Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-13
vi Z s &c
\ MODERN MUSIC TOUR.

The members of the Twentieth Cen
fury Club Music Section and few
guests enjoyed unique musical
sightseeing trip into the realms Of
modern French music at the Wom-
ems University Club yesterday morn
ing when strange sounds greeted
their aurical eXplorings. Mrs. Gerrit
& Miller ir. keen enthusiast on
this subject, held the fgurative mega
phone. giving short. concise and illu-
nina ting remarks before the instru-
mental and vocal numbers and pro
viding program sign-posts before each
selection. With her husband. who Is
"a musical scholar of recognized au-
thoritv, Mrs Miller has gone over
much material of this type and given
II thorough and critical study. Mrs.
Miller gave as biblioCTaphical refer
enCeS DR.. E.agletield- HullS new mu-
steal dictionary and EurEn"ame Hill S
book on Modern French Music" pub
liShed a wear ago last Summer. She
also gave credit to the valuable as
sistance found in the manuscripts
available in the music division OF the
Library of Congress under Carl Engel.
Then, as Mrs. Eugene BTrnes. pre-
siding. warned her club sisters, the
Twentieth Century Club and friends
began their tour listening with an
omen mind''-or at least as near to
one as the individuals present We're
able TO achieve, each in his own way.
In the preliminary remarks Mrs.
Miller toll Of the initial meeting or
the now famous Group de Six in
1919 at the home of music critic
in Paris The main point Of unity
of the group is in the radical antagon-
ism of its members toward the i'm
pressionistic school of Dehussy. Ac-
cording to Mrs Miller, in quoting
Darius Nilhaud, one of the six, the
cyrouD had no idea we were group
until the Paris papers told US So
They state their general aim as a
desire 10 recover the traditions OF
Rameau. BerlioZ and others and say
heir musical message conclSeIF- MIS-.
Miller then give short biographical
sketches Of the six. VIII" are George
Auric. Darius Milhaud. Francis
Poulenc. Arthur Honegger, Louis
Durev. and the one woman, Germaine
TailIeferre. These sketches were par
ticuIarlv interesting in that they
demonstrated the thorough basic
knowledge of recognized classical
training in harmony, counterpart ana
theory that practically every one OF
this group possessed prior TO break
ing away into individual laboratory
work along modernistiC lines of poly
tuna!ltN. a-tOnaltN ana tHe Hioue'h
chord forms based upon new inter
walls with use OF the 12-tone scale in
stead of the diatonic scale.
After an explanation of these terms,
accompanied by illustrations on the
piano by Mrs. Henry van Pelt. Mrs.
Miller introduced the assisting artists
i'm the recital, Mrs. Van Pelt of Har-
risburg. and Albert Almoney, tenor,
Of Baltimore, Mr.. Almoney was con
siderably handicapped with severe
case OF bronchitis, vet put conscientl-
Gus work into his numbers. which in
Guided "FIirondeIle" and 'Escarrin,
from Auric's Il Alphabet" two light
little songs for children: Chant
d'Amore" and Les Jacinthes," by Mil
baud: a fascinating little bit of humor
in Poulenc'c "Grasshopper" and again
in "DanseuSe" of Honegger with that
composers 'L'Adieu" as the most
somber note in the program. This
song is said to be based upon folk
song of southern France. The ac-