Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16
THURSDAY.

a01e tnRu the O0ky uoueAosC ~
./H prevail Of the audience that attended
the first Wilson-Greene concert o.
the season, and the exceptionally ftne artlstA
who IL, this case, must have felt that Constatu-
ton Hall was . very cold place, moeeo. Hne
atmosphere Of the evening, which struck oe"
preston at once with the several rows OF unoS-
cupied seats must have really come as snocK
TO those present. For, only few days Garner
IN the week the hall had been nigh to over
flowing, and smiling with exuberance at the
splendid showing Of the Stokowsd Phhadei-
phians
taste Of the times. It wasn't 50 long ago when
brother symphony societies had to night Tor
their existence-no reflections on the more local
aspects of this-ard when conductors were
pleasant but not overpowering brand OF mus1-
Clans At that time the popular sins. the
Jenny Lind, the Farrar or the Emma Eaxness
could count on an adoring army swaTming mp
onto and over the concert stage. And II sucn
am array of musical prodigies as were assem-
bled by Mrs. Wilson-Greene last week were
to have appeared together, the house would
probably have had to be twice as large
The question is. now. whether the public has
become worshipers so much Of the symphony
orchestras that, outside Of the opera, II mas
little time for more personal performers: OR
whether the musicians corralled for a week ago
saturdays program were not musically at their
best There Is no question that Salvi and
Maier and Pattison won the approval that has
always been theirs. But in the case OF Emma
Otero something was lacking, and in the case
Of Edward Johnston there was something even
more The former surprised, perhaps, merely
by the smallness of her voice. and the latter by
. voice that seemed to be dispensed with for
q show Of backrow dramaticisIn. Whatever
made Deems Taylor choose Mr.. Johnston for
the leading role in his opera, peter Ibbetson"
was certainly not evident Saturday night. He
sang nicely-true-- with great show Of
style, but the vigor Of q Martinelh or the fire
of q Gign were noticeably absent He seemed,
I'm o<aler words. not the great singer that he b
meant to be.
A PRoPos o. symphony orchestras. while
washington's last years organization ID
saumbering peacefully, Indianapolis. in much
the same plight. has pulled. rs they say. "a fast
ones on us. The Tndianapolites have formed
what they can cooperative orchestra. As
described IN the magazine Time. the situation
Is something as follows: Indianapolis at
tempted to solve last week problem existent
in many an important United States city. IN
dianapolis has never had . hOurishing SYM
phony orchestra Of its own, has subsisted on
occasional visits from the Cleveland. Detroit
and Cincinnati bands Yet there are IN In
dianapolis many professional musicians out OF
work. Mulling over these two facts
Ferdinand Schaefer, local violin teacher, con-
ceived the notion Of q cooperative orchestra,
the musicians to play without pay until there
were net receipts to divide. The musicians had
nothing to lose the union agreed. Plans were
made for four concerts, the division of proceeds
to begin after the second. The auditorium In
Ehortridge High School was hired at low cost.
Last week the first concert was given.
Wagner, Mendelssohn and Greig were the come
posers played creditably by the new 6o-piece
Indianapolis Orchestra"
All Of which seems like something to sit up
and take notice Of II other plans for the year
develop with the meagerness that welcomes
the present date.
A EDITIONS to the program announced last
week in the interest OF the Paderewsh
concert include the Bach-LAszt prelude and
Fugue in @ Minor" and schumanns "Carna-
vaI.D The veteran Polish pianist win devote
the remainder of his time to Chopin.
THOSE who were fortunate enough 70 hear
Harriet Cohen in her brief appearance here
with the Brosa String Quartet two weeks ago
wfu no doubt be interested to hear Of the
reception accorded her at her formal concert
debut In New York the middle Of this past
week samuel Chotxinon, often the most
Rrucling OF the musical nterati, said Of her:
EThOse who attended Miss Cohen's recital heard
q gifted pianist IN the most unconventional
urogram offered thus far this season.
Her playing Gin the Bach ID Minor COncertoD
had the necessary clarity and the sentiments
she expressed were neither frigid nor over
heated, but held just the right degree Of
warmth. - she made us her debtors for Q
Wood number az 9hiuRs yeskerday-fOr her inter-