Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-26
NJ u S [ C.
AMERICAN MUSIC PROGRAM.

A group of American composers of
various serious and original styles in
composition was represented in the
program given yesterday morning at
the Cosmos Club by the Friday Morn
ing Music Club. Still ANOTHER Amer
lean composer was a guest at this
program, John Prindle Scott. com
poser of songs, both secular and
sacred, who is spending several weeks
in this, his first visit to Washington.
Mr.. Scott was introduced by Miss
Maud G. Sewall, who had charge of
this program.
In few Introductory remarks Miss
Sewall prefaced the musical program
with mention of how England, which
in Elizabethan days led the world
musically with madrigals and such,
was returning in this cycle to a fore
most position and, with America,
proving that there was fallacy in the
Anglo-Saxon musical inferiority COM
pick. Miss Sewell touched upon the
independence and originality shown
in the works of many presented
American composers and how the
popular music of America, jazz. fasci-
mated European musicians with it's
distinctive individuality, however else
1t may or may not appeal to classical
musicians in this country; that at
least, whether we like it or not. jazz
is an expression Of American present
day life and activities in music.
John Alden Carpenter, described by
Miss Sewall as a "50-year- old sue
cessful business man of Chicago"
was represented on the program by
two piano numbers, "Impromptu"
and "Polonaise Americaine," which
Mildred Kolb Schulze. Washington
pianist composer, played with the
authority of young musician in
sympathy with the modern move
ment and the talent of a very good
pianist, and MAY, the Maiden" a
charming light song, sung by Mrs.
Lobert LIE Fevre. In the piano works
Mr.. Carpenter showed definite indi-
viduality, use of ultra modern style
in phrasing and tonality, but moth
ing that. was startling. Later in the
Critics THE White Peacock" a
lovely, delicate theme worked out
with obvious Debussy influence. yet
maintaining distinction of the COM
poSerS own, and two works by
Henry CoWell. These were both of
Il suite which utilizes the tone clus-
tiers for dominant effects, and they
caused considerable discussion. Even
the super-classicists present ad-
mitted that this was entertaining
music, although they did not favor
the mode of production. After all.
it is the result rather than the
method that is the ultimate aim in
anything.
The first of these Cowell works,
"The Tides of Manaunaun," has been
heard here before. Sidney Clark. a
young New York pianist, played this
work very well on number of occa
sions a couple of Winters ago. Ed
win Hughes, the pianist, formerly
of Washington and now of New York,
also played this composition on q
program of American music here. It
has never been heard to better ad-
vantage than as it was played yes
terday by Mrs. Schulz; the balanced
and unified effect of the whole was
well presented. The other work of
the same suite, 1.-THE Voice of Lir,"
also based upon a very ancient
Irish legend of the half -tongued
father of the gods, is equally inter-
esting in the use of tone clusters
and requires even more athletic skin
in the playing, while the melody is
given interpretative phrasing.
The other instrumental work was
Cecil Burleigh's Second Violin Con.
certo, Opus 49," which was played
by Elsa Raner, with Marie Z. Hansen
giving fine balance to the violin, at
the piano. This work is based upon
no special Indian themes, but it is
decidedly colored with the general
type of American Indian melodies. 1t
is very musicianly piece of writing,
obviously, and invites intelligent in
depreciation.
Mrs. LIE Fevre sang two songs by
Winter Watts Of Cincinnati. THE
Poet Sings and "Pierrot"-both love-
ly lyric numbers. She also sang Miss
Sewalls II Hear America Singing"
written to verses by Walt Whitman
In this song, which is more especially
a mans song, Mrs. LIE Fevre's nneZzo-
soprano tones came through very
clearly and with resonance Miss
Sewall seems to have made n half
way compromise with jazz, taking the
, syncopation in very modified degree
A colorful finale was supplied with
| the group of negro spirituals arranged
| by II. r. Burleigh and Nathaniel Dett
| as sung by an ensemble directed by
Miriam Hilton and including Charlotte
| Hartman, contralto, who sang the
! solo part of the Dett number unusu-
ally well. Mrs. Apple. Elsie Edwards.