The Washington herald., 1911-07-09
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS

The first great American grand opera
ever written, composed, and produced
entirely in America, ''Paoletta," is to be
heard for a number of performances in
this city next season. The composer Of
this opera, Pietro Florida, though resi-
dent Of this country for over nine years
has had four successful operas in Eu-
rope, one of which has had over 1000
performances. He is also the composer
of a great symphony which won first
prize in Germany, and has been per-
formed by many of the largest orches-
tras in the world. The book of "Paoletta"
is by Mr.. Paul Jones, a young author
and poet of Cincinnati, Ohio. and the
artists who will sing the opera are all
Americans, as is Mr. E. S. Brown, the
operas manager. It was in this opera
at its first production that John Duffey,
of this city, now one of New Yorks
leading soloists, made his debut as
tenor. after having made a reputation
as a concert and oratorio barytone. He
created the tenor role in "Paoletta," and
made pronounced success.
Mr.. Percy S. Foster is at Atlantic City
with his family. He has charge of the
music at the Christian Endeavor conven-
ton, as usual which is this year meeting
at the seashore.
When Josef Stransky takes Up the
leadership Of the New York philharmonic
Society next season he will produce for
the first time in America a new SYM
phony by Anton Dvorak-a posthumous
work. A close friendship is said to have
existed for several years between Dvorak
and the Bohemian conductor, in whose
career he took a special interest, and
when several manuscripts were discov-
cred the executors of the Dvorak estate
turned them over to Stransky for editing
These compositions, now on the point of
publication IN Germany, include two SYM
phonies, two oYertures CDramatic'' and
''Tragic'), an orchestral rhapsody, as
well as quartet in A major for strings
and a quintet.
Miss Ethel Lee, the well-known young
'ceIlist and scholarship pupil at the Pea
body Conservatory, is spending six weeks
in the Green Spring Valley, in the home
of Mr.. and Mrs Writ, the former, a
member Of the Peabody faculty. She
will spend the late vacation time in New
York with her brother and sister-in-law,
Mr.. and Mrs. Porter Lee.
Mrs Abram Sharp Smith has closed
her seasons work in Washington and
VIII leave early this week for New York
to SAN shortly for England for complete
rest and recreation in one of the charm
ing rural spots near London. She will
return to her home at Nyack on the
Hudson about the middle Of September,
and will return to Washington Novem-
yer /
Miss Alice Burbage win go to Buena
Vista tomorrow to spend the remainder
Of this month. She win spend August on
Long Island and at Bar Harbor.
Mrs Armand Gumpreeht and Mrs Rob-
ert Fatt have returned from a successful
tour in the South, where they made
splendid reputation singing operatIc
duets and old-fashioned songs.
Miss Ethel Lozier has gone abroad to
spend the next two months.
Mrs. Ramsden, chairman of the pro-
gramme committee OF the Rublnstein
Club, has resigned that once, which
leaves a vacancy on the executive board.
Mrs. Ramsdell has done splendid work
for the club and given much time TO 1t,
and because Of the amount of time neces-
sa-y tor the work has found It impossi-
bic TO keep Il up. new chairman has
not yet been appointed