Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14

peClenCe OueISQ CL1S VlSlVOL ~
Berlin's festival"
She adds: ITO attach the POM
pous syllables of world premiere
to such a work Is to give it a Spuri-
Gus importance, for it Is no more
nor less than a cabaret piece, as
the Germans themselves admit
readily enough, freakiShly trans
planted to the opera stage. Be
yond the mild sensation of Crete
Stueckgold'S familiar talents ex-
hibited in the unfamiliar frame of
a porcelain bathtub, there is little
which remains in the mind and
still less in the ear. Mr.. Hinde-
NTH admits his own artistic de-
feat in the frank employment of
a trivial, even fiippant, medium.
He, among others of his cotem-
poraries, forSakeS the subjective
for the obvious, and offers q
superficial review of the Zeit-
geSt' in place of any valid or
comprehensive human emotions.
OF the music, there is even
less to report. A light and tintin-
nabulating style, resulting from
technically clever and muSically
empty employment of counter
point, eccentric rhythmS, unrea-
Sonable diSSonanceS and some in
geniouS but perverSe, and in the
end ineffective, Instrumentation,
suffices Mr.. Hindemith to match
the mood of the librettist. The
music patters and tinkles and
shutters on pianos, winds and
strings throughout the IL scenes
with little variety and less wit.
The composer shows small inter-
est In or sympathy for the sing
ers, and, considering the beguiling
quality of the dialogue, the listen
er hnd$ himself frequently wish
ing for that deSpiSed incongruity,
the speaking voice"
In Philip Hale's page in the Bos-
ton Herald, the following regard
ing Mr.. Hindemith'S opera gives
the plot unusually conciSely:
Paul Hindemith'S latest opera is
a satire on modern life, chiefly on
the social advantages of divorce
and the material rewards of un-
bluShing publicity The libretto,
by MarculluS Schiller, includes
the employment of bureau for
domestic affairs to provide the
necessary grounds for divorce.
The manager of the bureau, ad-
miring the young wife, decides to
make himself the grounds so he
intrudeS on the privacy OF her
bath, for in the first scene Of the
second act she is shown seated in
a hotel bathtub, and singing about
the advantages of having hot
water. The male intrusion leads
to a duet. There is trio when
another woman enters to insist
that this particular bath was or
dered for her. The hotel staff,
drawn into the controversy, fur
niSheS the finale of that scene.
Among the II scenes is one OF
typiStS lyrically clicking their ma
chimes; one of a museum crowded
with tourists; one of a variety
theater interior with perform
ance going on. The divorce is OBJ
tanned, but not until the husband
has been Jailed for smashing
statue of Venus in the museum
when he was in a jealous fit. The
complex finale is devoted to news
notes of the day. Crete Stuck
gold, English by birth, sang the
bathtub aria"
Thus it would seem that the
Broadway revues-bathtub and all
are invading not only the mo-
ton picture field, but also grand
opera.
A LETTER from Frances Cute
"A Illus, Washington pianist i'll
Paris, tells entertainingly Of meet
ing Russell Bennett, Roy Harris,
Ouinto Maganini, whose latest
work is a Cuban Rhapsody" and
hearing a young Chicago pianist,
Esther johnson, who, following
several years study with Stojow-
ski and Sauer, is touring Europe.
Louise Lakin, formerly of Wash
ington, gave a tea in Paris for
Miss Gutelius, at which Miss
johnson was one of the artists
on an informal program.
Miss Gutelius incloseS a pro-
gram of a concert of works by
young Americans. Aaron COPELAND
was represented by his "Vitebsk"
for violin, violoncello and piano,
which has as its basic theme the
song used in 1.-THE Dybbuk," and
two "Pieces for Four Strings" a
lento motto and a rondino, both of
which Miss Gutelius personally
liked very much, although she was
quite unfavorably impressed with
the "Vitebsk." There were three
songs by Israel Citkovitz, of which
bid Adieu, Adieu," seemed to be
best received. The piano sonata
by Carlos Chavez, played by Nine.
Illona Kabos, was enthusiastically
Kissed. Virgil Thomson provided
some apparently harmless mate
rial in "Quelques Airs"-"La Valse
Gregorienne," La Seine" and LIE
Berceau de Gertrude Stein, on lie
MyStere de la Rue de Fleurs."
The last mentioned, which Miss
Gutelius deSignateS as having in
teresting rhythms," has eight
poems by Georges Hugnet, set to
music entitled Lady Godiva's
Waltzes." Nine. Marthe- Maritime
sang two more songs by Thomson,
both with texts by that unique
ultra-modernist, Gertrude Stein,
entitled Susie Asado" and pre-
ciosilla." Roy Harris provided a
"Sextet for Four Strings, Clarinet
and Piano." which won the high
est praise of any work on the en-
! tire program.
Church Has New Director.