Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-31

Gogorza Shows
Rare Judgment
In His Programs

IN his Programs
A song recital program which
Emilio de Gogorza arranged for an
appearance such as he will have at
the Augusta City Hall JAN. II is as
thoroughly cosmopolitan as can east
ly be imagined. There is no singer
now before the public-in fact. there
never has been a singer who has had
command of such a wide and varied
repertoire as he. 1t is not merely
that he is peculiarly gifted as a lin
guist who speaks with the accent of
the native born at least a half dozen
languages and can sing with good
diction in several more. Other sing
ers there are who are notable lin
gusts.
Gogorza, however, is an indefatiga-
bic searcher after 1.-THE good, the
beautiful and the new and every
successive season he brings out a
number of interesting and beautiful
novelties in the way of songs. some of
them songs of the people, folk-songs.
some of the art-sorgs by new and
unknown composers. One of the rea-
sons why he gives, comparatively
speaking, SO little time to concert
work is that he demands an eXtraor-
binary amount Of time for his studies.
He will never sing more than 40 or
so times a season when it would be
easy for him to sing double that num-
her of times, but his argument is that
fifty good concerts are worth more
than a hundred in which there will
be many that do not please me or my
audiences. l will not sing" he says.
unless l am in perfect form and
whatever others may do, I do not
think that 1 could be in perfect form
for a hundred concerts with all the
travelling such a tour entails"
In one recent recital in New York
Mr.. de Gogorza had on his program
songs in Spanish, songs in Basque,
songs in French and Russian and
songs by English and American COM
posers sung, of course in English. He
always tries to make his programs
unusual and he always succeeds.
| There is about his recitals none of
the drab monotony of the convention
al program. Years ago he got away
from the routine Of beginning with
group from the old Italians, then fol-
lowing this by group of German
lieder, to be followed by mongrel
group of modern songs and ending
with American and English songs
and ballads.
Now he is as likely as not to begin
with group of strange and boauti-
full folk-songs. from Spain, from the
country of the Basoucs, from Portugal
or from France. Then he may do one
or more of the great songs of Schubert
or Schumann or Brahms. He is GER
| tain to include some Of the great
! Frenchmen, Cesar Franck, dIndy,
| Dehussy or Ravel and then he may
make excursions into some of the
| strangely interesting songs Of the
Englshman, Cyril Scott, or into the
fascinating songs of our own Sidney
| Homer. But whatever he does it will
| not be conventional.
| 1t is Il notable fact that when Co
gorza gives his annual recital in New
York one sees there more singers of
| songs than at any other recital in the
season. He is an artist who enjoys
the profound respect Of his col
! leagues, men as well as women, not
merely because of his mastery Of the
mechanics of singing, not merely be-
| cause as an Interpreter of songs he
| stands quite in class by himself but
! because of the character and beauty
! of his programs. AS one famous wo-
| man singer remarked after his recital
! last year: Il don't know where he
gets all these fascinating things. He
| is always source of inspiration and
! despair to me. His art is as near per-
! lection as any human being can hope
to reach An old hand at it like me
can always learn from him. And then
his songs. If I could put together a
| program like one Of his l would be
very happy"
Unusual interest has been aroused
all up and down the kcnncbec valley
! because de GQgorza is to sing in Au-
susta on January H. Mail orders for
tickets are already being received at
| Fletcher's pharmacy. Arrangements
for a special car to Waterville at 10
! o'clock on the evening OF the concert
, have been completed and cars on all
the other lines will be held until the
end OF the concert if necessary
|
Erad w. ri,rL