Percy Hemus: "The Master Interpreter"

              AMERICA'S BARITONE
 PERCY 
HEMUS



The First and Only ANNUAL New York Recital of Songs by American Composers is presented by Mr. Hemus




A venture such as last night's is much to be commended, especially when attempted by a singer of Mr. Hemus' calibre.—


New York Tribune




THE MASTER INTERPRETER
 And his Accompanist GLADYS CRAVEN will appear for the First Time in Chicago, and by popular demand Mr. Hemus will sing an entire Program of Songs by American Composers




Tickets, $1.00 and $1.50




MANAGEMENT CARL D. KINSEY




ZIEGFELD THEATRE WEDNESDAY DEC. 13th
 AT 11 O'CLOCK



figure




Few such persons in any department of life.—


Ballimore Md., Star




An Institution.—


New York Times




His voice is a delight.—


Phila. Evening Telegram




A voice that not only sings but it talks.—


K. C. Post




Admirable art.—


New York Tribune, (H.E.K.)




Inimitable.—


Yonkers N. Y. News




The master song interpreter.—


Cleveland Ohio Press




Covers the gamut of vocal expression.—


K. C. Journal




Made us glad to be Americans.—


Easton Pa. Express




He justifies the term 'recital' as few singers do.—


K. C. Mo. Star




A wonderful voice—


Buffalo Enquirer





AMERICA'S BARITONE
 
THE MASTER INTERPRETER



T
HE audiences that greet Percy Hemus at his annual recital of songs by American composers are unique, inasmuch as the connoisseur and newer student of music sit side by side to drink from a new fountain of musical inspiration.




Monday evening, November 20th, at Carnegie Hall, musical New York turned out in numbers to greet Mr. Hemus in his 
fourth
 annual recital of songs by American composers.  The name Percy Hemus has been symbolic of artistic singing for some years, but four years ago New York awoke to find this American baritone 
blazing a trail.
  He established the first annual recital of songs by native composers, and so great has been his success that scoffers of two or three years ago are now among his most ardent admirers.




Mr. Hemus has not only won a place dear to the heart of his public, but he stands sponsor for a number of American composers whose songs he presents in a dignified manner.  It requires a rare gift to be able to sort the chaff from the wheat, as it were, for Mr. Hemus has nothing with which to compare his programs, he must rely upon his own judgment in choosing songs, for in most cases they have never been sung and he is the 
interpretative creator
 of them.  That he is qualified to assume this grave responsibility is evident in the reception his recitals receive.  Mr. Hemus is singing to an English-speaking public.  Personally he adores the classics in their original form, but he contends that his particular work is to sing to his public in English so that they may grasp the hidden beauties that can only be appreciated in a language which they understand.  His marvelous gifts as an interpreter with a phenomenal voice—
a voice powerful and thrilling, but capable of the most delicate shading
—enables him to bring to the thought of his hearers a consciousness of the inner meaning.  With this in mind, Mr. Hemus sings the old masters and modern songs in English.






UNUSUAL PRESS NOTICES OF AN UNUSUAL ARTIST.



By WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE




The best voice that has ever sung in Emporia, the most artistic recital ever given by one man in the State.  Percy Hemus is an artist to his finger-tips.  His voice, marvelously strong and clear and brilliant, has in it all the sympathetic quality which has made every great singer in the world.  That is the secret of his art—intelligence.  Intelligence is the mother of sympathy, and sympathy is the father and mother of art.—


Emporia (Kan.) Gazette.




Hemus does not exclude foreign songs from his repertoire, but translates them so his hearers can get a clear comprehension of the poetic lines which are generally the inspiration of a really beautiful song.  The wonderfully musical quality of Hemus' voice at once attracts the auditor and grows continuously in appeal by the skillful and sympathetic style acquired by its owner.—


Philadelphia (Pa.) Record.




