Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-27


IL 1917, one finds that, in spite
1z of unsettled conditions. il
R6kI has been a very busy time
for the ardent music lover
We have had concerts and
seeitals, orchestras and operas, almost
as If nothing unusual was going on in
the business life of the country, and
no one had reason to complain for
any lack Of them. During the season
the musical editor attended and re-
viewed forty-seven musical events,
which were for the most part we'll
worth the hearing. There were fewer
orchestral programs and more oper-
attic productions than last year, with
concerts holding about an even bal
ance. Owing to the great dearth
OF things dramatic the public has
perforce had recourse more to
things musical, and record audiences
have turned out for some of them.
This was notably so in the case of
John Mccormack, who was listened
to by the largest audience ever gath
cred together in Omaha for a similar
event, and in the case of the Ellis
Opera company, which, with galaxy
OF stars and with the Omaha Retail
ers' association in back of them, also
brought an immense audience to the
Auditorium. The first appearance of
the phenomenal Galli-Curci at the
Boyd theater brought a sold-out
house at that place, with many seats
upon the stage, in back of the prima
donna, besides.
A noticeable fact about the musical
events has been that those which
have been backed and promoted by
organizations, such as the Omaha Re-
tailers' association and the Tuesday
Morning Musical club, have always
been we'll attended, while others, un-
less there was some other working
organization behind them, have drawn
but poor houses in spite Of the
excellence of the attractions. An ex-
ception to this was the San Carlo
Opera company, which, under the To-
cal management of Lucius Pryor, sue
ceeded in drawing excellent houses to
its four different performances.
Among the bright particular re-
citals of the season, besides those
mentioned above, were those of
Kreisler, Godowsky and Oscar Sea-
gle, who was allowed to slip in and
out again with but small portion of
our music lovers making use of the
opportunity to hear him.
This season brought the first ap-
pearance of Mrs. Edward Mcdowell
and the subsequent organization OF an
Omaha MacDowell club. 1t gave us
Our first taste of community singing,
which we can't bear to think is going
to be allowed to pass by with no
definite and favorable results. Surely,
the value of it is so apparent and it
needs but the enthusiasm of few OF
our leading citizens to get together
and make it a possibility, that it
seems strange we have not been able
to have it before. Perhaps some Or
ganization which takes an interest in
things musical might give the people
not only a chance to attend and lis
ten to music, but chance to take
part in it as we'll. 1t would not re-
quire nearly as much of guarantee
to finance it that it does to pay for
some of the attractions which are
brought here, and besides, the money /
would remain in Omaha.
.., -
But coming back to discussion of
the musical season, it also brought us
the first sonata recital given here, a
return visit of the Flonzaley quartet,
of the Damrosch orchestra and the
wonderful Boston Opera company .lot
which poor patronage could not dim
the 1uster). many visiting musicians
and a few local ones in concert work.
This year the Mendelssohn choir and
Minneapolis orchestra joined forces