Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20


parts of the country, and he
Skyscrapers in big cities from coas
to coast buzzing with organized
business efficiency, the Unitec
States is turning more concen'
trated effort toward her music
problems. 1t Is significant thai
the Arnerican-born prima donna
Rosa Ponselle, and the oldest or
chestral body in continuous serv.
ice in the United States, devoted
I to the performance of orchestra
music-the New York Philhar-
monte Symphony Orchestra
have won laurels of the Euro
pean Summer music season
ts2V-3o.
This is the first time that al
the famous festivals of the differ
,ent European countries and the
equally renowned programs by
s. Partisan and other foreign or
chestras should be overshadowed
both in worldwide interest and
critical appraiSing by American
Z performers of music. This singer
and this organization went to Eu
s. rope, not to study and pay for
opportunity to perform, but to
present creative interpretations
of some of Europe'S most noted
music, vocal and instrumental,
) that were to win highest COM
: nlendation from the most critical
audiences in the world. True,
Eignor Toscanini, who conducted
: the orchestra on its first European
6 tour, is a great man of Milan,
Tfalxy IInvxJnunP 11A had a AV1n1Ny
: built organization, whose tradi-
! tons have grown with those of
2 that unique American metropolis
New York City-to conduct.
Criticisms meted warm praise to
the orchestra as an organization,
as we'll as to the conducting by
ToScanini.
In Washington it was rumored
In the Spring that this orchestra
could not arrange to come here
for programs next year. How
; ever, enthusiastic members of the
local committee sponsoring the
3 orchestra's appearance in Wash
ington have managed to secure
q promise that the New York Phil
harmonic Symphony Orchestra
will play three concerts here next
year, If the public will respond so
as to make the series feasible.
This leaves the matter entirely
up to music lovers of Washington.
= It is to be hoped they will an
gWer the challenge at least as en-
ergetically as audiences in Rome,
! Paris, Vienna, Berlin, London and
elsewhere did this Summer, even
when this visiting orchestra was
competing with their own elabo-
rate musical events, planned
especially to interest the visiting
American tourists.
"A CONDUCTOR new to Ameri-
can audiences will lead the
New York Philharmonic Sym
phony Orchestra for its opening
six weeks during the coming
season. He is Erich Kleiber, con-
ductor of the Stadt Oper of Ber-
lin, Germany. 1t was Herr Klei-
Der who conducted the premiere
of Ambassador Claudel's Book of
Christopher Columbus" with mu-
&ACal SEOIE ny bdA1u0 NlAAAduOJ AAA
Berlin, in May.
Like many other distinguished
musicians, Herr Kleiber had
tragedy In his life when very
young. His father died when he
was four and the child was reared
by several aunts who had meager
incomes. His health was delicate
and he was very self-willed and
hard to manage. He would not
take any interest in sports and
studied, even at the conservatory,
only the subjects that definitely
interested him. AS a result he
was expelled from the school in
Prague.
These and many other inter-
esting details concerning the
background Of this musician
were submitted to member of
the orcheStra'S staff by Ruth
Kleiber, American wife Of the
conductor. She also said:
You know about the beginning
of his career as conductor, and
that his first real engagement was
as conductor to the court of Ernst
Ludwig, Grand Duke of HeSse, in
DarmStadt. Visitors at our
home are often puzzled, and some
people ask why certain bat
tered old black chest with rope
handles and a rusty lock stands
in a prominent place in our din
ing room. 1t is with this old
chest and less than 40 marks in
his pocket that Kleiber arrived in
Darmstadt not so many years
ago, and he gives it a place of
honor in the best room in his
house as q constant reminder of
those days of struggle"
Frau Kleiber also tells rather
amusing anecdote of domestic
nature about her Viennese hus-
band, whom she first met in
Buenos Aires and three months
later married in Berlin. This was
in 1925. Two years later, at
Christmas time, Herr Kleiber went
to a shop in Vienna and asked for
shoes for his daughter. When the
clerk asked the child's age, he re-
piled. well, as a matter of fact,
she hasn't arrived yet"
~ ~
WASHINGTON has several vio-
Nv linistS who studied with Leo
pold Auer. the great authority on
this instrument and pedagog
who died in Dresden, Germany,
Tuesday. Most prominent of the
local group was Sylvia Lent, who
has won recognition asa profess
sional artist of marked talent,
both in Europe and America. Miss
Lent is said to have enjoyed the
distinction of being the first