The Washington herald., 1919-05-22
COMMUNITY OPERA SINGERS q
WILL PRESENT aPAGLIACCT
Two Hundred in Cast of Amateur Perform
ances at Central High School
May 3o-3I.

Two hundred people viii have
part in the next performance Of
the Community Opera of washing
ton. when LeoncavalIo's great opera
Pagliacci" will be sung, followed
by dance pantomime May in An
italian Garden" by Alice Torbert,
tnat Is uniquely the product Of the
community. representing the rIusi-
cal ana the dramatic work that mas
peen fostered-for the people of
Wasnington-by the War Ca,np
Community Service.
The evenings OF May 20 a,d n
have been set for this double per-
formance. It will be given in the
auditorium OF Central Hfrn s.bnoI
And This 10 what community obera
mas accomplished In washinyton,
In just one year Edouard Albion,
as originator and director OF this
project. has brought about a COM
munity opera company composed
city. ''
Three Operas Represeated.
we have not gone outside for
cur talent This has been l munich
pal development. and all Of Tho per
formances represent the musical
sour OF Washington" Mr.. Albion
says.
The achievement represents thre.
operas given in their entirety. -I-he
Pirates OF Penzance," aBohenisn
OIL. and now ''PagIiacci." Then
carmen" IL ready, musically bIt
cannot be given a production th,s
year, although IL will be heard In
choral form. "
AIDA too. has q part OF the
choral work In shape. The interes,
In the repertory. among the mem
pers or the company. increase,
with each new work. THE Ssc,c,
OF Suzanne" even Tschaikov,kv.s
fPiQue Dame"-they are coming. Al,
are many others that the peopIe
wlii learn and love. The nrsIc Of
The Russians. Mr.. Albion think.
VIII make a particular appeal
one OF the chief gains In
municipal opera" says Mr.. Albion.
rs that IL does not disturb tbe
nome life. just as in the case of the
nome symphony orchestra. That q,
one OF the most wholesome eIe-
ments in IL.
Music OF the future in America
depends on the inland cities. As a.
were. the cities away from New
York and Chicago. where they have
depended on the outside for
opera-the foreign artists.
Whst we are doing is to offer op-
portunity for the large Der cent Of
artistic gifts-thst exist in every COM
munity-to have a trial. To ofYer ex-
per.ence and TO develop native talent
In all centers is what the Community
Opera is doing.
Then. the music. Almost none OF
the choruses we have traine6 have
known the music before. Their eager
ness to hear Il. when the San Carlo
company gave IL this week, shows
what IL has meant TO them.
Take Aida in which forty-three
members Of the Community oper.
chorus sang with the San Carlo people
IL has some OF the greatest choral
music In the world. Now that these
people know this music. think how
much more IL meant TO them,
AS to the individual. the solo ar.
list, the search for the right person
IN each instance is one OF the charm.
OF the project"
In Public Comments.
And that has been Mr.. Albion.
special province. that has brought
ABOUT group Of artists who are al
ready being spoken of-in the public
| comment-as:
| Our Canio-our Media looks the
part much more than 'so-and-so'-our
4 Tonic will act the part better" That
I Is the index TO the future Of COM
munity opera in Washington. II is
alive. 1t is interesting. is absorbing
the people. II is being done" by these
people themselves.
| And" concludes Mr.. Albion Of this
remarkable fledgling Of an opera tina,
has learned TO walk alone in its frs;
year. I'VE have already proven a
point! That IL is possible to give a
more than creditable performance of
grand opera. out of the community.
II emphasizes that opera belongs to
and low IL, thy will hav it. whnfioIl
the American people. When they
know and love il. they will have It.
When II becomes an inst rution. Amer
ica viii come into her own. musically
as she cannot in any other way
The community opera is set to
standard that will keep abreast with
many art developments OF the day
Much that is archaic IN perform
ances will have to advance. with IN,
taste and judgment that is being borr
OF the people"
The cast for "Pagliscci" is as fol
lows: Canio. Leopold Glushak; Media
, Mabel Coldenstroth: Tonic. Hollii
Edison Dayenny: Silvio. Oliver Mel
lum: Peppe. Waldemar Dorfman.
, The chorus has eighty-fve mem
oers. The orchestra, under RoIlir
Bond, has sixty members.
May in an italian Garden" il al
italian pantomimt, designed to keeI
, the warm southsrn atmosphere o
Italy throughout the program. II