The Baton Rouge Philharmonic Orchestra is the first organization of this nature, of symphony size, to be formed in the State of Louisiana. It gave its first program January 11th.
Mary Garden has added, as her last conquest, the appointment as General Director of the Chicago Opera Company to her list. For the first time in history a woman impresario is at the helm of one of the world's largest musical enterprises.
Gervase Elwes, the distinguished English tenor, died in Boston, January 11th, as the result of being struck by a train in the Back Bay Station.
Otakar Sevcik, world-famous violin teacher, who arrived January 15th, to make America his home, is one of the few "Child Prodigies" who have fulfilled the precocious promises of their early years.
The Oklahoma State Federation of Music Clubs recently held a three-day midwinter festival of music in Oklahoma City, with a chorus of 1,000 and an orchestra of 200 performers, gathered from all parts of the State.
Alexandre Glazounoff, the distinguished Russian composer, died recently in Petrograd. He was born there August 6, 1866.
Charpentier's "Louise," first given at the Opera Comique in Paris on February 2, 1900, after twenty-one years, had its first performance at the Metropolitan Opera House of New York on January 22d. It had its American premiere at the Manhattan Opera House of Hammerstein on January 3, 1907.
The Forty-second Annual Meeting of the National Music Teachers' Association, held in Chicago, January 6th to 8th, was declared their "most successful one." Music in the public schools was the theme most prominently before them.
The Annual Subsidy of the Paris Grand Opera House, from the national treasury, has been doubled, thus raising it to $300,000.
Don Juan, in a new guise, as a three-act play by Henri Bataille, with incidental music by Reynaldo Hahn, has created a sensation at the "Theatre de Paris." It is named "The Man with the Rose," from the incident of the gay deciever (sic) hero wearing a rose in his hat instead of the usual cockade.
A Prodigy Organist is the latest California sensation. Baby Boynton, seven years old, recently attracted wide attention by her successful manipulation of the big organ of the California Theater of San Francisco.
F. Cresson Schell has been "discovered and identified" as the "Father of the Philadelphia Orchestra." What is now recognized as one of the leading orchestras of the world had its beginning in a small group of musicians led by Mr. Schell, "the piano player."
$19,500 has been paid by Lloyds, of London, in settlement of their underwriting of the ill-fated open-air performance of Aida at San Francisco more than a year ago. The insurance was against inclement weather. The original demand of the creditors was for $20,000.
Andrew Black, at one time the leading concert and oratorio bass of England and well known in America, died recently in Australia at the age of sixty-one.
Manuscript Compositions of William Byrd, in some numbers, have recently been discovered at Wimborne Minster.
Arthur Nevin has been appointed Municipal Director of Music and Dramatic Art in Memphis, Tenn.
Ernest von Dohnanyi, world-famous Hungarian pianist, is soon to visit America again for an extended concert tour.
Miss Lucille Kellogg, a cousin of the once famous Clara Louise Kellogg, made her debut in a song recital in New York, January 16th.
The Following Prizes will be awarded at the meeting of the Ohio State Music Teachers' Association at Dayton, Ohio, April 27th, 28th, 29th: The Ella May Smith Chamber Music Prize ($100), the John C. Freund Prize ($50) for vocalists, Civic Music League of Dayton Prize ($100) for pianists, the Edgar Stillman Kelley Prize ($15) for paper on "Orchestration," the Talbott Prize ($50) for violinists. Particulars from Adelaide O'Brien, 205 North Main Street, Dayton, Ohio.
Negro Musicians now publish at least two very interesting journals, devoted entirely to their interests. The Master Musician and Music and Poetry do credit to their enterprise and advancement.
The One Hundredth Anniversary of the first performance of von Weber's Der Freischütz in Berlin willoccur this year on the 18th of June; while on next Christmas Eve will come the golden jubilee of the first hearing of Verdi's Aida in Cario, (sic) Egypt.
Charles M. Schwab has been elected president of the famous Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Pa. On receiving notification he wrote : "I am happy to accept the presidency of a typically American organization that is upholding the best standards of choral music."
Hans Pfitzner, when the singer of the rô1e of Cardinal Novagerio in a recent Berlin performance of his opera Palestrina was taken suddenly ill, stepped into the part and did it himself.
