Gretchen Haller: contralto

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GRETCHEN HALLER 
Contralto



Management 
THE MUSIC LEAGUE
 Harry Culbertson, Director 4832 Dorchester Ave. CHICAGO, ILL.



Res. 1046 Lake Shore Drv. 




GRETCHEN HALLER 
Contralto



GRETCHEN HALLER is a native of Central New York.  Her early musical education was received at the Utica Conservatory of Music where she completed her course in 1992.  It was during these years that she decided to study music as a profession and later took up a course at the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, studying under Bert R. Lyon.  She completed her studies in 1924 and that same year won a gold medal at the Ithaca Conservatory of Music.




That summer Miss Haller spent in Boston, waiting to study under Mrs. Travis.  While there she found she could enter the Juilliard Foundation Competition Scholarship in New York, which she won.  She studied under Madame Marcelle Sembrich for several months and later studied under John Quine of Brooklyn.  Miss Haller is a graduate of the Chicago College of Music, Herbert Witherspoon, president of the college interested himself personally in her work.




She has appeared as soloist with the Boston Symphony Ensemble at Lake Placid Club; Orchestra Hall with the Chicago Symphony under Verbrugghen's direction; Beethoven Society of New York; Thursday Morning Musical Society of Elmira, N. Y., etc.




Recently she made her debut in an exacting recital program at the Chicago playhouse.  Her success was instantaneous, the press of the city according her finest praise and predicting a brilliant future for her.






Press Comments



Chicago Evening American


—Gretchen Haller makes auspicious debut here.



Miss Gretchen Haller may safely call her Chicago debut a success, for the Playhouse was crowded with her admirers yesterday afternoon and no significant detail of approval was absent—applause, flowers and recalls.  I am glad to say that Miss Haller merits goodly measure of this friendly adulation, for she has an expressive, well-trained mezzo-contralto.  The program was also proof of acumen, both teacher and disciple wisely guided in the selection of material.  In the diction of both the Italian and the German songs Miss Haller has been well taught, for the enunciation is clear and intelligible.




—Herman Devries.




Chicago Daily News


—Miss Haller wins praise of Critic.



Choice in the selection of her songs, Gretchen Haller, contralto, gave a song recital aand [sicand]incidentally made her Chicago debut yesterday afternoon at the Playhouse.  She had a capacity audience to greet her and her reception was hearty and cordial.  She made an excellent impression upon her audience with a list of airs from songs that showed discrimination and musical taste as well.  Miss Haller has a rich contralto voice, sympathetic in quality, and most intelligently handled.  She began her concert with the airs 'Verdi Prati' and 'Cangio D'Aspetto' by Handel, in which she produced a warm tone and good style.  She gave a refined and poetic interpretation of Wagner's 'Traueme' and a dramatic version of his 'Schmerzen.' Then followed songs by Schubert, Reger and Strauss, the last being represented by the well-known song 'Zueignung,' which she sang with tone power and emotional warmth.  There also were songs by Wolf-Ferrari, Respighi, Massenet, Poldowski and Fourdrain in one group and five American songs closed the recital.




—Maurice Rosenfeld.




Chicago Daily Journal


—
Gretchen Haller, has the old-style contralto voice thick, sympathetic, and at times luscious.  She also has a good measure of sympathetic feeling.  These two should carry her far.


—Farnsworth Wright.




Chicago Evening Post


—Gretchen Haller is Interesting Young Singer.



Miss Gretchen Haller proved herself an interesting young singer in her recital yesterday afternoon at the Playhouse.  Her voice is rather mezzo-contralto in timbre, full and rich in the middle register.  Handel's 'Verdi Prati' she sang excellently.  She had the spirit of the music and expressed it thru broadly sustained phrases.  The 'Cangio d'aspetto' was also in the spirit of the music and graceful in rhythm.  Miss Haller has imagination, interpretative force and a voice of quality.




—Karleton Hackett.




Chicago Tribune


—Miss Haller Sings Well in Her Debut.



It is not difficult to believe that something more will be heard of Miss Haller than this debut recital, because she has both voice and brains.




—Edward Moore.



Press Comments

Music News


—
Miss Haller's voice is contralto of very pure and chaste quality and her scale is beautifully even and absolutely under control as to phrase and shade, while her color contrasts and her tonal variety are remarkable.  Her French group was suave and delightful, nothing finer than 'L'Heure Exquise' (Poldowski) is to be imagined 
—
 the Italian classics were excellent also, and the German lied, full of authority, tonal resonance and finished style.



Musical Leader


—
Gretchen Haller, contralto, is the possesor [sicpossessor]of a full and richly nuanced voice.  The program which she presented was not startlingly novel but it had the undeniable advantage of having been well chosen.  All of the songs, Italian, German, French and English, had been carefully grouped so as to provide well defined contrasts, and her interpretative skill made each number the expression of an exact mood.



Musical Courier


—
In an extensive program, Miss Haller disclosed many qualifications to recommend her, chiefly a luscious contralto voice and intelligence.  She sang Italian, German, French and English songs in a highly commendable manner, reflecting the admirable training of Herbert Witherspoon.



Ithaca Journal


—
Possessing a remarkable contralto voice and fine dramatic ability, the young singer has also a sincerity and charm which makes her performance a delight.



Elmira Advertiser


—Soloist Scores Big Success.



Gretchen Haller, contralto, scored a big success appearing in a concert in the auditorium.  She is one of the finest soloists in America and her concert was among the rarest musical treats of the season.




Miss Haller's voice is of a very pure quality and her scale is beautiful, while her color contrasts and her tonal variety are remarkable.  Her German group was delightful and the Italian classics were excellently given.



Elmira Star-Gazette


—Miss Haller is Success in Concert.



Miss Gretchen Haller, contralto, who appeared in concert scored a marked success.  In a well balanced program, Miss Haller thrilled her audience by her understanding and fine interpretations of the widely diversified selections.  Her voice is pure and her range beautiful, with exquisite shading and color contrasts.  Sympathetic accord combined with splendid concert poise made it a joy to see and hear her.  The group of German songs was given with remarkable intelligence and authority.  The Italian classics were excellent and the French group a delight.