 he commenced to devote his energies to teaching, and has since had great success as an educator.

THE Guilmant Organ School, Dr. W. C. Carl, Director, offers four free scholarships to students of talent and ability for next season. An examination will be held at the school Friday, October 1st. They are intended for student who possess the necessary talent but who cannot pay for the tuition. This is the first time the school has been able to offer these advantages, and as far as we know it is quite exceptional for this country.

IT IS exceptional for an American to have his orchestral works published, as there is little demand for full orchestra works. However, Adolph M. Foerster, of Pittsburgh, has just issued his Festival March, Opus 32, Faust Prelude, Opus 48, and Suite, Opus 47. These works have been played publicly with great success. With the surprising increase in the number of symphony orchestras in this country there may come the long awaited demand for American orchestral works.

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THE Fire Orchestra Pieces of Schonberg were recently performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Hitherto the only Schonberg composition heard in Boston was the String Quartet, Op. 7, written before Schonberg had developed his musical Chamber of Horrors to the extent he has recently done. Boston was therefore curious. It cannot be said, however, that its curiosity was pleasantly satisfied, for where the performance was not received with horrified incredulity, it was received with laughter - and it takes a lot to make Boston laugh at a symphony concert.

THE Shakespeare Tercentenary, which will be celebrated next year, will include many interesting musical activities in the different parts of the United States where this important event will be celebrated. Naturally, the Drama League of America is taking a leading part in promoting the celebration of this anniversary. The ceremonies in many cities will be given on a grand scale with the participation of symphony orchestras, opera companies, choral societies and public schools. The following is an interesting extract from a letter from Percival Chubb, President of the Drama League and Chairman of the Shakespeare Celebration Committee. The celebration will take place in April, "The response so far has been quite encouraging. The League has had the assistance of Mr. O. G. Sonneck, head of the Music Division of the Library of Congress,  who has supplied a list of the orchestral compositions inspired by Shakespeare, and will supply lists of the operas and choral works. He has also a list of books in the Library of Congress relating to Shakespeare and Music. We are furnishing copies of his list to our Drama League Centers for the use of Conductors of the Symphony Orchestras, so that they may be spared time and labor in looking up available music. Should you care to publish this list, I shall be glad to furnish you with a copy of it. There will be other developments in the field of music of which I will not at present speak. Let me add only that we hope we may succeed in instituting prize competitions for musical works on Shakespearean themes. We are hoping that teachers of music, no less than the teachers of literature and dance (especially folk dances) will prepare themselves during the summer for the task of putting on festivals and pageants of all kinds next year.

The Etude Magazine August 1915