Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
M u SIC
BY HELEN FETTER.

the greatest heroine of all French
hiStory-also seems to be con-
sistent in this natural trend OF
the composer in his native land
finding inspiration from the fount
of history. He is using as his
text Delteil'S book. M. Ravel has
made some interesting comments
on the general trend of modern
music that have recently seen
the light of publication. In them
he speaks particularly of native
impulses of German and OF
French composers. He says, in
part:
"Schonberg's abstractness is
something rather different. IN
certain respects, quite undeniably
he has been a leader of the move
ment, an initiator. But his sen
Sitiveness, at bottom, is Eastern
and, do what he may, he remains
romantic. 1t Is the younger Ger
man composers who really achieve
the abstractneSs they aim at. And
there is another feature which
strikes me as very curious in the
most recent German music: The
sharp division between music
that aims at popularity and music
which is purely scientific, intend
ed for the initiates only. I can
think Of no other instance of so
marked contraSt-So far as re-
CARDS, OF course, music Of a GER
tain standard; let it be quite clear,
lest I am again represented as
saying something quite different
from what really said, that 1 am
not alluding to differences such as
exist between a shop, ballad and a
string quartet!
I'm France there is a certain
danger of the anti-romantic tend
ency leading to an excess of SIM
plicity-to fragility and lack of
substance. Among the younger
French composers an interesting
one mot yet known in EnglandJ
is Manuel Rosenthal, a disciple of
Erik Satie. Satie of late has been
both praised to excess and Short
Sightedly derided; but it must be
acknowledged that he has exer-
ciSed an influence on several gen.
erationS of French composers; on
Debussy. on myself. on the So
called group Les Six and on
many younger ones. among whom.
with Rosenthal, Delannoy de-
serves special mention"
4 X
BEFORE instrumental music
~ ever existed even in crudest
form, vocal music was fiourishing
in many parts of a still semi-sav-
age world. Choral music is the
music Of the people primarily, for
it is written for them and is pro-
duced by them. To build a really
musical colony anywhere a choral
organization of first caliber will
do more to create a sincere, deep
rooted love Of music than any
other one thing.
Washington, at the present time,
is developing many riches in
choral groups. Several different
organizations have built gradually
and from various angles, all
focused, however, on the one CEN
trail idea of fine choral work. All,
too, have high standards for the
compositions that they present.
Within the past few weeks and
the week opening today several
fine programs have been given by
local choral organizations. The
National Capital 'Oratorio Asso.
citation, DR.. Albert Harmed. di-
rector, will give the choral finale
to the Bloch work as presented
Wednesday by the Boston SYM
phony Orchestra. Last week the
a cappella chorus of the First
Congregational Church, Ruby
Smith Stahl, director, presented
an admirable program excellently
SO excellently, in fact, that it was
especially requested for repetition
today. In the meantime several
women's choruseS have been work.
ing hard on programs and the big
maSsed chorus festival group IS
busily engaged in preparing in it's
separate groups for the program
to be given under the leadership
of Frederick Alexander in May.
One of the true pioneers in this
type of work, the Westminster
Choir Of Dayton. Ohio, John Fin
ley Williamson, director, makes it's
temporary farewell appearance in
Washington Saturday night. This
group is wisely sponsored by a list
Of world-renowned folk, headed
by PreSident-elect and Mrs. Her
bert Hoover. AS J. Fred Wolfe has
proved the breadth and depth of
his great sincerity in building the
Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Pa, so
Mr.. Williamson has built thor
oughly and sincerely in Dayton,