Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
USIC
BY HELEN FETTER.

ALLEGRO Barbara" were colorful
and it was an exceptionally inter-
eSting closing number. MI. Clark,
who has won an enviable reputa-
ton for reading the modernS'
works with sympathy and an in
depreciation most likely to convey
the composers meaning as far as
possible to the audience, accuS-
toned orally and mentally to the
classics, is to be highly compli-
mented upon his efforts Tuesday.
He is happily remembered for the
beauty of his exquisite playing Of
DebuSSy'S works when living In
Washington.
Between the talk and the piano
pieces, Mrs. Hilton sang a group of
Hungarian folk songs that were
particularly fascinating in the
completeness OF their unity of
music and words within the brief
est possible space, and also for the
originality and very real values of
the music themes themselves.
Mrs. Hilton'S clear, high voice was
excellent in them and her diction
was in accordance with study she
had made of the pronunciation Of
Hungarian dialect under authori-
ties here.
In closing, it might be of interest
to recall the fact that Bella Bartok
shared with Alfredo CaSella, Ital-
ian moderniSt, in winning half of
the $4,000 first prize for cham
Der music compositions, performed
Sunday, December 80, in Philadel-
phia, under the auspices of the
Music Fund Society of that city.
Samuel Laciar, music critic Of that
city, said, in part, Of the Bartok
work:
1.-THE Bella Bartok string quartet
is decidedly the best of the three
works in that form that the great
Hungarian modernist has COM
posed. It follows his general char
acteriStics in that it casts to the
winds all rules and precedent of
form, melody and harmonization,
following no precedent except his
own wishes.
ut is extremely diScordant in
many places when listened to by
ears attuned to the melodies and
harmonies of the great classic
composers, but, nevertheless, it Is
an excellent specimen Of ultra
modern composition, showing all
that knowledge of musical COM
position which Bartok possesses to
so great a degree.
1.-The quartet is one of the most
difficult compositions ever put
down on paper, and every resource
Of the stringed instruments is en-
ployed in It. It was splendidly
performed. $50" AS Is always the
case with a new Bartok number,
when presented before an audi
ence not composed Of enthusiast
tics over modern music. the COM
position was received with conSid-
cradle reserve"
ruth TOWNSEND lin private
life Nine. Milan Petrovic, and
possibly about to revise her profess
sional name to Ruth Townsend
Petrovic), is an American singer,
with unique ties to Washington,
the National Capital, where she
has a number Of distinguished
relatives, active members in So
cial circles, and has herself resided
from time to time when not tour
ing Europe in concerts. She viii
be presented in joint recital with
Beniamino Gigli, tenor Of the
Metropolitan Opera Co., Wednes-
day, by her aunt, Mrs. Lawrence
Townsend.
This talented and artistic meg
zo-Soprano comes here almost i'm
mediately after a remarkable tri-
umph in Cincinnati, Ohio, where
she sang two solo parts in De-
buSsy'S 1.-THE Blessed DamoSel,"
singing the second of the two at
almost literally "a moments no
tice." It was the Christmas festival
concert. One Of the reviewers OF
the event says:
""The Blessed Damosel' was,
moreover, a unique triumph for
Ruth Townsend, Cincinnati mez-
zo-soprano. Originally engaged to
sing only one of the solo parts in
the Debussy number, she under
took at the last moment to fill
the vacancy caused by the alb
scence of Hulda LaShanska also,
and actually learned and sang
both solo parts. She did them beau
tifully, singing with a genuinely
artistic eye to the totality of eff
feet, rather than with the desire to
make an impression. The result
was that she did make an impress
sion and a very good one, indeed"