New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-09
SEAGLE EXHIBITS
HIS SONG MASTERY
Charms Hearers with Group of
Lieder and 18th Century
ChanSOnS.

To musc-lovers capable of appreciat-
ing beautiful singing there has been
nothing in the musical activities OF the
last decade half so gratifying as the
attention paid to art-songs. With the
change in the attitude Of the singers
themselves and the public toward the
songs of Germany and France and the
operate airs of the classical period,
the period of the bel cdHto. Nine. Sem
brich's example has no doubt had much
to do. She had begun her recital work
before she retired from opera, but her
colleagues gave little thought to Ger
man Heder and French melodies until
they made the discovery that as great
victories could be won in the recital
room as on the operate stage.
That the recital-roo called for spe-
cial gifts and graces, however, was q
thing that few of them realized. And
so Nine. Sembrich has been left prac-
tically companionless so far as her old
colleagues are concerned. Miss Gluck,
since she abandoned opera for the con-
cert field, has risen rapidly toward the
loftier artistic heights, and, since she
is still young, 1t IS 10 be expected, as
well as hoped. that she will soon place
herself at the side of her eXemplar.
The other singers who have achieved
the finest results were born TO the con-
cert manner. The finest taste and mu-
sicianly skill which the concert room
affords at present is found in the song
singing of Nine. Sembrich, Miss Culp,
Miss Gerhardt, Miss Gluck. Miss Flor
ence Hinkle, Mrs. RiderKelsey. Miss
Maggie Teyte, Francis Rogers, George
Hamlin, Reinald Werrenrath and Oscar
Seagle.
Mr.. Seagle gave a recital in Carnegie
Hall Yesterday afternoon. and demon
strated that he is nearest of all IN
this gracious company in artistic kim
ship to Nine. Sembrich. With q
warmer temperament, his command Of
poetical moods is not so extended as
hers, but in the finish of his legato
singing, in the perfection of his phras-
ing, in his command of all the nuances
of expression, in his diction, the adj
mirable homogeneity Of his voice
throughout a wonderfully wide range,
and his breath control he is worthy
companion of Nine. Sembrich and Miss
Culp.
His programme was an interesting
enc. Its first part was devoted to opera
airs and songs Of the golden age OF
singing. though the chronological or
der was reversed, beginning with Mo
ARTS mon piu andrai farfallone''
from "Le Nozze di Figaro following
with airs by Narcello and Buononclni,
and concluding with three French
chansons from the collection of old
time music Published by Wekerlln.
These songs were stated in the pro-
grammc to be Of the sixteenth century,
- louh+ IN n dvortnrtlV
They are all of the seventeenth. The
chapson q manner. beginning ""Quol!
toujours des charsons bolre?' was
COMPOSED by Charles Lemalre, bdate
coufre in the chapel Of Louis NV IN
1869. who died in 1904; the chditSOR q
danser. beginning "Aime-mOi bergere,'
was written by J. Lefevre in 1913. The
matter is of no great moment except
that the dating of the songs a century
too early is likely to create false I'M
preston about the music of four cen
turtles ago. The beauty of Mr.. Seagle' s
performance of them was quite beyond
praise. SO it was of the group OF mod
ern French songs by Chausson, Debus-
81. Cui, Duparc and Ferrari. which oc-
cupied the second place in the scheme.
In the German songs the poetical note
was less clearly sounded; their emo
tional depths were not fully explored.
Two Irish airs and three American
songs brought the recital to a close.
MIR. Frank Bibb gave the singers ex-
cellent support at the pianoforte.