Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-03

URGES u. S. BE GIVEN
RARE HANDEL OPERAS
Harden Proposes Germany Repay
America by Enriching
Artistic Life.
WORKS, JUST FOUND, CHARM
Editor Delighted With Production
of Mastery Art.
WORKS, JUST FOUND, CHARM
BY MAMMALIAN HARDEN.

By Radio to The Star.
BERLIN, February while Gen,
Dawes and the other members of the
PREPARATIONS commissions committees
OF experts are studying German
finances and Gen. Allen is preparing
his humane charity campaign against
the misery of the children and middle
classes, the writer has been worrying
about when an opportunity would
present itself to exhibit Germany's
gratitude to America by some better
means than soon-forgotten words,
Chance carried the writer. with his
opera houses this week. He had ex-
pected to witness an archaeological
excavation. or an exhumation but
what he witnessed was a wonderful
resurrection of living work. which
delighted the heart with all the
charms OF mastery art.
In the university city of Goettin-
gen. the musical authorities and
musicians selected from the works
left by George Friedrich Handel in
the eighteenth century. certain operas
as being worthy of being produced.
And after hearing two Of these
operas Julius Caesar" and Rode
linde." the writer must not only ap-
dict. but must also find 1t inconceiv-
able that such splendor could have
been hidden so long from humans
thirstfng for beauty.
Sees World Enriched.
Is the resuscitation of a work Of
art of such high grade not an enrich
ment of the world. and may 1t be
overlooked by chronfclers who have
so much space at their disposal, not
w fn he D,,1x
tically valuable contents of a Pha-
roah's tomb. but also for the transit
tory events OF every day?
Handel himself Is neither forgotten
was born in 1855 as the son of a Ger
man physician, and died in London
In 1853, poor and blind. still lives for
all time among the greatest instru-
is more popular in England today
than he ever was in his homeland.
under the shadow Of the almighty
Johan Sebastian Bach.
out for the Haymarket and Covent
Garden theaters in London were re-
garded as utterly antiquated and un-
producable. And since the English
to those Of their favorite. nobody was
willing to believe that those operas
would endure.
One NAV not. of course measure
them by Wagnerian musical or dra-
matte standards nor examine too
critically their librettos. whose stuff
Handel drew from all the regions Of
mythology and history. But Caesars
romance with Cleopatra interests for
all time. and the ballad of the virtu-
Gus Queen Rodelinde. whose wifely
loyalty bravely withstands all temp
tations and threats. and who is re-
from exile and death. still awakes an
echo today in every feeling breast.
Artistic Aim Differs.
But the artistic aim of Handlers
operas is not a musical representa-
ton of the action itself as in the
music drema. The action finds ex-
preston, as in the Greek dramas,
through rhetorical reports: so here,
through Secco-recitative. with harp
poser does not endeavor to shape or
illustrate happenings. but to give
expression to the feelings which these
happenings evoke.
The world did not know yesterday
20 what degree he had succeeded
IN this. Devoutly and blissfuIly, the
hearers listened to these overtures
and fntermezzf. these arias. duets and
ensembles Everything is here united:
Majesty of passion and tenderest In
ward feeling. dark pomp and festival.
gladstone grace Of minuets. piety and
wild demonism, the happiness of
quiet love and the clamor of state
proceedings. An ocean of melodic
wonders bears on its waves the lis
tener. who, drinks in the coIorful
variations like nectar, and who is
1resher at the end than at the be-
ginning.
Handel. above all. teaches mod
ems to understand correctly Metz
sche's theory that the artistic form
OF tragedy was born from the shirt
or music. And this maddkning wealth
OF Immortal beauty has been buried
for 200 years!
Isn't such a resurrection quite as
worth describing as is Tut-ankh
Amen. Won Seeckt. some transitory
mister, or some scandal sinking Of
petroleum.? Even the German gov
ernment's attempt to place the rail-
roads under private control is not so
important for the world.
Demand Beautiful Voices.
In order to achieve its completest
enect, Handles works demand the
most beautiful and highly trained
voices. Where can these be found
today II not In America. which draws
them to herself maRneticaIly, ali
zones? Here Is a possibility for Ger
many to discharge part of her debt
to American idealism. The German
master Of the eighteenth century can
enrich the new worlds artistic life
And the posthumous thanks of this
genius simultaneously reminds that
humanity also serves itself If 1t does
not permit to atrophy the spiritual
and Intellectual powers Of 4 nation
from which humanity received the
Bach. Gluck. Beethoven. Mozart,
Haydn. Schubert. Schumann. Brahms
Wagner. Bruckner. Mailer and
Strauss.