New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-17
YIDDISH FOLKS0NGS
IN CONCERT ROOM
An Agreeable Singer and a
Disappointing Vio-
Iinist.

A new singer. meaning singer
hitherto unfamiliar to New York con-
cert rooms. and new violinist intro
duced themselves yesterday at Aeolian
Hall. The singer, who was Miss Eliza
beth Gutmann, also introduced some
new songs, and the viollnist, VINO was
Ference Hegedds. brought discredit on
himself while prcsumng to honor" as
his press agent put it, the great Bel
pian Cesar Franck by playing his
familiar sonata in A. 1t ought to be
the duty of press agents TO protect
newcomers from foreign lands from
their own conceit. Many of them come
across the water under the delusloh
that thew are the bringers OF a new
evangel to the benighted heather VINO
dwell in the United States, never nav
ing been told anything to the contrary
by their own newspapers, ana never
having taken the trouble to INFORM
themselves as to the artistic status Oh
America from other sources. 80 II may
he news to the young Hungarian who
IS visiting us for the first time that his
performance OF the Cesar Franck sonata
his and his accompanist's) was prop
ably the most slipshod and unsatis-
factory one ever given in New YORK
concert room. 1t was pity, for 1t DIS
couraged all desire TO hear what he
could do with the other pieces on his
list. despite the fact that he has
learned a good deal about violin play
ing and has at his command consider
able technical proficiency and beauti-
full tone.
Miss Gutmann, we are told, comes
from Baltimore. She Is obviously
Russian Jewess, or an American OF
Russian extraction. She brought
new and interesting feature INTO the
recital room-a series OF 1lddlsh foik-
songs-thereby advancing by step
movement which has commanded
great deal of attention OF late. IL was
bit unfortunate that the execution
did not quite measure up 10 the eoou
and intelligent intention. Inc young
woman has pretty voice. whieh SHOWS
a commendable degree OF culture ouS
the composition OF her programme anu
her performance of 1t were altogether
too amateurish to be convincing; one
has hit upon new field in folksong,
one fnHf WAS Dia1AieHAiy
artistic circles until concert singer
directed attention TO il in Germany TWO
or tbree wears ago. Locally nothing
had ever been said about it until two
wears ago. when The Tribune's reviewer
discussed at considerable length an or
chestral piece entitled "Rhapsodie lie.
braique," by Zolatarieff, produced at
one of the concerts Of the Russian
symphony Society. Since then local
musician, Mr. Platon Brounoff, has pub
lished some of the fol-.songs OF the
Russian Jews. and we have been COM
PEELED to notice that Russian compos-
ers like Moussorgsky and others have
drawn upon them for material for their
creations in the larger forms as well
as their songs. The little pieces which
Miss Gutmann sang yesterday were Tor
the greater part without marked CHAR
acteristics. having either common
place Russian or German tinge, but
thew awakened the wish that the vein
might be followed further. II MISS
Gutmann will but learn to give them a
more authoritative reading, she will 10
n service to musical folklore and estab-
lish a pleasant and, 1t is to be Wished
profitable place on our concert stage
II. Z. K.