Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13

Otto Kahn came forward with
the announcement of a new move
in the usual plans of the Metro
polftan Opera Co. of New York. by
Initiating suburban opera for
White Plains. =. ... . +
The latest unusual plan, oper-
atically speaking, comes from
Germany, a country noted for its
fine. PROVINCIAL opera houses, as
we'll. as impressive structures in
all the large cities It is announced
that Max Reinhardt, the distin-
guiShed dramatic impreSario, has
acquired a leading interest in the
Terra-Film Co, which has signed
a contract with Heinz Tietjen,
general director. of the Berlin
Staedtische Oper. They will have
all rights to produce film operas,
with the assistance Of both the
motion picture company and the
opera house. The most significant
part of the whole idea, however,
lies in the announcement that
these sound film operas will not
be shown in the regular motion
picture: houses, but in the opera
houses in the provinces, thus hop
Ing to meet the threatened crisis.
Should this plan prove success
ful It. will certainly. circumscribe
considerably the field for young
Americans, who have previously
sought German as we'll as Italian
and French small opera houses
for their gaining of the necessary
experience to build operate rep
ertoire. Instead of each provin-
cial opera house having its own
company, there will be but the one
amalgamated company to make
the pictures, which will be shown
at all the houses.
The situation is not unlike that
faced in Washington and other
cities by the orchestra men, who
find the orchestral music recorded
in sound films in this country
makes a theater orchestra in
creaSingly.. negligible from the
point of view of the. motion pic
ture theater manager. There is
little doubt that the general pub
lie will demand a real orchestra
present in the theater pit in due
time, but until the novelty of the
sound film has worn off, the status
VI G41C UL1CdUCA OLNI1CSLId
Is a precarious and unhappy one
indeed.
These men deserve the thought
full consideration and backing of
their public The elimination of
theater orchestraS means not only
the loss of bread and butter jobs
for these musicians and their
families, but also means a definite
musical and artistic loss to the
public that patronizes those thea
tiers. These orcheStraS have
played more important part
than many realize in bringing
really good music easily and cas-
ually to the ears of a public largely
musically unframed.
:&& X
4" JACK.and the BeanStalk"' is an
nounced as the latest opera
to be in state Of preparation.
The libretto is from the pen of
chat master of facetiousness, John
Erskine, and the score is being
prepared by Louis Gutenberg.
The work is definitely announced
for performance under the aus
pices of the Juilliard Foundation
There may be considerable dis
Sension as to the musical values
OF many of the present-day OPP
eraS, but certainly no one can say
that they are not striking out
into new fields of subjects.
Among the varied themes noted
1iche Hand" of Schoenberg;
60 Ia ~
Choice" by Antheil THE Book of
Christopher Columbus" by Mil
baud; Peter Ibbetson," by Deems
Taylor, and now fairy story of
nursery standards, to be set to
music by Mr.. Gutenberg. &c..
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S
passing has aroused world
wide interest and curiosity as to
whether or not this sincere be-
lever in spiritualism will be able
to send any proof to his family
from the other side of the veil
There have been not a few muSi-
clans who have had unusual ex-
eerienceS of psychic nature. One
that was recently brought to pub
lie attention concerned the COM
poser Of the popular opera Car
men"-Georges Bizet. 1t was ap-
parently an example of purely
spiritual communication of one
person with another, it was men
toned recently in daily issue of
The Star. -.e.. - ~, >,
Nine. Galli-Marie, the compos-
er's choice for the creator of the
title role in Carmen" was sing
ing that role the night Bizet was
stricken with heart attack, from
which he died the following
morning. The date was June 2.
1875, just three months following
the premiere. The composer had
not gone to the theater on this
latest occasion. The prirna donna
was singing her role, when sud-
denly she gasped, grew white and
stopped singing for a moment
The audience was disturbed, and
another singer on the stage whis-
pered in alarm toS Nine. CALI
Marie, What is tip
She replied. "a shooting pain
In my side. It was like the blow
of hammer in my heart" How
ever, the soprano showed marked
control and in moment resumed
her song and finished the act.
Once back in her dressing room,
surrounded by anxious friends,
she had nothing to say about her
self, but exclaimed: Some mis-
fortune has happened to our
L. - A.