Evening star., 1927-10-30

The Sun Cod has written another
| librctto which is based upon sub
| ject of American history. Residence
at Harpcrs Ferry more than 20 years
! ago. when personal narratives OF
| John Brown and his raid were still
| common topics of conversation by
! those who had been directly related
/ to the stirring event and that Slngu-
! lar individual, aWoke in DIR. James
a desire to place the events OF the
raid in faithful dramatic setting
without arousing sectional preiu
diccS. Fifty years after the stirring
event which foreshadowed the Civil
War he wrote play entitled The
Raider" after having secured mo-
ton picture production for a story
that bore somewhat upon the John
Brown theme. Authorities in the
field OF music and drama urged him
to seek PuCCinis collaboration i'll de
vcloping the theme into an opera.
DR. James, however. was not yet
rt-uy and felt there should be GER
tain changes in his libretto, Also
he telt it los cal that an American
composer should write the music.
During the past Summer the work
on his libretto was completed and it
has been placed i'll the hands of a
composer of national eminencc.
whose name DR.. James is not yet
ready to divulge. The only other
writer who had dwelt at length
previously upon the John Brown
drama, utilizing it for serious work,
was William Vaughan Moody, who.
at the time of his death, had pro-
jected a cycle of dramatic poems
based upon this theme.
THE first edition of new work
L of biography OF American musi-
clans is being prepared. and will be
known as Who's Who in Ameri-
can Music" 1t is to be published
under the auspices of the American
biographies Association. with head
quarters in Washington. This vol
ume will present an accurate record
OF cotemporary American musicians.
as well as those who are promoting
the cause of music in other phases,
such as publishers, manufacturers,
writers on musical subjects, mana
gers and patrons. 1t is designed to
meet a need expressed by librarians.
musicians and others for an up-to-
date and authentic reference work
OF this nature. Doubtless Washing
ton musicians will be we'll repre-
sented in the book.
X X X
WHAT with all the prizes floating
around, especially in this coun-
try, for different types of musical
compositions, one does not wonder
that many previously interested pri
mariiy IN other more commonplace
professions are tempted to turn to
Juggling notes about on manuscript
paper. 1t is recognized fact that
many people IN all walks of life are
tempted at times to write plays; now
musical composition seems to be en-
tering similar field for tempting the
amateur pen. Quite recently a spe-
chic instance brought to attention
was that of an insurance agent who
has written a sonata The perform
ance of this work is anticipated bv
Anton Rovinsky, the New York pian-
ist. The report, giving details OF this
work, is as follows:
Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau and
Louisa Alcott, American literary pio-
neers, are celebrated in the success
slve movements OF sonata written
by Charles E. Ives, under the title
Concord" The name refers, OF
course, to Concord, Mass, which
gave its name to this group of
writers.
A few months ago a copy of this
sonata, privately printed, was pre-
sented to Anton Rovinsky, the New
York pianist, by friend. With it
came note, suggesting that he try
this on his piano" and intimating
that here was the ultimate last
word" in modernist compositions for
the pianoforte.
Mr.. Rovinsky admits that at first
glance he was struck with dismay."
There were no bar lines for the main
parts of the composition, and certain
parts had to be played with 14-inch
rulerl This latter statement" Ro-
whisky explains, is to be taken lit
erslly-at certain points whole Sc
rieS OF two octaves or so of notes has
to be pressed down silently with
ruler, in order to get the harmonics
and overtones induced by the playing
Of chords in the other hand. There
are complete rhythmic distortions,
and also, for the most part, an abso-
lutte lack OF tonality."
However, by continued rereading,
Rovisky found that the piece began
to assume a comprehensive pattern
There was no possible question as to
the scholarly musicianship of the
composer. 1t was simply matter,
on the pianist's part. of learning a
new idiom. This was gradually ac-
complished by Rovinsky through con-
centrating on one movement at a
time. The key to the solution OF the
Emerson movement, for instance, lay
in the fact that Mr.. Ives had written
that movement in exactly the same
manner as Emerson wrote his es-
says-piecemeal. One had to find the
core of the work somewhere deep
in the heart of the piece, and work
outward from there.
Mr.. Rovinsky decided to play the
Hawthorne movement publicly this
Winter, as an experiment. He wrote
to Mr.. Ives, the composer, asking
for an appointment to consider sew
eral phases OF his Interpretation. Dis
cuSsion OF the problems of the con-
cert stage led Mr.. Ives to volunteer
rewriting Of this movement in order
to make it more applicable to the
piano.
Mr.. Ives, it developed, is the head
OF one of the large insurance firms
in New York City. He was a pupil
OF Horatio Parker at Yale. and has