Huge Audience Refuses to Stir at End of Long Program Until the Celebrated Tenor Adds Mother Machree - His German Superb - Called "a great musician" - Many Americans in Audience

Berlin. May 8. The end of the season has brought an aggregation of fine singers to Berlin that is altogether unusual. At the head of this galaxy stood John McCormack, who had introduced himself to the Berlin public as soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra two weeks ago. He gave his song recital in the largest concert hall, the philharmonie, and this was very nearly sold out at prices nearly sixty per cent above anything that has ever been charged before in Berlin. The entire American colony was there, of course, and refused to budge after a more than two hours' program until the Irish tenor had added Mother Machree to his encores. For the rest, however, the Irish folksong played only a very small part of the program, the bulk of which was made up of classic arias, and songs of Schubert and Wolf.

The way in which John McCormack sings these songs is astonishing. Aside from the beauty of tone and the musical taste that are familiar virtues in everything he does, he exhibited a degree of excellence in his German diction and an almost exhaustive understanding of their poetic and emotional import, which for a non German was thought impossible. His masterful vocalism and the intense and absolutely inborn musicality which is a constant source of wonder to those who have only heard about the "popular" McCormack, was most telling in two Handel arias and Lotti's familiar Pur dicesti, and most of all in a delightful aria in stilo antico by Donaudy, which he gave as an encore--prhaps the gem of the whole evening. But then--how beautifully he sang Du bist die Rue, Der Juengling an der Quelle and Hugo Wolf's Schlafender Jesuskind, not to mention the intensely emotional Una Baun and the lilting My Lagen Love, which like a lot of other numbers he had to repeat. Rachmaninoff (whose songsI thought rather cheap) and Bax closed the program, which comprised about every kind of song literature there is. Edwin Schneider accompanied him as usual and came in for his due share of praise.

Critical opinion as to McCormack's voice is divided here, largely because a slight indisposition prevented him from giving his maximum on the high notes, but also because the light tone colour of the Irish tenor voice is unfamiliar in Germany. There are, however, no two opinions as to his art: of all the international singers who have recently visited Berlin he is considered the finest musician, and the sincerity and depth of his utterance has found acknowledgement everywhere. As fo rmyself, I have come to the conclusion, as many others must have, that the secret of John McCormack's tremendous popularity is not in any concessions he may make to popular taste, but in the supreme art which he bestows even on the slightest ditty, and the great simplicity and sincerity of his utterance which carries conviction in everything he does.

The ovation that "Our John" got in Berlin must have reminded him of home. People stood, applauded and shouted until the lights were turned out, and then kept on till he began to sing again in the dark. The process was repeated twice or three times and then there was a stampede for the artist's door. Whereupon John was whisked off to his hotel, then to Paris and to London. Such is fame! 
[Cesar Saerchinger]  [Musical Courier]  [Review of Concert May 5, 1923]

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Programme

Konzert-Direction Hermann Wolff & Jules Sacks, Berlin W9 Linkstr,42

PHILHARMONIE

Mittwoch den 2. Mai 1923 - abends 8 Uhr

Leider-Abend

John McCormack
Am Flugel: Edwin Schneider

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I. a) Goite ai canto mio.....................................     Peri
   b)  Pur dicest ..............................................      Lotti
   c)  O sleep, why dost thou leave me? (Semele)   Handel
   d)  Enjoy the sweet Elysian Groves    (Alceste)  Handel

II. a) Du bist die Ruh...................................Schubert
     b) Der Jungling an der Quelle...................Schubert
     c) Die Liebe hat gelogen..........................Schubert
     d) Das, sie hier gewesen..........................Schubert
     c) Entzuckung an Laura.......................... Schubert

III. a) Verborgenheit...................................Hugo Wolf
      b) Im Maien.........................................Hugo Wolf
      c) Schlafendes Jesuskind................. ... Hugo Wolf
      d) Wo find' ich Trost..................... .....Hugo Wolf

                          ____________PAUSE _________
                                           Irish Volkslieder.

IV. a) Norah O'Neale......................Arr. by Herbert Hughes
      b) The Ballynure Ballad.............Arr. by Herbert Hughes
      c) My Lagan Love....................Arr. by Hamilton Harty
      d) Una Baun.............................Arr. by Karl Hardebeck

V.  a) How fair this spot ...................Rachmaninoff
      b) To the Children......................Rachmaninoff
      c) The white Peace.....................Arnold Bax
      d) A Christmas Carol..................Arnold Bax

           Konzerfluges: STEINWAY & SONS,
                            Buderpester Strasse 6

                Wahrend der Vortage bleiben die Saalturen geschlossen

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