The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-10-09
: THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
Schumann-Heink Allows Her Public to
Know the Song She Likes to Sing Best
F7VERY great singer has one
r song which is loved the best
on the nart of the artist.

And this is true with Nine. Ernes-
tine Schumann-H eink, probably the
best liked singer before the public
| today.
This season." Nine. Schumann-
Heink says. 81 am celebrating my
| fiftieth year before the public, and in
that long time I have sung all the
well-known operas and songs suited
to my voice, so it is hard to choose
favorite. But a song 1 always love
to sing. because 1t gives pleasure to
so many people is Schubert's
'Erlkonig. I cannot imagine. much
less count the number of times /
have sung it in public. and it is al
ways greeted with enthusiastic ap-
plause.
THE poem itself is so beautiful.
and so full Of real drama that it
would serve as an inspiration even
to a lesser song composer than Franz
Schubert, and the combination of
the Goethe text with the Schubert
music has given the world one of it's
greatest songs.
Il have always tried to put the
feelings of the different characters
into my voice when singing their
words, and sometimes little children
are so frightened that they cry when
sing the threat of the Erlkonig. I
can never sing this song without
feeling personally all the emotions
| 1t portrays. l feel cruel when / am
the Erlkonig, and am always
moved to pity for the poor. poor Ia
ther.
THE accompaniment of this song
is one of the finest l know. It has
| the sound Of the wind and the
trampling of the horses feet in it,
the sad wailing of the child. and the
sweet enticements of the Erlkonig's
daughters. The song rises to a tire
mendous climax in the end. and the
sudden drop on the word tod en-
bodies all the sadness of the poem
in that one note.
Very few songs can tell a story
without being the old ballad type
with verse upon verse OF narrative.
any less gifted musician than Schu-
bert might have been tempted TO set
all the verses of the 'Erlkonig' to
I the same music in what is called
| 'through-composed' style, but Schu-
bert recognized the great advantage
of different music for each verse.
and he has made the music of this
song a continuous narrative, telling
the story as well as the words. I
have often sung the 'Erlkonig' to
myself without the text. and It is re
markable how much of the story
can be surmised from the music
alone.
ut is this gift Of suiting each line
of the music to the words that has
made the German heder composers
so important in the history of music.
| When the text. the melody. and the
accompaniment are harmonious
whole, then the song becomes a great
work Of art, and l have always con-
sidered the 'Erlkonig' one of the best
examples Of this mode of writing, as
well as one OF the loveliest songs
we have today"
Nine. Schumann- Heink will ap-
pear here at the Murat on Friday
night Oct %. under the direction Of
Ona B. Talbot.
Il + +
/" HE first department recital,
Of the Indiana College OF
~ Music and Fine Arts, will be
held tomorrow evneing in the Col.
lege Auditorium.
The Patton Ensemble will give a
program for strings, assisted by
Frances Johnson, soprano.
Miss Alma Patton Of the violin
department, and Mrs. Coffin. plan
list, will be assisted by Janet Harris.
violin, and Margaret de Roy Of
! Marion.
Violin students and those inter
ested in group playing are especially
invited to hear the following pro-
gram.
Violin Trio
"sM sr1Ybsstntd, ............... c HAYDN
"S,errctrt1o, $500 .'....'.... Sorreiii
Two violins Cello. Plano 'orreih
SONATA IN Major" ......... Tartini
Allegro EnerR1cO.
| "Andantilo Mesto"
allegro Assaf /"
my Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair"
apos,,o,r.ai,; '.'.''.'.''. HAYDN
''rhe Lass with the Delicate Air. ara Gfne
Frances johnson.
Moment Musical ............ Schubert
AT the BROOK '.......... Boisdeffre
m HE second students recital
will take place next Saturday
- afternoon In the college hall.
The following students will take
part: Martha Bryan, Mary Pauline
Smith. Georgianna Brown, Clayton
Littell, Jeanette Garrett. Freeman
Gibbs, Wilhelmina McElroy, Betty
Wysong. Carline Smith. Bobby