D'Alvarez vs. Hammerstein

Mme. Marguerite D'Alvarez, who has begun an American concert tour with a brilliant New York recital, tells a colorful story of her first encounter with Oscar Hammerstein, with whose dazzling operatic successes she was so prominently identified.

"I was a girl just beginning a singing career," she says. "In Paris I heard that Mr. Hammerstein was in the city engaging artists for his New York opera house. I went to his hotel to see him and try to gain an audition. He was sitting in the lobby, and I was directed to him.

"'What do you want?' He neither arose from his sprawling position, nor removed from his mouth the long black cigar that he always chewed upon.

" 'I should like an audition,' I replied. 'I am a contralto.'

"'I don't need a contralto!' He looked away, signifying that the audience was closed.

"I was nearly bursting with astonishment and anger. I had been reared in a stately Spanish household, where was preserved sacredly the old punctilious tradition of Spain. I had never been treated rudely by a man, and this was rudeness beyond anything that I had ever imagined could exist. My temper got the best of me.

" 'Mr. Hammerstein,' I glared at him, 'I am sorry I came to you. It is not pleasant to come near so ill-mannered a person.'

"He stared at me incredulously. He was the great impresario, and I a little singer looking for a post. I turned and walked away. As I was passing out of the door, he came running up behind me.

" 'Well, if you want, you can have an audition,' he growled.

"'No, thank you! I could not possibly sing for so ill-bred a man!'

"He sputtered angrily, but I went on.

"Several days later my agent told me that Mr. Hammerstein wanted me to come to an audition. I refused, but the agent insisted. I went, all upset, so upset that I sang very badly at the audition. I did not care. I was so angry that I was glad, as I thought, to have failed to secure an engagement with Hammerstein. But when I was through, he praised me absurdly, and gave me a contract. In a few weeks I was sailing for New York. I was not so unhappy. More acquaintance with the man had taught me that, while he was uncouth, the power of genius was in him."

"Curtis Institute"

Philadelphia will soon possess a great music school, an institution which will take rank with the greatest of the German schools of past years, the present Conservatoire of France, maintained by the French Government or any institution of musical learning in this country. The new school will be known as the Curtis Institute of Music.

This announcement was made in the Philadelphia and New York newspapers owned by Cyrus H. K. Curtis.

The Curtis Institute will absorb the Conservatory Department of the Settlement Music School, in order "to give students who study music in any form in Philadelphia advantages which will not be exceeded by any similar institution anywhere in the world." Tuition will not be entirely free.

John Grolle will be director; Carl Flesch, head of the violin department; Louis Svecenski, of the Kneisel Quartet, ensemble teacher. A permanent building will be erected in the heart of Mr. Curtis' city.

"Fiddles, Big and Little"

At Aeolian Hall, Manhattan, Ernest Schelling, who directs the Philharmonic Society and the American Orchestra Society, conducted a concert particularly attuned to youthful ears.

Before the orchestra started playing, Mr. Schelling explained to his eager audience of boys and girls all about "the fiddles, big and little," that is, the stringed instruments, including the harp, which has the most strings of all. Pictures of the pieces that make a violin were thrown on the screen, and they showed how the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms contributed to its making, but the beauty of its tone came from a fourth kingdom--"the Kingdom of Heaven."

Then the orchestra began to tune up, just as if it were talking over the pieces it was to play, as children sometimes talk all together, at recess. Two taps, and Mr. Schelling began to wave his magic baton. First they played Chopin's A Major Polonaise, and you could imagine people dancing to it. Then they played Bach's beautiful Air for G String, and Scipione Guidi, concert master, showed what rich tones could come from a violin.

Cornelius van Vliet played Saint Saens's The Swan on that big fiddle, the 'cello, and U. Buldrini played his composition, The Grandmother's Dream, on that bigger fiddle, the double bass.

Finally the children all sang some verses of Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, and the concert ended with Rossini's overture to William Tell, who as everybody knows was the man who shot an apple off his son's head.

Taucher-Easton

Siegfried was revived at the Metropolitan (Manhattan) and marked a further advance in the restoration of Wagner to American repertories. It was magnificently given and received. Curt Taucher sang Siegfried and Florence Easton, Bruennhilde.

Symphonic Deficits

P:In New York, Clarence H. Mackay and Harry Harkness Flagler.

P: In Chicago, Charles H. Hamill.

P: In Philadelphia, Alexander Van Rensselaer and William J. Turner.

P: In Detroit, William H. Murphy.

P: In Cincinnati, Louis T. More.

P: In Minneapolis, Elbert L. Carpenter.

P: In Rochester, George Todd.

P: In Syracuse, Melville A. Clark.

These men are the executives, and among the chief guarantors of the symphony orchestras in their cities. Together with Frederic A. Juilliard, Otto H. Kahn and Marshall Field, of the Philharmonic Society of New York, and Kenneth O'Brien, of New York, they met at Mr. Mackay's Manhattan home to discuss deficits and other problems.

In Boston the chief guarantor is Judge Frederick P. Cabot. He did not attend the meeting because he refused to discuss the question of the musicians' unions, he having established an open shop.

The deficits of 13 orchestras--due chiefly to increased salaries--amounted last year to about $1,250,000. A casual observer outside Carnegie Hall, Manhattan, recently reported that Philharmonic players came to rehearsals in their own cars which included: Studebaker, Maxwell, Oakland, Chevrolet, Nash, Reo, Dort, Hudson, Essex, Packard. Plans to cut these deficits by cooeperative "big business" methods will soon be stated by Mr. Mackay and guests.

Follows a resume of the general situation:

BOSTON SYMPHONY--500 subscribers to this year's deficit of $95,000 were named.

PHILHARMONIC--Originally organized in 1842 as a cooeperative society of players, reorganized in the present century, absorbed National Symphony three years ago, absorbed City Symphony last year, also joined educational program with Mrs. E. H. Harriman's American Orchestral Society.

NEW YORK SYMPHONY -- Harry Harkness Flagler, sole guarantor last ten years of $100,000 annual deficit. He wiped out the $250,000 deficit the year the New York Symphony Orchestra went abroad.

PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA -- Raised endowment fund two years ago when streets of its home city were placarded with, "Save the Orchestra," and when Edward Bok gave largest sum, reported to be $100,000, to the orchestra association, of which he is now President.

SYRACUSE--Newest orchestra, formed by musicians, led by Professor William Berwald of Syracuse University; gives five noon-hour concerts, Keith's Theatre, largest in Syracuse, and house is always sold out.

ROCHESTER--George Eastman, kodak manufacturer, founder and sole guar- antor.

CLEVELAND--Popular subscription.

CINCINNATI--Mrs. C. P. Taft, chief guarantor. DETROIT -- Subscription by wealthy citizens.

CHICAGO -- Founded by Theodore Thomas 33 years ago, and has general support.

MINNEAPOLIS--Its deficits are met almost entirely by one guarantor.

ST. LOUIS--Raised $300,000 last year.

LOS ANGELES--W. A. Clark, Jr., gave $543,000 in three years and still guarantees deficit.

SAN FRANCISCO--Launched a drive last year for funds with which to make possible the continuance of the orchestra.

A survey of the U. S. has shown that there are approximately 100 cities of the same size as Syracuse which under proper leadership and with the financial aid of citizens could organize symphony orchestras among the musicians of moving picture and legitimate theatre and other organizations where musicians are employed.