Mr. Hemus was given an ovation.  He is a younger David Bispham, with the same breadth of artistic culture, a letter-perfect diction, and a wealth of interpretative gifts.  His voice is resonant and full of color; the variety of style in his programme disclosed the scope of his art.  'The Moon Drops Low,' by Cadman, was positively glorified by the tragic intensity and dignity with which Mr. Hemus presented it.  'I am the spirit who denieth,' by Boito, was magnificent in its dramatic fervor and impressive vocalization.—


Buffalo (N. Y.) Courier.




The best commentary upon Mr. Hemus singing is found in his reception by the audience.  His voice is of a beautiful quality, with the true baritone timbre, except in the very high notes, where it assumes a tenor character that reminds strongly of Evan Williams.  Mr. Hemus enunciates clearly so that every syllable is distinctly heard.—


Philadelphia (Pa.) Evening Ledger.




Mr. Hemus is essentially an actor in song.  Of pleasing, graceful address and dramatically perfect in facial expression, he possesses as rich and rangy a baritone voice as ever was heard in concert in this city.  His program was widely varied, including every mood that is known to music, and all so significant in their separate ways, discrimination as to excellence would be unfair.  Those who heard Wullner will recall his marvelous interpretation of Schubert's famous 'Der Erlkoenig,' a triumph of tragic passion.  Wullner made more for the tragedy than the music, but as Mr. Hemus proved last evening its theme loses none of its impressiveness through more delicate rendering.—


Kansas City (Mo.) Journal.




He has a definite conception of what he wants to accomplish in his singing, and he accomplishes it.  Comparatively speaking, there are few such persons in any department of life, and no more in music than in any other.—


Baltimore (Md.) Star.




He not only sings his songs, but he acts them.—


Brockton (Mass.) Enterprise.




He must always have sung with the obliviousness of the thrush to matter technical.  His is not a soul hampered for expression; for he can interpret fully as much as it is possible for him to receive.  The most obvious quality of his voice is grandeur—the word does not quite convey it—but the grandeur of his strong phrases is not as effective as the sweetness of his subdued ones.—


Asheville (N. C.) Gazette.




In the 'Creation's Hymn,' Beethoven, Mr. Hemus demonstrated the power and volume of his voice, which vibrated from every part of the room.  In the next group the audience was swayed through a variety of emotions by the strong contrasts of the selections emphasized by the dramatic personality of the singer.  The manner in which Mr. Hemus gave the old ballad.  'Edward,' was a revelation of realistic expression; a reaction followed when he sang a droll little ditty, laughter coming closely upon the thrills of horror.  The last group, composed of old Scotch, English and Irish songs, proved still further Mr. Hemus' fine voice and ability for interpretation.


Brooklyn (N. Y.) Eagle.




He makes one feel exactly the real thing he sings about, as that 'Song of the Shirt'—Stitch!  Stitch!  Stitch! which he painted as one paints a picture.—


St. Joseph (Mo.) Gazette.




He made everybody feel glad that he was there; in fact, he made the people laugh until they, or some of them, cried.—


Bangor (Me.) News.




He can give a Schumann or Schubert 
lied
 with a smoothness and tender grace; he delivers with the strenuous phrases of the modern realists a tragic story like Korbay's 'Had a Horse' or Loewe's awesome 'Edward.'  Such a work by Mr. Hemus is positively blood-curdling in its tragic import.  In response to an enthusiastic recall he soothed the overwrought nerves, with a pleasing contrast, his mezzo-voce upper notes being charmingly uttered.—


Paterson (N. J.) Press.




Mr. Hemus sang 'Adelaide' with exquisite tenderness.  Again and again he was called back.  The students of music, who went to hear this singer, were filled with admiration of his art, and the little children who drank in the sweet humor of his encores, paid him the tribute, more sincere than critic ever gave, of tears of delight, sparkling on their lovely cheeks.  The little ones laughed merrily, and wanted more and more of the charming pleasantry which this artist so happily dispenses when he sings in his happy vein.—


Poughkeepsie (N. Y.) News-Press.






