Evening star., 1926-08-22

MS ln0ldn music. perhaps t0eN CAN
hand down to future generations
music that will he held in the same
respect as the works OF the great
masters Of generations passed.
x
A massive production of Carmen Is
to he given this week in st. Louis
at the Forest Park Playhouse. under
the direction of Guy Golterman, IN
which two of the leading parts are
to be sung by stars who have won
great acclaim with the Washington
Opera Company.
Elda Nettori, whose Tosca still r.
fresh in tn" memory OF opera lovers
as one of the finest ever heard in this
city, will sing Micaela and George
Chechanovsky, baritone. who reached
the high spot of his many rerfor.
mances here in the role of the
herald In I.ohengrin, will sing the
part of DanCalr5.
A double cast has been arranged
which includes stars Of both the Chi
cago and Metropolitan companies and
also Joseph ROyer. who has been
heard here with the San Carlo com
pany.
Mr.. GoIterman. who founded the
great open-air theater in st. Louis.
is the discoverer Of Nettori. lie heard
her beautiful voice and starred her
with the his light opera company In
st. Louis.
All the operas are given in a great
outdoor theater which seats 10000
people and the seats are usually too
few for the crowds seeking entrance
The huge stage will permit the ON
ployment of a chorus numbering l30
which has been recruited from the
various choral societies i'll the city
A ballet OF 80 has also been assembled
along with en- orchestra of 60
Mr.. Golterman. hack in 1917. he
came convinced that open-alr nerfor-
mances of grand opera and light opera
in Summer would pay in -. Louis
and started his theater. Tive result7
have surpassed his greatest hopes.
It would seem that son'o slr'
scheme should work out here IN tho
capital.
4 season Of light opera was ~
tempted last summer. hut was not
altogether successful. The lack of
success may have heen due too tho
fact that the performances were given
indoors and the heat acted as de
terent The novelty Of sitting out IN
the coolneSs of the evening with onlt
the sky tor roof while listening 10
light operas might draw a larger
crowd.
Other cities havc their outdoor con
certS and operas in TN" evenings ard
find an enormous patronage. Wash
ington is unfortunate in not being so
blessed 1t is true that concerts arc
given almost every evening by the
various hands in the cities and tho
programs arc excellent. No criticism
can bo madn Of either the earneStneSs
of the musicians nr their pCrfnr-
manCeS, hut II is an undCniahle fact
that the concerts are given under the
most unfa vorahlc conditions. This l.,
due in part to the settings for th"
concerts md in part to the audience
| themselves.
1t seems that nearly always whcu
the band Is playing u beautiful liania-
sino :auCus automohil" horn
sounds stridentlv through the music
not only spelling tho effect hut raue-
ing an irritation tn the auditor thar
! lasts long after tho sound has o.
| CURED. Or perhaps if no horn i
| sounded. a truck or trolley ear
| will go gathering by with a volume
of sound that browns out the musir
completely.
The faults that lie at the feet ot
! the audiences are due To autoiStS and
to children and unthinking parents.
Far too often it happens that an au-
| toiSt parked ON the side of the street
| adjacent 10 q park in which Il con
cert is being given will decide in the
middle of = number that he has had
enough. II seldom occurs tn him that
/ II would me polite and cOnSidcratr
| too say thn least to wait until that
number is finished. Instead. hr stops
on his starter. races his engine. usi;
ally clashes his gears and goes racin2
away. a two or three minute wait
would have done him no harm and
would have allowed others present To
enjoy the music.
| One instance comes to mind AT -
little triangle at Thirteenth and Fm
erson streets. A young fellow With
| a roadster and three passenger
| toured around the triangle perhaps
| ten or twelve times while the inter
mezZo of "Cavaleria RustiCana" waS
being played. The noise Of his On
Tine ruined the entire performance.
Parents who attend the concerts
with their children and then allow
the children I" play around. running
| in and out. humping people and hoot
| ing to one another also arc incon-
| Slderate. so. too. are those who
| threaten to take the children home
| If they do whatever they have hoen
doing again, and then don't take them
when the offense is repeated. often
| making more noise with their mean
| ingless threats than the children in
| their play.
| There are a number of spots whore
the concerts are given which are freo
of all distractions. places such AS the
! Sylvan yheater, the sunken garden
AT Walter Reed, the Marine barracks
and the Army barracks. Dclichtful
concerts are given at these places
and are we'll attended
The isolation from passing sound
/ could also 10 had at Griffith stadium
If arrangements could he made for
| outdoor concerts there in tho oven.
ing. The problem of lighting tt9
| stands would not he overlv diffcul,
and the thousa nds of seats would pro.
vide the comfort not to hp had at
| the majority of the concerts The c&-
Cellent location so far as trolley une4
are concerned and tho great amount
of parking space would make thc
stadium ideal for outdoor concert
| from the transportation point Of vinv
Grand opera, light opera. orchestra
concert end band concert all could
| ne staged there under almost ideal cir
cumstanceS. Music lovers. perhape T,
little tired from "A long season of more
serious works. might find in outdonr
| programs of more tuneful music p
very attractive change that would
bulld up great institution like Mr.
GOlterman'S company or the selies of
symphony concerts in the Lewissohu N
stadium in New York Only some
directing head TO undertake the prnpu
Sltion Is needed. always assumin.
that Clark Griffith. president of tn,
base ball club, would give his consent