Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-23
INTERESTING PERSONAL AND SOCIAL
YOUNG PIANISTE
SCORES SUCCESS
Miss Alice Marie Decevee Pre-
sented by Wednesday Club
Is Heartily Greeted

Neni, vidi, vici!" The classic ut
tefance of julius Caesar might well
De repeated by Miss Alice Marie De-
ceVee this afternoon for truly, like
the famous old Roman, she came,
she saw, and she conquered The oc-
caslon was the Wednesday Clubs
closlng concert of the season in Fab
nestock Hail. when the gifted young
pianiste was presented in \her first
public recital. And. although she is
very young woman. it was the gen
eral consensus of opinion that she
was the brightest star in the stellar
armament of the Wednesday Club
last night.
Genius never reproduces," runs
the old adage. Miss Decevee most
assured1y refutes this saying for, as
the daughter of Prof. Edwin ]. De-
cevee, the famous composer and mu-
slcian, and of Mrs. Anna Patterson
Decevee, soloist and director of the
Zion Lutheran Church choir, she is a
rarely gifted player, who leads one
from the work -aday world into the
higher realms of happiness. Beauti-
rul tone and an exquisite delicacy
or touch were appreciated by those
present. many of whom We're not
technically speaking, musicians, but
who love music for music's sake. And
for those who know their arpeggios
and flats and sharps and quarter
notes, there was ample room for en-
joyment, too, because Miss Decevee,
as local musician fifty and slangily
expressed 1t, Caught them coming
and going"
Chopin and Liszt, as usual, held
the place of honor on the pianiste's
program. She opened with the Mo-
zart Fantasia in d Minor" which
suddenly subdued the bustling audi
ence withs>fts beauty; and played as
a following number, the Bach-Saint
Saens "Gavotte in E." a ripping
sprightly composition which evoked
rounds of applause and huge bas-
ket of flowers from her admirers.
Mrs. Arthur IL. Hull, a popular
Harrisburg soprano, and pupil OF
Horatio Connell, sang in charming
style. two beautiful songs by Landon
Ronald, Away on the Hill There
Runs a Stream" and "A Little Wind
ing Road" following with the weird
Song of India" and the Rummel
"Ecstacy."
There was general appreciation
when Miss Decevee returned to the
stage to play the Chopin-Liszt The
Maiden's WISH" the CHOPIN no
manze," from his Concerto in r Mi
nor" and the same. composers mag
nificent prelude in B Minor" Three
Brahms songs, I'm Summer Fields
"Serenade," and "Treachery," were
sung with grace and exquisite sweet
ness by Miss Belle Middaugh, con-
tralto. Mrs. Roy G. Cox, who holds
a high place in the hearts of mu-
sicians of the city, sang "Je dis que
rien ne mepouvante" from Carmen
with intense dramatic feeling, COM
bining charming lyric qualities whlch
won for her spontaneous and unanl-
nous approval.
Rounds of Applause
Miss Decevee made her last appear
ance of the evening in Heaven
Absolve My Soul" tLassen-Liszt)'
ard the Twelfth Hungarian Rhapso-
dy'' bv Liszt. She is fortunate enough
to have had the instruction and
guidance of Barber and Hutcheson,
eminent concert pianists who STUDIED
under Stavenhagen. pupil OF the
the great Liszt. himself. With this
valuable training in addition to that
of her parents, she was able to play
the familiar closing number with
more strength and power than is
usual in the performance OF inns
composition. A delightful feature
was the introduction of interpola-
tions which do not appear in the
printed score and which were given
by the greatest pianist of all time
to his pupil, Stavenhagen, who. in
In Rdrhef.
Miss Decevees master at Ossining, n.
Y. In response to repeated calls Miss
Decevee played Chant d'Amour," by
Stokowski.
The final section of the program
was by the Wednesday Club chorus
singing Bawden's cantata, THE Riv-
er of Stars" a ong-narrative of In
dian origin, telling of Niagara. Mrs:
Wilbur +. Harris, skilfully directed
the chorus, Mrs. Roy G. Cox was So
loist and Miss Mabel Wittenmyer at
the piano played with sympathy and
skill.
1t might be said in closing that the
audience was remarkably large at
last nights concert Harrisburg likes
the Wednesday Club. Harrisburg
also likes to hear her own excellent
musicians. And ample evidence of
this was given to any who might de-
sire to seek, If they had glimpsed
Fahnestock Hall filled to the very
ceiling, with enthusiasts. The con-
cert marked the closing of musical
season, but it also marked the open
ing of bigger and better things for
the local organization. Success to
those efforts!
n H. CsJ