January M, 191S Mt:tS1CAL AME:RtcA 5 ' ALTSCHULER GIVES DRAMATIC DETAILS AS ESSENTIAL fCOQ .DtORt EXCERPTS AS SINGING IN· OPERA, SAYS MURATORE First Hearing of Rimsky Work Distinguished Tenor of Cam­ Brings Disappointment­ panini Forces Says That Even Other Premieres a Stage Duel Should Be His­ Russian Symphony Society, Modest Alt­ schuler, Conductor. Concert, Carnegie torically Accurate - Began Hall, Evening, Jan. 19. Soloist, Sophie His Career as an Actor in Braslau, Contralto. The Program: Jurassovsky, Symphonic Poem, "The Paris Phantoms"; Spendiaroff Legend, "The Sermon of Beda," Miss Braslau and ACONVERSATION with Lucien Mura­ Orchestra; Scriabine, "Poeme Extase"; tore, the eminent French tenor, who Rachmaninoff, . Vocalise; Stravinsky, occupies the same position in the Chicago Suite, "The Shepherdess and the Faun," Opera Company that Caruso does in the Miss Braslau and Orchestra; Rimsky­ .Korsakoff, Four Musical Tableaux from Metropolitan, is a very different affair "The 'Golden Cockerel." · from the usual interview. "Tell me something that ·will interest Reflecting on the splendor of the or­ all the people who are waiting to hear chestration of "Scheherazade," the writer you sing/' said a representative of of these lines bas on several occasions MUSICAL AMERICA. told himself that had Rimsky-Korsakoff <(What shall I talk about?" asked the been able to create themes one-sixth as tenor, "interviewers are all so different. good as his genius for orchest rating This morning a woman from some paper them he would have been a great com­ or other asked me my views on love and poser. In view of this reflection it was marriage and about the war. Could any­ something of a shock to listen to the thing be more ridiculous? Why should above program last week and arrive at th.e opinion of an opera singer on those the conclusion that this composer's in­ subjects be of more.interest than. that of vention was the strongest of anything in anyone else? But that seems to be the the list. Of Mr. Altschuler's offerings­ way with the public. A statesman, for all first time in New York with the ex­ instance, will praise a book and then ception of Mr. Scriabine's "Ecstasy"­ everybody will read it, frrespective of its Rimsky-Korsakoff's musical ideas, as ex­ merits, although the opinion of any young pressed in the suite of excerpts from student of literature would probably be his "Coq d'Or," were the most salient. of more value. All of which is intended to convey the "But of singing and the stage? Well, I do know something about that. You idea once more that these Russian "first see, I was fortunate in having a family times" are sorry specimens of contem­ who were in sympathy with my ambitions porary musical .creativity. And when it and I was given every advantage. I is understood that the four tableaux studied everything I could at the Paris Conservatoire, singing, piano, solfege, from Rimsky's "Golden Cockerel" are acting. Do you know, I even played the music much inferior to the gorgeous bassoon. And I did it rather well, too!" "Scheherazade" it is possible to gauge he added with a laugh. the worthlessness of other items that "I first went on the stage as an actor, were introduced to us last Sat urday. in Rejane's company. I was jeune pre­ One also feels that if the rest of "Coq mier comedien, which was splendid ex­ © MfY[fett, Ohicago d'Or is not better than the excerpts perience. Of course I had had experi­ Lucien Muratore, the Distinguished French Tenor of the Chicago Opera Company, heard at this concert the Metropolitan ence in acting at the Conservatoire. In will add a delightful failure to its list fact, I took the first prize in my class in Who Will be Heard in Leading .Roles at th~ Lexington Theater in producing it this winter. acting. The training was most complete Mr. Altschuler conducted these vari­ in every way down to the smallest detail, fame in opera, to learn to sing correctly "No," replied the singer, "I shall do in and then to put it in t]le background. In New York only the parts with which I ous scores with devotion, as though he such as the wearing of a sword or toss­ believed in them. And his orchestra, in ing a cloak over the shoulder. But once so many operas, there is comparatively have been identified in Chicago and in little real singing to be done. Take "Car­ Paris. I love 'Paillasse,' but Caruso has excellent trim, has not played better actually on the stage, one must study and in a long time. But even this could do study in order to grow. I try never to let men" for instance. Outside of the duet made the part his very own here, so why with Michaela and the flower song, Jose challenge comparison? I am