Barbour County index., 1910-12-07
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The famous blue parlor, perhaps
the most notable and most interesting
of all the apartments in the presiden-
tial mansion. has been transformed
into a music room. There President
and Mrs. Taft seek relaxation during.
intervals of leisure and there many
of their friends have been enter
tanned from time to time with infor-
NAL musical programs.
Regarding the impromptu concerts
the people generally have heard lit
tie. but all readers of the newspapers
who follow the chronicle of social
doings at Washington must have
noted that the musicale has, under
the Taft administration, become one
of the favorite means of formal en-
tertaining.
The favoritism manifested for this
kind Of hospitality has occasioned no
surprise among Mrs. Taft's intimate
friends, for the present first lady of
the land has always been exceedingly
fond Of music, and is, moreover, some
thing of a musician herself. She was
the founder and longtime president
of the Cincinnati Symphony orches-
ira. The idea of bi-weekly band con-
certs on the Potomac river, a water
side esplanade at the national cap
ital. was suggested by her.
The musicales which Mrs. Taft has
given at intervals during her first
year in the White House are in a
sense personal hospitalities, as dis
| tinguished from the state dinners and
! semi-public receptions which, accord
ing to time-honored custom, 1t is in
cumbent upon occupants of the man
sion to give each winter. 1t is the
prerogative of each mistress of the
White House to indulge herself with
some personal entertainments quite
apart from the formal affairs die
tated by tradition, and 1t is in this
connection that Mrs. Taft has had
recourse to the musicale as a means
Of hospitality.
How completely the management oi
these affairs Is in Mrs. Taft's hands
may be surmised from the fact thai
the social secretaries at the executive
Offices who have charge Of formal so
cial functions have no jurisdiction il
the matter of the musicales. Invita-
tions to the latter are sent out il
Mrs. Taft's name and she, with tn,
aid Of her secretary, makes up he
own invitation list.
Conspicuous in the domain of tn,
participating artists is the famous
$4,000 gold piano. which has beel
for several years past conspicuou
object in the furnishings of the Whit
House. This musical instrument d
luxe was designed especially to ha.
moniZe with the present gold an,
white decorative scheme of the eas
room, and the entire instrument i
overlaid with gold. The introduction
of the American eagle. the seal of tn
nation and the coats of arms of tn
13 original states emphasizes the di:
tinctively American character of tn
decoration.
Mrs. Taft's supervision of tn
White House musicales extends to
, personal selection of the numbers tina
, make up the concert programs. Tn
, artists are professionals of first ranl
The pianoforte is the instrument o
which Mrs. Taft gives expression I
her own musical sentiments, and he
, fondness for this form of music /
|, | evidenced by the fact that an em
! nent pianist has participated in a
most every musicale held at tn
White House. Prominent among thel
, have been Mms. Fannie Bloomfiel
i. Zeisler and Ernest Hutcheson. Ka
!. Jorn, the tenor of the Metropolita
. Opera company, sang at one musicals
: and at another the program was col
!. tributed by Prof. Willy Hess, NJ
!. julius Won Theodorowicz, Mr.. Emil
|. Ferir and Mr.. Alvin Schroeder, til
string soloists of the Boston Syn
nh0nY orchestra