The San Francisco call., 1910-01-23

given by Miss Margaret KembIe in the
green room at the ST Francis brought
a quota of visitors seeking the modern
Interpretation of the drama abroad, and
the concert given last Wednesday aft
ernoon at the same hotel by Frank la
Forge attracted a large society audi
ence, although to be sure his program
did not offer the intellectual delecta-
tion that the lecturers promise on their
analytic scores. The La Forge concert
was pure music and he plays Strauss
incoherencies or Mozarts with impair
tial favor, and with exquisite art, be
it said. The audience was composed
of the same women or at least practi-
cally the same aspiring group that has
followed the musical and literary lee
lures of the early season. The Fair
mont offers an intellectual attraction
every Monday-or perhaps it is every
other Monday-in the talks of Mrs.
Minnie Sabin Cooper on the plays of
Ibsen, and there is always an attentive
lot of listeners to hear the melancholy
subtleties of the Norwegian explained
in brief by a clever lecturer. There is
another missionary in social circles
that is preaching the gospel of art
in the person of Frank Carroll Giffen.
He is another of the analytical school,
but varies his program. as most clever
speakers do nowadays. with songs and
the enjoyment of pure melody Last
Wednesday he gave talk on the songs
OF Hugo Wolff and preceded the recital
with a recital of the life of the COM
poser and the characteristics that are
supposed to enter into his work. 1T
was interesting to hear Giffen say that
the composer was the despair of all
teachers. as his genius could not be
kept in abeyance, and neither would
he submit to rule His music now has
grammatical errors, but 1t can not be
changed to preserve the rythm and the
genius inspiring it." Truly the social
elite of the city are in mood for
study and leisure when they can afford
to ponder over the inspiration of
musical composer, and with serious in
tent 1t must be said that there is de-
cided encouragement in the fact for
the artistic feature of the town. The
rehabilitation is to be followed with
out doubt by a period of rest, not to
say meditation, which, although 1t sug-
gests a certain humorous pose to the
western mind, is essential for artistic
progress That would seem to be the
determination of the women of leisure
artistic progress-and there need be
no discourse on the necessity or the
obvious lack of the culture that exists
by tradition in some other places.
Another intellectual advertisement is
suggested in the announcement that
the Dominican college in San Rafael
VIII chaperon course of four lectures
on the Beginnings of Modern Drama"
to be given by Prof. Martin Flaherty of
the state university at the first named
institution. Professor Flaherty has
been delighting the Caedmon club for
some time, unnoticed and unheralded.
but in truly instructive way, until he
was recommended by Rev Robert Ses-
non for the post OF official lecturer at
San Rafael. Father Sesnon is one of
the alert minds who is guiding the art
istic destiny of the city. one might say,
In an effectual way. He is the fairy god
father for many struggling young
artist and it will take years to really
estimate his service in that line. To
return to Professor Flaherty, however,
that talented speaker will give his lee
lures in the following order, and be-
sides the smart set of the city those of
San Fafael are looking forward with
pleasant anticipation to the series:
Friday, January 21-..Liturgical and Church
Plays
Friday, February 4-"Mystery and Miracle
Plays
Friday. February 1s-.The Old Moralities.''
Friday. March 4-'London Life in Shake
speares Time.''
And now we have the aviation cos
tune. A Partisan baroness has insti-
tuted the new rega1ia after her own
design. and this is the description that
comes to those waiting in the west Tor
the latest fad from the greater world