anxious to little to interest the audience in the any detail of the drama be neglected. banalities of Jurassovsky's " Phantoms,'' Take, for instance, the question of stage has practically no singing, the rest of bear him in 'Lodoletta' because I created the part is entirely dram·atic. Eh bien, in 1906 at the Opera Comique, the tenor which, strangely enough, begins most duels which in nine cases out of ten are interestingly, as though it were going to I study it over even now, witho1:1t singing role in an opera writt~n on the same merely modern fencing. Now, as a mat­ be a serious impressionistic poem, but ter of fact, the duel changed with every at all. I speak the words as though it story. It was called 'Muguette' and was were a play and when I have got the by Edmond Missat, a lovely opera not un­ soon lapses into the succulently melodic, era just as did the costume. In "Faust" where the composer is engulfed in com­ the sword should be long and heavy and proper dramatic intonation, · I sing the like 'Mignon'--" phrase in the same way. The reason so At this point Mme. Cavalieri inter­ monplaceness. Scriabine's poj:!m bas the fighting more or less slashing about. fine moments, but its meaningless yearn­ But in the period of "Romeo and Juliet" many singers have poor diction is be­ rupted. cause their production is poor. If your "Mon Cher, Monsieur Chose est ings, its unrequited soul languishes in men fought with a rapier in the right pools of harmonies that irritate and hand and a dagger in the left, did you production is good, you never .have to venu,-.--" sacrifice a vowel for.a tone." · "Ah! Then I must ask you to excuse me. rhythms that become tiresome. It was know that?" You see, these first few days are such splendidly played. The Rachmaninoff The interviewer admitted that he did The interviewer·saw a striking picture piece, finely orchestrated by Conductor rrot. His only knowledge of stage duels of Muratore as Canio lying on the desk. busy ones. But I hope your readers will be interested in our talk." Altschuler, is inconsequential. A pro­ was that they were usually very uncon- "Are you going to do 'Pagliacci' here'!!' gram note informed the uninitiated that . vincing. • he asked. JOHN ALAN HAUGHTON. the composer could find no poem for this "What would you?" asked the tenor. melody and so wrote it without words. "Details of that sort are as important as able as it was interesting. The Bruni Thinking of Schumann's melody for voice production. You may not notice ENGROSSING CONCERT Symphony was rendered by .this select Heine's "Du bist wie eine Blume" after them if right, but if they are wrong they quatour des violes and the clavecin hearing Rachmaninoff's melody, the in­ throw the performance out of key and (played by that young but masterful ex­ formation provokes a few thousand spoil the atmosphere." . OF ANTIQUE MUSIC ponent of the ancient precursor of the smil~! · The interviewer mentioned a perform­ pianoforte, Mme. Regine Patorni) with The Spendiaroff_ legend was dull and ance of "The Pearl Fishers" he had seen exquisite finish and unparalleled subtlety conventional; Miss Braslau worked to in France, where a Cingalese singing girl Mr. Casadesus and Associates of tone. To all appearances t he after­ give it meaning and was applauded wore a white satin evening gown and noon's palm was carried off by Monsieur heartily for her effort. One hoped for high heeled slipJi!ers. · Assisted by Bonnet Create Bonnet, whose superb playing of the better things in Stravinsky's suite for Also a Painter Sensation Aeolian organ evoked storms of applause, voice and orchestra. And again· one was the audience insistently demanding en­ disappointed. The contralto sang it ad­ "Precisely," said Muratore. "I've seen Concert in JEolian Hall, Friday After­ core after encore. And, in truth, one mirably-it is none too well written for mediaeval operas· sting in Franc;ois Pre­ could but admire the French organist's the voice-and characterized the three· mier settings and East Indian characters noon, by Mlle. Gabrielle Gills, Soprano; supreme command of the registers and movements, as much as it is possible to wearing American Indian moccasins. Joseph . Bonnet, Organist, and the So­ his striking ability in pedaling. · Loren­ when music lacks physiognomy. $he was They didn't know the difference between ciete des Instruments Anciens. The ziti's Suite en quatre Parties gave Henri recalled a half dozen times at the close. Indoue and Indienne. When Mme. Cava­ . Casadesus- the eminent virtuoso on the The applause was all for her, not for lieri and I were to sing 'Manon' in Paris, Program: viole d'amour and the founder of this Stravinsky.