New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-29
A DAY OF SONGS
ReCitaIS by Mesdames Gerhardt
and CuIp.

activity during its season OF little more
that five months. it's boeSo estimate. to
speak in terms of the art IL sounded by
the opera and the symphony concerts
Above this continuous and but slightly
''rccitalists." vocal and instrumental. who
might, II they were but SO minded, re-
licve tho monotony moro than they do.
They seem to come In groups. one week
pian:sts hold the field and as II ohsessod
b! desire 10 compel a comparison which
would seldom bring happiness to any one
IN its train they play the same ccm-
positions. If the choice. which this sea
son seems to have fallen upon Bach
"Chromatc Fantasia and Fuguc" and
Bfahmss Sonata in + minor talready
played twice and underlined for another
repcution. Is an act OF unconscious cerc-
bratIon or mere coincidence. il is an in
terestng phenomenon which might invite
the attention Of the psychologist 1t is
10 be found. however. there have been
parallels in our orchestral concerts. An
other week chamber music comes to the
front This week against the background
of fine symphony concerts and seven
operate representations there have been
projected five song rccitals. Two Of these
took place Yesterday: Mr. Griswold was
heard on Monday, Nine. Nilssen-Stonc Is
70 have hearing tonight. and Miss
Teyte and VI. Clement Tomorrow
Yesterdays singers are both nghly gifted
and highly accomplished. ana II was d.
porable that. the concerts falling on the
same day. the pleasure which they gave
could not be enjoyed by the entire ele-
ment in the community whose interest
, ana affection 20 out TO that refined
form Of musical entertainment True. one
recital took pllC" in the afternoon and tn
other in the evening, but there are few
persons in this world who would care 10
listen to songs for twice two hours with
only three hours between FOR rest and
refieshment. Those who did this. il -
fair 10 assume. were constrained by
something besides desire to ~
entertained and edited by the perform
ances OF the two artists. These artists
were .iesdames Elena Gernardt. who sang
at Acolian Hall in the afternoon. and
Julia cup. who sang in the Carnegie
room in the evening
Miss Gerhardt followed An example set
10y Nine Culp at her first recital and de-
voted her entire programme to songs 10y
Schubert. Schumann and Brahms. Al
through her recital she paid tfibutc 10
these masters even In her supplementary
offerings but In the inevitable aftermath
she invoked also Hugo Wolf C"Ncrhorsen-
heit") and Richard Strauss t'Stdnd-
chem. Her list Of songs. which con
tanned a considerable number which were
familiar TO only the close students OF
song literature. such as Schuberts Der
Wanderer an den Mond" and "Nor mciner
Wiegc." Schumann's "De- Knabcu Berg
led" and Die kartcnlcgerin' and
Erahmss "Rlude kuh." was varied in
sentiment. and. like her singing. grew IN
value and interest &c II went on Their.
was no demand for a repetition until the
end. when instead ~ repeating "tfctch'n
am Spinnrad" she added "Wohin" To
unmstakabe calls she repeated SOM
mans "proycncalscncs Lied au' l'"'
Scandinavia" though neither Of these
marked high water In her performance.
that being reached IN "Mondna'ht and
tn. double unit "Wer macn," dicl IS"
<rank?" and Ate Laut'.' lad sh"
given heed 10 the popular ciamor she
might have repeated nearly al Of the
Brahms songs.
There Is nothing 10 add 10 what has
been .aid about Miss Gcrhardts singing.
II is Gar from impeccable from techni al
point OF view though her sincerity OF
purpo-c and her possession Of the purely
personal quality called magnetism are
wen calculated to make the uacriticai
overlook her defects-such as unWlse en-
peuditure Of breath which at times pilnss
her TO the verge OF gasping. Inequality OF
register and unsteadincss OK tone. These
faults seem all TO be the ou,srowth u
her TOO great intensity. She IL unwilling
70 pnt n curb on her emotional express
sion Tor the sake Of pure musical beauty.
and che therefore frequently iallS 10 pay
all the reverence due to the composer But
IL is noteworthy that ~ her most passion
ATE outpourings she never neSlects her
duty 10 the poet, and her enumeration Of
the words is az beautifully clear ana DIS
tinct i'm song ike Schumann's FIuh-
UugSnacht' as in such atmosphere songs
with their ccstatic mood a. those when
have been mentioned a. her finest achieve
uent Yesterday. In them she takes time
70 think Of the technical things which
make for beautiful utterance and her
voice remains steady and consistent in
quality and her intonation faultless.
Mime Culp departed widely from her
earlier procedure and gave 50 varied list
81 songs as almost to destroy its con
sistency: but il wdened the popular
Knowledge OF her capabilities and in
creased the popular admira ton Of her
artistic gifts and graces. She sang
peethoyen's romance adelaide "a
,n,n.e gong and one Of the battle horses
of the chief OF romance singers-Mario,
who had it on his programmes on his last
visit 10 the United states, some forty
wears ago) but also the old Scotch ioik-
song "Failbfu' Johnnie With Beethoven
accompaniment. She sang LISTS more
or less familiar "Es muss Elm Wunder-
baras sen." and also his 'Angiolln dal
bfondo Grim; two songs BY TschaikoWsy
Din FRENCH: Lives setting OF Der
ARA" which is generally known only
in Rubinstein's setting. and Jensen's
setting OF "WaIdesgesprach' which ~
ronularly associated only with Schu-
mann's music. or four songs by hugo
Wolf one was newcomer in local lists
"Tretet elm, hoher Krieger," but her most
delightful new contribution was piquaht
little song by the balladist Love ne
ginning "Madchen sind vie der WIND.
sung With a piquant humor that none hn,
+, sembrich could equal Indeed 1t sound