Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23
Music and Musicians

The great new pipe organ for the James
town exposition, to open next summer on
the shores of Hampton roads, is attracting
the attention of organists and musicians
all over the country. A great pipe organ
has been one of the features of our EXPOSE
lions of late years. A series of organ re-
citals have been arragned by a committee,
and the performers have been selected from
among the organists of different cities. At
the jamestown exposition an effort will be
made to have only eminent and most capa-
bic organists. two for each week during the
exposition, alternating with each other after
moons and evenings, and a capable judge
of organists will be selected in each city
to make the engagements. Mr.. William
Hall Widdit of Norfolk, Va, is the official
organist and will be heard frequently in
recital during the summer. Mr.. Oscar
Franklin Comstock of this city will also be
heard during the early part of the expo
sition, and again in the latter part Mr..
Robert Sexton is chief of department of
congresses and special events of the expo
sition. The organ itself will be a wonder
of modern art and science. 1t is being
built by company of Hartford Conn,
and will be the most complete pipe organ
ever built In this country. 1t weighs ten
feet in depth, and will All the entire space
from wall to wall across the back of the
stage. The great pipes will be thirty feet
in height and extend from floor to ceiling.
The organ will be operated by an electric
motor. and the public can pass through
ii and examine the construction of 1t. Even
passage into the air chamber will be pro-
vided for, so that the hundreds of keys may
be seen in operation by any one sufficiently
Interested 1t will take about nine months
to construct the great instrument, and 1t
is said that when completed 1t will surpass
the great $150O0O organ at the st. Louis
Ann hny- a1r 1Iy hoor
received from many great organists all over
the world who want to operate the instru-
ment. and dates are already being ar
ranged. 1t will be built with a universal
air chest, which provides absolute and uni
form pressure to each and every pipe I'M
der all conditions. This air chest be
opened and entered at will, even Whine the
instrument is in operation, all parts of the
action being exposed to view and readily
accessible. The keyboards are very close
together, with a vertical distance between
them of only two and one-half inches. The
keyboard of the great organ is level and the
other keyboardS above and below slope
toward it, each keyboard thus being in
the same relative angle as the arms of the
player, and frequent adjustments of the
hand and arm is avoided The stopknobs
at the sides of the keys will be discarded
and stopkeys will be placed on line in
groups Immediately over the upper manual
These will be in the line of vision with
the music. The great auditorium where
5000 people and will have perfect acous-
tics.
Mrs Susanna Oldberg had a charming
musical on Saturday evening in her home
on the Chevy Chase road. Her program
was not prearranged, and was therefore all
the more delightful. She sang some inter
eSting songs with much abandon and artiS-
tic finish and with meZZo soprano voice
which has grown in richness spontaneity
and freshness during the past five years.
Mrs. Oldberg has much temperament and
much taste in the selection of her songs.
Her Interpretation of Down Where the
Lilacs," IF 1 Could Steal Your Wings"
the -Four Leaf Clover and a group of
quaint Scotch songs were intellectual and
full of grace. She played her own ac-
compartments, which means that they were
well played for she is an artist in accom-
panying. Mrs. Price, wife of DR.. Price,
sang some interesting songs; Mr.. Marvin
Gaylord, baritone. sang set of Brahms
songs with intelligence and artistic finish,
and Mr.. Harrison Moore, tenor who at
tracts more attention every season, showed
voice can do with Isl mes vers Avient des
Allies" Mon Desir," Victor Harris Mad
rigal' and'a set of exquisite Spanish sere-
nades, and his own song, I'm Garden"
which Is a gem. Mr.. Moore also played his
own accomplishments with skill. Mrs. Old
berg served Swedish punch between num-
bers In a violet canopy in bower on the
veranda, thereby infusing into the country
d
studio recitals viii begin early in October
with Mrs. N. B. Thomas, high soprano,
prominent in musical and social circles of
Richmond, as the artist Of the afternoon.
Francis Macmillan, the Amenican violin
ist who comes to this country struggling
beneath formidable burden Of European
praise is said to possess q remarkable
personality. His Dante-like features, sur
mounted by an abundance of Jet black hair,
have been a source Of attraction to paint
ers, and one of his recent portraits, paint
ed by Maurice Wagemans, has won much
favorable comment The portrait, which
has been sold to the Brussels Gallery, has
been termed a masterpiece in four days
the painter having worked day and night
to complete his canvas during the brief
time that the sitter was available.
Mr.. Fulton B. Karr, organist in st. An
drew's Episcopal Church, corner Of 14th
and Corcoran streets, has resumed his du-
| ties after five weeks stay at Bluemont,
| Va, and in the mountains of western Mary
| land.
Another young pianist has recently been
added to the already long list of artists
who will be heard in this country the COM
ing season. This is Mile. Germaine Schnit-
ger, name not entirely euphonious nor
artistic. She is but nineteen years of age
and pupil of Raoul Pugno, and she bears
the distinction of having no press agent.
The examinations for the four free schol-
arships to be given by Miss Georgia q
Miller director of the Virgil Clavier Piano
School this year, will be held on Monday
| Tuesday and Wednesday of this week in
| her studio.
unique studio musicale was given one
evening recently in the artistic and unique
| den on Capitol Hill, of Lot Flannery
| the well-known sculptor. in honor of some
out-of-town friends whom he wished to en-
tertain with their favorite music. In the
! midst of fascinating and artistic collection