Flonzaleys Fight

The Flonzaley Quartet, perhaps the most familiar and dependable chamber music organization since the Kneisels went out of business in 1917, is threatened with the loss of its good (and profitable) name. Louis Bailly, French viola player, who was recently dropped from the quartet on account of "artistic incompatibility," has applied for an injunction in the New York State Supreme Court to restrain his former comrades from continuing to play under the old name, if they engage another violist. Answering affidavits were filed, as follows:

Messrs. Botti, Pochon and Archambeau, the remaining players, and Loudon Charlton, the manager, state that Bailly, "a mere employe," has no right to ask for the dissolution of the organization or for the sale of that part of the library accumulated since he was a member.

Mme. Pauline de Coppet, widow of the founder and patron, and Andre de Coppet, her son, state that from 1903 until his death in 1916, the elder de Coppet was in complete and autocratic control of the quartet. He named it after his Swiss villa, for which reason the name now 'belongs to his son and heir.

A large section of the music world has been drawn into the case by the defenders, who have filed additional affidavits signed by Mme. Marcella Sembrich, prima donna; Franz Kneisel, chamber musician; Ernest Schelling, pianist; Victor Herbert, light operettist; Fritz Kreisler, violinist; Josef Willem Mengelberg, conductor; Richard Aldrich, critic, and Rubin Goldmark, composer. These will give Justice Giegerich, who is to decide the matter, a unique opportunity for an insight into the strange currents and crosscurrents which thread their devious courses through the melodic affairs of this country. It is a complete cross-section, an elaborate polyphonic orchestral score.

Kibalchicks

The Russian Symphonic Choir of 30 assorted voices, under the direction of Boris Kibalchick, hummed and groaned in Slavic depths at the Manhattan Town Hall. Critics were unanimous in the opinion that the impression created by this body of Muscovites in their first appearance a few weeks ago was deepened on this last occasion. This was perhaps largely due to their profound reading of Deep River, that monumental Afro-American folk-tune which is to the Negro what the Volga Boat Song is to the Moujik. They added numbers by Gretchaninov, Archangelsky, Glinka, Lvovsky, as well as a unique collection of Russian village and peasant tunes. The basses, as is usual in Eastern choirs, raised incredibly subterranean notes from cavernous chests and throats.

Manhattan Concerts

Although New York has had over 170 orchestral concerts this season, few shouts of "Enough !" have been heard.

Three symphonic farewells, however, have just taken place, and interesting valedictories they were.

P: The Philadelphia Orchestra took its final curtain under a cloud of financial dissention (TIME, April 21). Conductor Stokowski featured a novelty by Igor Stravinsky, Russian musical Bad Man. Renard the Fox is performed by a small orchestra, two tenors and two basses, who sing the parts of the Fox, the Cock, the Cat, the Goat. On this occasion, Messrs. Delaquerriere, Hansen, Barclay and Linscott growled and squeaked with proper amusement and gusto through the story in discordant tones.

The Story. Renard, lusting for chicken fricasee, disguises herself as a nun and attempts to make off with the Cock, but is foiled by the alertness of the Cat and the Goat, who frighten her away. Renard tries again, disguised as a tramp, and, with the lure of sweetmeats, almost gets her way with the Cock. She begins to pluck the screaming fowl when the Cat and the Goat again come to the rescue and dispatch the marauder, ending the piece with a dance of triumph.

Unfortunately, much of the effect of this grotesquerie was lost in the vast open spaces of Carnegie Hall. It had proved far more exciting when it was first given in the small Vanderbilt Theatre last December by the International Composers' Guild. Stokowski's men had greater success with their conductor's stirring arrangement of the sweeping Bach Passacaglia. The Philadelphians ended on that note of grandiose exaltation.

P: Meanwhile the Philharmonic Orchestra got through one of its two positively final farewell encore appearances under Mr. Mengelberg. The parting diet consisted of another performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (TIME, March 17), with a plangent, daringly lugubrious Bach cantata, Selig ist der Mann, as dessert.

