The Washington times., 1919-12-25
RENOWNED ARTISTS
BOOKED IN SERIES
Concerts Diplomatiques Bring
Brilliant New Manager
to Washington.

Pasquale Amato. the renowned
baritone of the Metropolitan Opera
Company, who will be one Of the ar
lists in the first of the new series
of concerts for Washington-the
Concert Diplomatique"-to be given
at the Belasco Theater on Sunday
evening, January 4, was the uncon-
scious perpetrator of a harmless joke
on a visitor at Lake Placid. N. Y,
where the singer spent the summer
Victor Herbert was speeding by the
baritone's home with a friend In his
fast motorboat, the Natoma. AS they
passed near the house, Signor Amato
happened to be singing the prologue
from "Pagliacci," so Herbert throt-
tied down his engine and said TO his
friend, "The people in that house
have the most remarkable phono-
graph I have ever heard. Listen
to that" The visitor listened for
several moments until the baritone
paused, and proceeded to produce a
series of runs and musical furbe-
lows. which caused the listeners
mouth to drop open in stupe fied won
der. Finally he leaned over and ex-
claimed hoarsely in Mr.. Herbert's
ear: III they will sell me that in
strument, 1 will give them double
what they paid for it:'
Intredueed to PhenoKrapA.
Better come up and look at it
first" said Mr.. Herbert, "and see IL
you have enough money!" Where
upon they landed and the visitor was
introduced to the 'phonograph."
When the joke was explained to Mr..
Amato he roared with laughter and
was SO amused at the idea that he
has told the story to his friends upon
every occasion that presented itself.
There is no cause to worry about
the so-caIled slow development Of
American music" said Mr.. Amato.
OF course, there are certain national
charactertstics which impede the evo-
luton OF art in this country, but
that has been true OF European ma
tions.
The most important of these at
the present time is what might be
called the American adherence Of
manner. That is because they are by
nature a conservative nation of in
dividuals who hate to be conspicu-
GUS or different because they are
afraid Of being called queer For
this reason everyone dresses like ev-
eryone else, whether the style in
vogue Is becoming to everyone's per-
sonal appearance or not.
Makes EnAeavsr Difficult.
This continual striving after same
ness makes artistic endeavor difficult:
for an artist, above everything else,
is an individual with q manner De-
culiar to himself. That Is what style
and originality mean. the most COM
plimentary terms which can be ap-
piled to an artist. But Americans
are breaking away from their wish
to be all alike as individuals. so that
1T is safe to say that they will break
away from it as a nation in time
and that phrase in time Is a phrase
which must satisfy either a nation
or an individual who Is striving for
normal artistic development"
Mr.. Kline has just announced the
artists for the first of his chamber
music concerts to be given on Mon
day afternoon, January 10, at wari-
man Park Inn. The Berkshire quar-
tet will be heard in a program of
chamber music in this attractive new
MOTEL of the city.
novelty of the program Is a quin-
tet to be given with Mrs. George
Peabody Eustis at the piano.