The New York herald., 1922-01-01
Czecho- &ovakian
Songs by a Chorus
of Women's Hoices
Schumann Club to Give Novel
Concert in Aeolian Hall
January is.

| An event Of unusual novelty TO nluslc
lovers will be the firt concert Of the
season Of the Schumann Club. Percy
Rector Stephens conductor, on january
ls In Aeolian Hall. At this concert
group OF Czecho- Slovakian songs ar
ranged for the club of SIXTY womez's
voices by Deems Taylor, will be sun&
In their original language.
This is said to be the first time thai
cxecho-S Sloyakian songs win have beep
sung by an American body Of singers.
The choir has been trained In the lam
guage Of the songs by Aiois HaviAa,
himself native of C2echo- SlovaLia- The
coming performance of these difficulc
lyrics is proving to be OF much interest
among the Czeohs In this country. ar6
tho Cxecho-SlovalSian Minister in Wash
instop has been invited.
Mr. Stephens said that the musioaS
value Of the songs is especially impox-
tant in creating a better taste in the
musical literature which is for use Of
womens choruses. Tho Schurnann Club,
hAS k>1b>Sp WsS v&o~tAA@-Q h&thC NS~&-Sat3 a9rf
and. at that time, there was Ettle lit
erary material adaptable for women's
voices other than of an inferior musical
character. With but very few. exceptions
there was no sense to the lyrics, and
when there was the musical values were
lacking, and there was utter disregard
for the female voice. 1t wa5 assumed
| that if one voice were unable to reach
high note some Of the chorus could
and the result was O shrieking copyiom-
| Grafton and an impossible performance.
Mr.. stephens and Mr.. Taylor then got
! together. he said, and arranged some
| old ItaAan songs of the sixteenth CEN
Jury that would have especial nusica,
value for an artistic song recital. As
! there was not enough original material
| adaptable for the first concert the pro-
gram was arranged with O group or
4 Schuinann, q group of Richard Strauss
and group OF early French songs 10
| addition to the cid Italian collection The
work was good deal on the same order
as Kurt SCHNEIDER has done with the
| Scbola Cantorum, only with a mixed
| chorus.
THE material of voices Is a secondary
consideration" said Mr.. Stephens. "How-
ever, there Is committee which passes
| upon them, SO good voices are the rule-
| The primary interest Is focused on bet
| ter literature for women's ckoruses. and
! this idea 10 history making In this field.
| All Of the. clubs are now looking 10 the
] SchuInapn Club for the body Of their
material. The songs are taken from the
| French, italian. German. Latin and Eng
| list, and sung In their original tongues
| "The Czecho-Slovakian group which
viii be sung AZ the coming recital hae
| the especially appealing Slavic char
acter akin TO the Russian folk song
wh;ch has sprung from the earth, The
coloring OF y song, as will be found. Is
varied by an occasional solo, then %
quartet. a quartet with the cLorua. and
so on, which method In itself arouses in
| terest.
! Preceding the group viii be a Hum
garian collection so as TO give a little
related color leading to the novelty and
6 more Intimate acquaintance with the
Slavic melodies which have been arr
ranged for the first time in BIZ musical
| form.
"The Observation-Disclosures in this coun-
try, I am sure, Will feel from now on
particularly complimented in knowing
wc are taking up their art seriously,
and especially for the immediate pur-
poee OF creating a better taste in tho
musical literature adaptable for
women's choruses."