-. - .,.......1-----.:._.~, ·~ l April 5, 1919 ~ -:. - . - M U S 1 C A L A M E R 1 C A .......- . · ' ..·! .• lesca," written originalry- rm· nute as a marceau de concours of the Conserva­ . 'I toire in 1914, and later arranged for trio. MUSlC $ Future Belongs to the ~ He has also a number of songs to his credit. Of these, the most impOTtant and the most significant are "Pianto Antico" and "Il bove," setting of Carducci poems, ~ ' Extremists., Declares A lfredo Casella and "L'Adieu a la Vie," four settings of Tagore's "Gitanjali" poems, translated into French by Andre Gide. Italian Modernist Says War Has Conferred a Greatly Exaggerated Importance on Musical Alfredo Casella is, beyond a doubt, one Nationalism-"Beauty Knows No Country," He Asserts-A Sketch of the Life of a of the most representative young com­ posers of our epoch; his plastic construc­ Significant Musician of To-day and His Achievements as a Composer, Pianist, Con­ tion, his surety of line and the dynamic quality of his rhythms make of him one ductor and Critic of the masters of musical thought and expression. Even though ·the abstract By YVONNE A. LUMLEY form of his message to the world may not be understood and therefore not ap­ preciated by the stubborn conservatoire, ALTER DAMROSCH, in presenting The existence of the Societa Italiana inspired by cinematographic views of the his art as a pianist alone would suffice to W"Pagine di Guerra" a few weeks di Musica Moderna ("S. I. M. M.") is due war, originally written as a four-handed make him stand out as a most prominent to Casella's efforts. With the backing piano number, but later transcribed for and interesting fi gure among the great ago, with splendid understanding and of his government he· was able to organ­ orchestra. This is the work lately pro­ musicians of the day. great mastery, not only proved once more -ize splendid concerts in many European duced and received with great enthu­ his excellen~ judgment and taste, but cities, despite the war and the many re­ siasm. SAN CARLO FORCES IN DENVER made New York music-lovers realize the sultant complications. He. qas also been "La Notte di Maggio," a poem for delegated to lecture in Pari,sj and London voice and orchestra: on the lines of Car­ existence of Alfredo Casella, an artist on the modern Italian musical situation. ducci, is another significant Casella com­ Six Performances Draw Large Audiences hitherto known only to the American mu­ "Ars Nova," the monthly o;rgan , of the position. Its orchestral material is sup- During Week's Engagement sical elite, among whom MusiCAL DENVER, CoL., March 24.-The San AMERICA'S readers. must be counted, Carlo Grand Opera Company gave six since he has been correspondent for the very successful performances here last paper for two years .past. week, the repertoire comprising "A'ida," "Butterfly," "Lucia," "Secret of Su­ This significant figure in the modern zanne " "Pagliaoci " "Marta" and "Tro- musical situation was born in Turin, in . vator~." The fav~rable impression cre­ July, 1883, of a farftily of musicians. His ated here by the San Carlo company in father was an excellent 'cellist and pro­ its shorter visits during preceding sea­ sons bore fruit in a sustained pat ronage f~ssor at the Liceo Musicale of Turin; throughout the week. Hundreds who his mother was an accomplished pianist, applied for tickets were turned away pupil of Carlo Rossaro; and his ancestors from the "Butterfly" performance, had nearly all been 'cellists. which was given as a number in t he At the age of four Casella started to Slack Subscription Series. Among the principals of the company, conspicuous study the piano under the guidance of his individual successes were won by Eliza­ mother, but this musical preoccupation beth Amsden, who sang the ro1e of Ai:da did not keep him from following his other splendidly and later proved her versa­ in~linations; for instance, he was always tility by a light and vivacious portrayal of Suzanne; by Queena Mario, whose ~assionately fond of electricity and chem­ true, colorful voice was heard with equal istry, and worked with so much persever­ delight in the parts both of Lucia and ance at these studies that Galileo Fer­ Marta; by Salazar, who redeemed his raris, a friend . of his father's, insisted uneven singing as Rhadames by a thrill­ ing .performance a:. Canio in "Pagliacci"; that he devote himself seriously to sci­ by. Doria Fernanda, whose rich contralto ence. lent interest to the presentation of "But­ In 1895, on the advice of Giuseppe Mar­ teffly," in wbich she was the Suzuki, and tucci, Casella gave up all else to dedi­ ·~o later scored brilliantly as Azucena, cate himseif entirely to music, and took 1ana by Haru Onuki, who rarely sang in time, but nevertheless won the enthusias­ up the study of ha·rmony with Cranero. tic plaudits of the audience by her im­ In 1896, Louis Diemer, the noted profes­ personation of CioJCio-San. Antola's sor of the Conservatoire National of Tanio in "Pagliacci" was also a perform­ Paris, having heard Casella play in vari­ ance of outstanding excellence. To such isolated communities as our own, where ous concerts and much impressed with Alfredo Casella, Distinguished Italian Composer, Pianist, Conductor and Critic metropolitan opera productions are not his extraordinary talent, invited him to available, the annual visit of the San become a pupil at his sch?ol. The:;e S. I. M. M.