Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06


things. are often very deceiving. In
the first place. though few probes
sional music events are announced,
the churches are springing a mush-
room growth OF organ recltalS for
special Lenten services all over town.
In the second PLACE. the glee clubs
from the different colleges and uni
versities are hanging their hats and
tuning up their banjos in the Ma
tional Capital under the auspices OF
their respective State societies. as
they come or 60 from the big COM
petition OF Associated Glee Clubs OF
America that is imminent in New
York City. Time was when the col
iege glee club came only with the
circus. just before graduation time
in the Spring. Then they began
having Christmas holiday tours. and
now we have one or more with us.
especially IN Washington where
sightseeing IS a prime motor sport
as side issue attraction for such
visitors. practically all the year
around. California ; university group
will honor Washington with its
vocal presence Friday night; Mis-
souri, will show" us her glee club
prize-winning ability about 10 days
from now This higher education
business certainly is a grand thing
for boy with voice and the wan
derlust.
4 S for Washington's opera sea
"A son" Il is getting to be A CON
tinuedin- our-neXt affair: somewhat
Of y-wantS-a-COrner game.
After four very ambitious produc
tons for 1907. covering dates from.
early. November through last night,
the Washington Opera Go. has post
ed announcements to the effect that
its particular season may be con-
: sidered al an end.
Last month the Chicago Civic
Opera Co. gave two-day season.
Jacques Sammossoud's operate
group has gwen one performance.
Rollin Bonds company rose to the
surface publicly again recently with
what was generally diagnosed as
very fine amateur production of the
light opera Chimes of Normandy"
Now. Mime. Marie Zalpsky and her
Russian co-workerS in ballet and
stage direction. with a local studio
group OF singers. are planning a
comparatively small vet. at the same
time. extremely ambitious attempt
in the operate field. They are going
10 give Washington the premiere
locally of Serge Rachmaninoff's two
act opera, "Aleko," which was the
subject of much interesting comment
when it was given its American pre-
L. l. IL. II
dio of the Moscow Art Theater.
And, to bring opera up to practically
the limits of an appropriate tempera
ture for such entertainment as re-
quires mothball suspension during
the hot weather, the Metropolitan
Opera Co. will present Gslli-Curci,
Ggli and De Luca, with Serahn CON
Quoting in Nerdi's "Traviata," Fri
day, April q; Puccini's La Bo-
heme," with Bori. Johnson and the
young American. Tibbett. in double
bill with Leoncavallo's "Cavalleria
Rusticana," sung by Easton, Tokat
yam, etc, Saturday afternoon. April
Is, and that same evening, Serahn
again conducting, Verdi's III Trova-
tore" with Ponselle, Martinelli and
Gordon. Such is opera in the Ma
tional Capital.
Mr.. RACHMANINOFF'S opera,
III "Aleko," is not we'll known.
Having begun the opera season here
with "Pique Dame" sung in Russian,
under Russian conductor, with Rus
sian principals, etc, it seems very in
teresting to find an entirely different
Russian group coming forth at this
time with another Russian work
This opera has been called the gold
medal opera"
1t seems, according to notes set
down by the Moscow art group, that
this passionately intense lyric drama,
in one act and two scenes, was writ
ten by Mr.. Rachmaninoff in his
youth. Anton Arensky is mentioned
as its godfather" and the book is
by the great poet Pushkin.
The notes record that 'one dav in
1891, as Rachmaninoff, aged l8, was
about to be graduated from the con-
servatory at Moscow, his master,
Arensky, sought out Nemirovitch-
Uantchenko, already. at the age OF
s., a commanding figure as novel
ist,,a playwright, and critic of mu-
sic and drama. Il have three pupils
IN composition" said Arenskv, for
whom ] wish librettos. want YOU
to do the one for Rachmaninoff.
Nemirovitch- Dantchenko turned to
Pushkin, as more than one hard
pressed hgure in the Russian theatcr
has done N an emergency during the
last hundred years. Taking the
poem The Gypsies.' he dramatized
II IN three days and sent the manu-
script TO the Young student com
poser. A month later Rachmaninotf
had hnlshed the score. and. with it
won the conservatory gold medal
wo years later Safonoff. director Of
the conservatory. arranged for the
performance of the gypsy dances
from "Aleko." Since then il has been
played IN us entirety not only at the
Great State Theater N Moscow and
at the MarinSky in Petrograd
but all over Russia. with Chaliapin
appearing on occasion in the role Of
Aleko. Like many oi the great
products OF Russian creative artists,
"Aleko' has philosophical under
current that a Westerner NAV easily
lose, enthralled by its absorbing &C
ton.
Fyodor Dostoievsky noted this in
his study Of Pushkin, and wrote
quite a lengthy comment upon the
subject Of Aleko, the wanderer hero.
ending with, For the Russian wan
derer can ind his own peace only
in the happiness of all men: he will
Snot be more cheaplv satisfied"
The story OF 'Aleko," as printed
for the local production, is as fol
fox1ye