New York Evening World



American Songs Well Exploited By Percy Hemus




By Sylvester Rawling




PERCY HEMUS gave a recital at Carnegie Hall last night of songs all by American composers.  Offhand such a program is not to be commended.  The merit of a song has nothing to do with latitude or longitude or with national feeling and its musical expression.  But when season after season for a generation German lieder has held the concert platform to the exclusion of everything else, Mr. Hemus is to be congratulated upon his revolt against convention and upon his propaganda for American composers.  Mr. Hemus, probably as well as anybody, knows Schumann, and Schubert, and Brahms, and all the rest of the galaxy of German song writers whose genius enlightens the far corners of the earth; but he knows, too, that the art of song writing is not dead and that many American composers of our own time are as well worth hearing.




On the score of patriotism, the store of native wealth in artistic song writing that Mr. Hemus disclosed was astonishing.  There were Sidney Homer's 
The Pauper's Drive,
 Walter Damrosch's 
Danny Deever,
 Rubin Goldmark's 
Spring Rains,
 Professor Parker's 
Love is a Sickness,
 William G. Hammond's 
The Pipes of Gordon's Men,
 Bruno Huhn's 
Invictus,
 and songs by Carl Busch, Ward-Stephens, George B. Nevin, Arthur Hartmann, Cadman, MacDowell, Edwin Schneider, C. Linn Seiler, Clayton Johns, and Lulu Jones Downing, well worth presentation on any program.  Mr. Hemus sang them with understanding and with appealing voice.





A 
TYPICAL HEMUS AUDIENCE, CARNEGIE HALL, NEW YORK





America need not be unwilling to recognize her song writers.  Eighteen of them were represented last night on the program sung by Percy Hemus in Carnegie Hall.  Mr. Hemus sang with sincerity and intelligence, his voice was sympathetic and more than adequate to the needs of the occasion, and the artistic results delightful.—


New York World.




Mr. Hemus does not confine his work as a singer to mere vocal demonstration.  He has developed that talent which in itself is striking enough to one of peculiar fascinating histrionic interpretation.  Every vocal number is a sketch from the manifold phases of life—perhaps only a touch humorous or sombre, but still a picture complete and convincing, until you forget it is only a singing of songs.—


Kansas City (Mo.) Journal.




His way of producing the higher tones and his use of the head voice is especially artistic.  His mode of expression is individual and the sincerity and conviction with which he interprets the songs he presents are impressive.—


New York Times.




The interpretations are aided by the singer's 'acting,' which, in his case, does not appear out of place on the concert stage.—


New York World.




Percy Hemus, baritone and champion of the American composers, gave his third annual recital of songs by native musicians last night in Carnegie Hall.  With a large voice and a dramatic, declamatory manner of presenting his songs, he sang many works seldom heard.  Mr. Hemus' recitals are of more than ordinary interest.—


New York Herald.




At all times he was impressive, sometimes forcefully and again tenderly.—


Brooklyn (N. Y.) Eagle.




He is an artist of unusual talent possessed of a wonderful voice that is resonant and full of color.—


Buffalo (N. Y.) Enquirer.




In each of his interpretations he delivers a definite message and presents a picture of vital interest.  The distinguished American baritone has a voice capable of much color and he uses the mezzo-voce with beautiful effect.—


Buffalo (N. Y.) Express.




For his final programme number was set down 'Edward,' that ancient Scotch ballad of terror and remorse, with its striking setting by Loewe.  The crowded audience listened intent, as though the piteous drama was enacted before them, and then, after taking breath, broke into a storm of applause.  Mr. Hemus responded with a lovely bit of Nevins' music, bringing the high tension of feeling down into serener atmosphere.—


Scranton (Pa.) Republican.




Mr. Hemus is a versatile and unusually even and finished artist.  The dramatic potentialities of his voice are extraordinary, for he has both power and real dramatic color.  Yet he sings legato with ease and exquisite grace.  He combines musical fullness with unusual interpretative skill and freedom.  He justifies the term 'recital' as few singers do.  His face is expressive.  He often suggests characters very effectively in his singing and manner, but always without disregarding the musical proprieties.—


Kansas City (Mo.) Star.




Mr. Hemus' baritone, one of great power, rich in tonal qualities and of pleasing pliability, is a continual joy.—


Philadelphia (Pa.) Inquirer.