A $100,000 Municipal Organ has been ordered by the city of Cleveland, Ohio.
Serge Kussevitzky, progressive conductor and music publisher of Russia, early in January conducted a program, at the Royal Albert Hall, of London, devoted entirely to the works of Tschaikowsky.
"The Emperor's Poet" (Des Kaisers Dichter), an opera by Clemens von Frankenstein, has been produced successfully in Hamburg.
Duci de Kerekyarto, who recently made his successful American début, began his career at three, made his debut as a prize pupil of Hubay at eleven, and for the last few years has been most successful in central Europe. He was a favorite of Carmen Sylva, Queen of Roumania.
Sir Thomas Beecham has retired temporarily from his ardous (sic) labors in the cause of music in London.
Ossip Gabrilowitsch, by a new contract, is to remain two more years as the conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Karl Muck is one of the successors of Otto Hess as conductor of the opera at Munich.
Erich Korngold, now twenty-three years of age and one of the conductors of the Hamburg State Theater, as a boy composed songs, sonatas, overtures, chamber music and symphonies.
Mme. Galli-Curci, hailed by many as "Patti's only successor," and one of the greatest coloratura singers of the age, was married to Homer Samuels on January 15th. The wedding took place in the parlor of the home of the groom's parents in Minneapolis, a Congregational minister officiating. Mr. Samuels is an able pianist, whose very artistic playing has contributed greatly to the noteworthy recitals of Mme. Galli-Curci. He has also written many charming songs. The couple announce that they will build a $100,000 home in Minneapolis. Let us wish this musical pair all the happiness which came to the Henschels and the Stengels. Mme. Sembrich was really Mme. Stengel.
Mana-Zucca, founder and president of the Society of American Music Optimists, personally offers a prize of $500 for the best quintet (piano and strings) by an American composer. The contest closes November 1, 1921. Manuscripts are to be sent to the secretary, M. Gobert, 4 West 130th Street, New York. Josef Stransky, Henry Hadley, Hans Letz, Roberto Moranzoni, Bernard Linsheimer, Herman Spilter and Joan Manen will act as judges.
Grissha Monasevitch, an eighteen-year- old pupil of Frederick Hahn, of Philadelphia, has won the Sevcik prize over fifty-five contestants. The prize is valued at $1,200, and the winner is entitled to one year of study with Sevcik at Ithaca. Monasevitch has attracted much attention in Philadelphia, where he previously won the Stokowski medal.
Sousa's "El Capitan" has been "revived" by the Philadelphia Operatic Society.
Franz von Vecsey, the Hungarian violinist, has recently been compelled to give an "overflow" concert to satisfy the demand to hear him in Berlin. Von Vecsey was a famous "Wunderkind."
Giorgio Polacca, formerly one of the leading conductors of the Metropolitan Opera Company and later with the Chicago Opera Association, also recently connected with operatic affairs of Paris, arrived in America on January 30, to resume work with the Chicago company.
A Music Hall for the Bronx, to be equal to any similar institution in elegance and facilities, and to be known as the Thomas Auditorium, is to be built at once.
Jean Sibelius, the Finnish master-composer, is announced as the next addition to the faculty of the Eastman School of Music at Rochester University. Mr. Sibelius is to have the chair of composition. It would seem that Rochester must soon be recognized as one of the music centers of America.
Caruso's improvement continues so satisfactorily that it is announced that he will not cancel his engagement for the appearances of the Metropolitan Opera Company at the Atlanta Festival, late in April, till he is quite certain that he is not to be able to fill this contract.
Erika Morini, a young Ausrian (sic) violiniste, who made her New York debut on the 26th of January, "bids fair to take the place of the late Maud Powell as the leading violinist of her sex." She has created a genuine "furore" in Gotham's musical circles.
The International Music Festival League, organized in 1915, with the idea of fusing the varied nationalities of America through the medium of choral singing and musical festivals, is now planning its first International Music Festival, to be given in New York.
Beethoven dominated all the musical activities of Leipsic during the month of December, when all the larger affairs were more or less in the nature of a celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the master's birth.
An American Song Composers' Festival is to be held in Greenwood, Indiana, June 1st to 3d. Liberal prizes are offered for various classes of songs. For particulars address "Indiana Song Contest," Greenwood, Indiana.
