Deborah Florence Glassford Letters and Memorabilia
Letters written to Deborah Florence (Leighton) Glassford of Vancouver by men serving overseas, including some cards, programs and memorabilia. Learn more.
*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person.
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artist with that instrument, made his first appearance in Brockton, with a recital in the high school assembly hall Wednesday evening, Philip Gordon accompanying at the piano. The Brockton Teachers' association, through whose endeavers the concert was arranged, considered itself exceedingly fortunate in being able to secure Mr. Elman, and expressed gratification at the large number attending.
Never before was Mr. Elman in better playing fitness. The richness and power of the tones which he drew from his instrument were apparent in each number, and a special pleasure was derived from his artistic phrasing and exceptionally finished rendition.
His tones had power and body, golden in the lower register and in the higher soft as velvet, capable of remarkable shading. His playing was distinguished by a refined taste and by justness of sentiment and feeling. His tone is exquisite in quality, being rich, warm and sympathetic, and produced with an ease and accuracy that makes it absolutely reliable and pure.
In peculiarly beautiful accord was the accompaniment of the pianist. Mr. Gordon showed a mastery of his instrument which closely approximated to that of the soloist. He has played with Mr. Elman for two seasons, and within that time has acquired much of the exact, masterful and artistic temperament of the latter, helping greatly to convey the composers idea, coupled with the interpretation of the artist.
The program bore testimony to the seriousness of Mr. Elman as an artist, and also his exceptional ability to present the highest class of music to the unprofessional hearer. Every number was received with the greatest enthusiasm, and he was compelled to appear again and again in response to recalls.
At 8.15 Mr. Elman and Mr. Gordon appeared on the stage, and were received with prolonged applause. The first number was a Concerto in G Minor by Vivaldi-Nachez, opening with an allegro movement. The movement then passes into adagio, and then a second transition is made back into the allegro movement.
The next number, "Symphonie Espagnole," by Lalo, opened with the allegro non troppo tempo, shifted to the andante, displayed brilliantly effective quality in the third section, a largo, and closed with an allegro movement of unusual inspiration.
At the terminatin of this number Mr. Elman responded with an encore, "Oriental-Anani," an original composition which was accentuated with the author's own individuality, and gripped his audience with realistic power.
The third program number, "Sonata II., in E Major," by Handel, was brought out with exquisite genius. The four movements, adagio cantabile, allegro, largo and allegro non troppo, were each distinguished equally in dramatic fervor. Following this number, an encore, "Seranata," by D'Ambrozio, was given.
The fourth number was a suite of four selections, chosen to display special versatility. They were: (a) "Deep River" (paraphrase), by Elman; (b) "Tango," by Albaniz-Elman; (c) "Romance from 'Cello Concerto," by Schumann-Vogrich; (d) "Hungarian Dance No. 7," by Brahms-Joachim.
BC Archives, MS-0089 Box 1 File 1 GLASSFORD, Deborah Florence (Leighton). Vancouver Correspondence inward, cards, programs and memorabilia, undated and 1914.