P: The Little Symphony was not to be outdone by its big brothers. Under the leadership of genial, bearded. George Barrere, it also said good-bye until Autumn. Its recessional, trundled out by the witty remarks of George, featured George's own Symphonic Digest, a "condensation of the great city's symphony life, written for the convenience of those who find it inconvenient to attend the orchestra concerts of a week in the music season." How many such must there be! The work comprised 14 quotations from Beethoven, seven from Tschaikowski, three each from Dvorak and Brahms, two each from Schubert and Liszt, and one each from Johann Strauss, Mozart, Franck, Mahler, Bizet, Verdi, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Mascagni. The mixing of musical drinks could not go much farther. And the audience said: "Delightful !"

Manhattan Opera

Mr. Gatti-Casazza, ring master of the Metropolitan Opera, claims to be the representative of the New York-opera-goers; whatever operas that public wishes to see or hear, he sets upon the stage. The season opened on November 5, 1923, with Thais, Massenet's opera and Madame Maria Jeritza's title role; and concluded on April 19, 1924, with the sole performance this season of Il Trovatore (Verdi).

The result of New York's operatic desires:

9 Performances: Le Coq d'Or (new).

8 Performances: La Boheme (7)* Carmen (6).

7 Performances: Cavalleria Rusticana (5), Madame Butterfly (6), Tosca (7).

6 Performances: La Traviata (none), Aida (8), Fedora (new), Marta (new), Romeo et Juliette (10), Thais (7), Die Walkure (5), Die Meistersinger (new).

5 Performances: Rigoletto (3), L'-Oracolo (1), Samson et Delilah (5), Faust (4), Lohengrin (3), Tannhaueser (5), Le Roi de Lahore (new).

4 Performances: Pagliacci (6), Guglielmo Tell (5), Andrea Chenier (5), L'Africana (4), Anima Allegro (5), Boris Goudonoff (5).

3 Performances: Ernani (4), L'Amico Fritz (new), I Compagnacci (new), Mefistofele (5), La Habanera (new), Parsifal (4), Der Rosenkavalier (4), Freischuetz (new).

2 Performances: Lucia di Lammermoor (2), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (3), L'Amore dei tre Re (1), Cosi Fan Tutte (3), Tristan und Isolde (5), Siegfried (new).

1 Performance: Il Trovatore (none), Mona Lisa (5).

Of the ten operas added to the Met-ropolltan's repertoire, seven are revivals and three are novelties to New York audiences.

P: Mr. Gatti, active astronomer, sighted the following stars 'and enlisted them in his company:

Sopranos Nannette Guilford, Louise Hunter (who was the Voice of the Cockerel in Le Coq d'Or, a bit of Rimsky-Korsakov's "delicious tomfoolery"), Marcella Roeseler.

Contraltos Merle Alcock, of concert fame, who was given no chance to distinguish herself as her parts were negligible ones; and the Swedish Karin Branzell of sweet voice but of Celtic temperament.

Tenors Miguel Fleta, handsome Spaniard who has come off with colors flying; Randolph Laubathal, whose one success was the part of Walther in Die Meistersinger.

Baritones Arnold Gabor and Laurence Tibbett, both excellent, and the great Wagnerian, Friederich Schoor who is no debutante in opera, but rather the most important acquisition of the Metropolitan.

Basso James Wolff.

P: Of regulars and favorites:

Maria Jeritza's brilliant new role was in Giordano's Fedora. Florence Easton did wonders with the parts of Pilar in La Habanera, Eva in Meistersinger, Briinhilde in Siegfried.

Lucrezia Bori gave the roles of Juliette, Suzel in L'Amico Fritz, Gilda and Violitta new leases on operatic life.

Jeanne Gordon was perfection in contralto parts.

Gigli, Diaz, Lauri-Volpi, Martinelli and Tokatyan, were all in glorious tenor form, defying any other com-pany to produce such a constellation as they; (nevertheless, Edward Johnson, who is recovering from an operation, was greatly missed.)

Antonio Scotti celebrated his quarter of a century in the Metropolitan com-pany (TIME, Jan. 14) and created a new part for himself in Fedora.

Clarence Whitehill and Michael Boh-nen were both extraordinary in the part of Hans Sachs.

P: Scenic Managers Wilhelm Von Wymetal and Samuel Theuman made the stage more resplendent than ever before.

* The figures in parentheses indicate the number of times the opera was played in the Metropolitan last year.