Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
MUSICAL MENTION.

| Otto Torney Simon has found an unoccti-
pied field of great fertility in the musical
culture of the city. and presented the first
| fruits of his work TO the public at the recent
| concert Of the Motel choir. The field OF male
part songs is well filled by the Damrnsch
Society. that of women part songs by many
small clubs apd the Choral Society is meet
| ing the need for larger choral works. There
are a great many works. both ancient ana
modern, suited for a small, highly cult
waited and perfectly balanced choir. and
! some of these were disclosed by the Motel
! choir The selection OF the program re-
! Elected credit on Mr.. Simon's learning ana
| taste, and IL the rendition displayed at this
! first concert is an earnest of what is to
follow at subsequent efforts of the choir
/ lovers Of music may be assured that the
conductors zeal. supported by earnest ana
intelligent singers. will produce I'm the fu-
| ture an organization OF which the city
may well be proud.
| Emile Christiani, local musician Of we'll
| known ability. has produced a piano compo-
| sition which is unique in its idea and is
| called Character Sketches of Women in
| Poetry and History" Five are represented
| in the suite published. The first is Elaine"
an andantino movement that is interest
| ing; then follows Jeanne a Arc, naturally
| a march OF stirring rhythm: Nine. Pompa-
| dour." a lively gavotte; "Margaretha,'
andantino cum motto. the motive being
OF Endor." waltz movement. Consider
able ingenuity and originality are displayed
in the working out OF these character
| sketches. each seeming appropriate TO the
| aim of the composer, and the whole series
| make a suite well worth hearing and which
will prove a good study for students.
| An organ, violin and song recital is be-
| ing arranged by Mr.. George w. Lawrence.
| director of the choir of the First Presby-
| terrain Church. Jenny Lind Muller-Green
of Baltimore will be heard In several or
| gan numbers, and among the other par
| Elephants in the program will be Mr.. Will
| lam Z. Green, violinist, of Washington;
| Mary Mackenzie Byrne and Mrs. Thomas
c. Mcconnell. sopranos; Alexander Mosher
| terror. and George Wright, baritone. The
| recital will be by invitation only.
! At the anniversary high mass at the
| Church of the Sacred Heart celebrated
| last Monday by Rev. J. +. MCGEE In MEM
| ory of Mrs. Frances +. Griffith solos were
| effectively sung by Misses Theresa Machen.
| Lulu Lowe and Helen Tally. Mrs. Clara
| Y. Flint was the orsanist
| The First Presbyterian Church choir, I'M
der the direction of Mr.. George Lawrence.
| is preparing an elaborate program of music
for Palm and Easter Sundays. On Easter
| Sunday night the church will hold its sec
| ond Evening With the Choir" when "A
| special program of high-class church music
| will be rendered. Tomorrow morning the
! choir will sing Thou Art Our Father.
! Hummel, soprano solo and chorus, and at
| the offertory Mr.. George Wright, baritone,
| will sing zone Sweetly Solemn Thought.
| bv Ambrose In the evening the anthem
Praise the Lord" with soprano solo Dy
! Miss Mary Mackenzie Byrne will be sung,
| and at the offertory duet for tenor and
| baritone '.Tarry With Me-" by MIR. Law
| renee and Mr.. Wright.
| Miss Ollie Torbett, known all over the
| United States and also I'm Washington, as
a clever and charming violiniste Is an eN-
ample of what plucky American girl can
| do. Nearly three years ago she went 10
| Europe under management of Impresario
Gustaye Thalberg, and since that time she
| has been continuously on concert tours all
! over Europe, with only now and then a
| couple of weeks intermission. Her success
has been great everywhere, in Sweden. Nor
way, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Germany
and Holland. At present she Is Milling an
| engagement in Warschau, Poland, with the
| famous Lutteman Quartet and the prom
inent Berlin pianist Max Frohnert.
Miss Torbett is also a very talented com
poser, and King Oscar of Sweden as well
| as the King of Saxony applauded her
| heartily when she played before them her
| fantasia over Swedish folksongs and her
potpourri of American negro melodies. She
| is a granddaughter of Gen. ]. p. Drake of
| Mexican war fame, and daughter or the
| late o. Torbett who at the age OF only
| twenty-six years. was speaker OF the house
| of representatives Of Indiana
| Rehearsals for the production OF THE
| Chimes of Normandy" under the direction
| of Profs. II. L. SALESMAN and William de
| Ford, progressing rapidly and much
enthusiasm is manifested by the cast as
| well as the large chorus.
| A song service by the choir of the Church
| of the New Jerusalem will be given at this
| church next Thursday evening. The choir
| consists of Eugene z. Stevens, bass and
| director: Maud G. Sewall, organist; Matte
Gibson, soprano; Mrs. Ralph Barnard. con-
| tralto and John NJ. Reiman, tenor Minna
| Heinrichs violinist, will assist and the
| program will be an interesting one. Mr..
| Stevens is well known for his musical
| taste and interest as well as for his ability
as a singer. He has been connected with
| the best musical organizations of the Dis
! trict and has always been power for their
| progress. Under his direction the choir
| has greatly improved
| Nine Eugenia Mantell who was for
| several years connected with the Maurice
Grau Opera Company as his leading con-
| tralto and who for the past season has been
| singing at the Royal Opera at Lisbon, Is to
return here next month to fill a number of
| concert engagements arranged for her by
| Mr.. Henry Wolfsohn.
| Ernst Won Dohnanyi the Hungarian plan
1 list, who has been winning much success
as a composer of late, is now busy on a
| symphony which he expects to finish by
4 July next. 1t is to be heard at one of the
| first concerts to be given by the Boston
1 Symphony Orchestra next season Dohnan-
| vi returns to Europe on April 2. after
| most prosperous and successful season
here
Next Thursday afternoon Miss Alice Bur-
| bage will give a plano recital at the WASH
ington Club under the patronage OF many
| ladies prominent in diplomatic, official and
| social circles. Miss Burbage Is q highly
cultivated pianist. graduate OF the Leip-
| sic Conservatory. and wherever she has
| appeared in public has won praise not
only for her exceptional technique. hut
| also for her intelligent interpretatfve pow
| er. 1t has been some time since she mas
| been heard In the concert room, and her
| temperance VIII be welcomed by ali low
ers of artistic piano forte playing
| In place of vespers tomorrow Rossinfs
| "Stabat Mater" Will be sung entire by the
choir of Immaculate Conception Church at
! o'clock pm. This splendid musical COM
| position never loses its hold upon the hearts
of music lovers. nor have the many meri-
| torious modern compositions been able to
| supplant 1t. The impassioned 'Infiamma-
| tus," the grand PRO Peccatis" and the
| quartet ''Sancta Mater are well known to
| most church goers: but the entire work is
| too long to be often sung. and the peculiar
| chomatic quartet, 'Quando Corpus, as
| well as the Amen" chorus, with its diff
| cult fugue Is rarely attempted. Both
| these numbers will be sung. Following the
'Stabat Mater there will be benediction.
\ at which time Miss Annie Grant will sing
| 20 Salutaris." by Braga, with violin obli-
\ Mo- Egxo ohafr