- a most advanced publication ple and vaporous, yet has a distinct out­ Carlo company is a veritable blessing. Casella took first prize in plano and m on art in general and music in particular line, although the declamatory phrase is J . C. W. harmony at the age of fifteen, an~ :e- -is widely read all over Europe. closely molded by a flexible and sinuous mained another year to study compos1hon "F t B 1 to E t · t , melodic line of canto. New York will with Gabriel Faure. u ure e ongs x rem1s s very shortly have a chance to appreciate· APPLAUDS OPERA IN SCHOOL At last, freeing himself of the infiu- A few of his ideas here given will go the musical value of "La Notte" when it ence of any one school, he entered on an to prove the sincerity and the broad­ is performed by the New Symphony Or­ "Trovatore" Draws Biggest Audience in independent career with astoundin~ _en- !Tiindedness of this "independent" artist. chestra. Balakireff's Oriental fantasy, Hunter College Series er"Y· Within a few years he had v1s1ted "We already know that in art, as in "Islamey," has been brilliantly orches­ ne~rly all the European countries, ap- politics, the future ,belongs to the ex­ trated by Casella, who has also set sev­ " Trovatore" brought out the fullest pearing in something like 200 concerts, treme parties." eral Schubert marches for orchestra. attendance that has yet appeared at and in the course of this work met prac- Casella has often been accused by his For the piano Casella has written a the Hunter College evening session oper a tieally all the musical celebrities of enemies at home of not being altogether "Pavana," "Variations on a Ciaccona," a course. The pleasure of taking a cul­ Europe. He conducted many of the lead- Italian in his works. In his opinion, "the Toccata, a "Berceuse Triste," "Barca­ tural course in opera has appealed ing orchestras - Colonne, Lamoureux, war has conferred a greatly exaggerated rolle," a Sarabande, " Nove Pezzi" (nine with great force to a large num­ Monteux, Amsterdam Philharmonic importance on the problem of musical short pieces, remarkable for their variety ber who registered for thE1 course among them. He visited Yasnaya Poly- nationalism." He further says: "The of rhythm), a Sonatina· and "Notte as they would for French, Ger­ ana, the home of Tolstoy, with the So- only raison d'etre of a work of art is to Alta," the last-named an inspired tone­ man, mathematics, science or any ciete des Instruments Anciens, and be new-that is, different from those poem which Leo Ornstein will soon in­ other study. Not a night has been played the harpsichord to the great de- that have preceded it-and beautiful; terpret for the American public. missed in either term by hundreds who light of the Russian philosopher. that is, realizing a perfect harmony of The humorous and often satirical side come with their scores and follow, pen­ These activities as pianist and con- sensations, of· images, or of forms. of Casella's character is shown in his cil in hand, the readings of the artists ductor did not divert him from his main "For there is no art without novelty. "Pupazetti," five easy pieces for four who take part. The "Trovatore" eve­ interest in composition, from writing And tradition means perpetual evolution hands, supposed to accompany an action ning, March 20, offered Lila Robeson in most interesting critical articles for of beauty through the personal sensibility of puppets, and comprising a Marcietta, the role of A zucena. Long before the Clemenceau's paper, "L'Homme· Libre," of the different artists and not a sterile Berceuse, Serenata, Notturno, Polka and hour for opening the auditorium was and for many other reviews in various imitation of the past. If a work of art "A la maniere de," ,very clever imitations completely filled with an audience that countries. At the same time he was appears g enuinely new and beautiful. it of various composers. These pieces ap~ represented every borough of the city teaching a class of advanced pupils of is secondary that it should be more or less peared in two groups, of which the second and many out-of-town places.