Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-25
Musical

q is made as follows in the Music
"A Leader and Concert Goer, by
Emile Frances Bauer:
When New York will have twenty
five weeks of concerts by the Philhar-
monte orchestra it is to be hoped that
the New York composers Will penent
from the increased number much as
the Boston composers are benenlteu ny
the weekly concerts OF the bos SUI.
symphony orchestra for twenty -FOUR
weeks. The situation is not SO nope
less in Boston as in New York be-
cause there has always been Wiling
ness on the part of the symphony
orchestra to give such men as Foote,
Chadwick, Converse, Paine, LoeLher
and others of that class the chance
which the dignity of their merits mas
demanded. But New York with its
limited number of eight programs by
the Philharmonic, with no chance tor
rehearsals, and Bostons visiting Or
chestra Walter Damrosch with ms
which never has included American
compositions, unless it may nave peen
a MacDowell work once in a Wnlle'
have made it almost useless Tor the
New York man to waste paper anu
ink. to say nothing of energy. There
will be a nobler work ahead for MI.
chestra He will have the opportunity
to hiring out what is latent in our best
COMPOSERS, as he will have both re-
hearsals and a sufficient NUMBER Vi
concerts to make it possible 1or MN
to consider this side of our muslcal
life. We have frequently given pollte
attention to works on programs Oh the
Boston symphony, the Philharmonic
Walter Damrosch, the Russian sym
niZ9tiOnS WHICH
could in no way compare to compost
tions which our own composers have
had the opportunity to bring forward
in Europe, and it seems as though the
dav had come when America should
demand that it's orchestras at least
present enough works by our own
COMPOSERS as to make it possible 10
estimate what we have. A thorough
Investigation would prove great
number of worthy works, and great
MANY more capable composers idle, be-
cause of the lack of inspiration ana
announcement.
our composers are forced to go
abroad even for the privilege of hear
ing their own works, and for coun-
try which spends as much money Tor
music this is an incongruous condition.
The conductors should be made to I'M
derstand that it is expected of them
TO concern themselves about this side
of our musical life. and not until they
do will we deserve the respect OF our
own people or of the musical countries
whose eyes are upon us.
Nine. Schumann- Heink on her arrival
in New York was interviewed concern
ing strauss new opera "Elektra" and
other matters.
She had not much time for reporters,
as she was hurrying to her family, and
all who know Nine. Schumann-Heink
the mother, understand what that
means. Two questions were ready for
her as she landed. The first was what
she thought of Olive Fremstad's state
ment that an artist had no right to be
mother; the other was what she
thought of "Elektra."
Il think l have been fairly success
full in my art" the prima donna de-
clared. Il always appear before big
audiences, and l am the very happy
mother of seven, splendid, healthy chill
dren. l must emphatically disagree
with Nine. Fremstad."
The singer looked we'll, and said that
she had never felt better She denied
that her failure to continue to sing
Strauss new opera "Elektra" was due
to a breakdown.
"I simply couldn't stand the noise, -
she declared. 1T is positively dreadful.
The voice is entirely drowned by the
orchestra. In 'Elektra Strauss has
given up everything to the orchestra
ton The voices are subordinated to
the instruments.
1.-THE opera runs only forty-four min
utes, but Elektra is on the stage from
the beginning, and has to sing against
a perfect Niagara of sound. 1t would
kill any singer Vocally to attempt to
compete with the instruments for any
length of time. 1t is an impossible feat
"Then there were all the animals. The
smell was awful. l did manage to make
myself heard by screeching, but the
smell was too much for me. If 'Elek-
ira is successful in New York I shall
be greatly surprised. I do not believe
that it will be given more than five or
six times.
Imagine a stage cluttered with ami
mails, and every man of the orchestra
doing his best to OUTFLOW his fellows
hats 'Elektra' Consider the effect on
the singers and the impression on the
audience"
The executive committee of the
United Singers of New York, under
whose auspices the TWenty-Second
national song and music festical of the
Northeastern Federation of Singing so
cieties will be given in the Madison
Square garden, New York, June 10, 90
q and %, has completed it's plans for
the unusual event that will bring to-
gether a total of over $4,000 singers To
be heard at different times during the
week of the festival, says the Musical
Courier The festival has been divided
into seven concerts. Among the dis
tinguished men who have accepted in
vitations to be present are President
Taft, Governor Hughes and Mayor Nc
Clellan.
The opening concert of the great con-
cert will be held Saturday evening,
June 10, when a monster chorus OF
1000 voices will sine the chorus parts
in Max Bruch's Fair Ellen assisted
by Corinne Rider Kelsey, soprano, and
Claude Cunningham. baritone. At this
concert Mayor Mcclellan will welcome
the visiting singers with short speech
of welcome, after which the regular
program will be rendered under the dl-
rection of julius Lorenz and Carl Helm.
Sunday afternoon, June 20. has been
set aside by the committee for the
school chldrens concert which viii be
given under the direct supervision OF
the board of education. The children's
chorus will consist of over 5000 voices,
all of which have been selected from
the different high schools and element
ary schools of Manhattan Borough.
The program on that afternoon will be
under the personal direction of DR..
Frank r. Dix and Albert S. Caswell,
Supervisors of music in the public
schools, assisted by an orchestra of
100 musicians, under the direction of
Felix Jaeger. On that afternoon
Corine Rider Kelsey will be heard in
two solo numbers, the children giving
the balance of the program.
Madame Schumann-H eink will be
the star IN sunday night and this will