Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
w WASHINGTON last week
M had one of the most
w brilliant weeks of music
that has ever been en-

NA/ had one of the mos
" brilliant weeks of music
that has ever been en-
joyed here for many seasons. Will
three operas, one orchestra, TIVE
dance recitals, lecture recital OF
the cantatas of Bach and three
recital programs Of concert mu'
sic, including a "one-man" Amer.
lean composers program, there
was varied fare that exhilaratec
the imagination and brought
worthy representations of famou!
works, some Of them rarely heard
here.
This week continues with SINH
lar promise, qualitatively speak
ing, although 1t Is perhaps as well
that the quantity is less. After
all, musical indigestion is quite as
distressing as any other variety
Nine. Bori, always a charming
polished artist, unfortunately has
had to postpone her concert due
to a severe cold
The German Grand Opera Co.
that came to the National Capital
with flying colors for the debut
of its second American season
last week and left for a tour that
will carry 1t to the West Coast
with favorable comment from
public and press, will conclude
It's local season" with a per-
Torrance of THE Flying Dutch
man." by Richard Wagner. Ac-
cording to a record submitted by
an established musician of Wash
ington, the last presentation OF
this opera here was on February
II, 1858. At that time the Senta
was Emma Juch; the Dutchman,
Ludwig; Erick, Bassett; Deland,
Vetta; the Steersman, Pache, and
Mary, Perring. The company was
Mrs. jeanette Thurber's American
Opera Co.
The story of this opera is given
elsewhere on this page.
Wednesday will see the debut
here of q young singer who has
won acclaim with operate expe-
rience abroad. Nina Velez-Danse-
reau, recently the bride of Hector
Dansereau, the brilliant young
French pianist who was heard
here In joint recital with Mary
Garden two seasons ago, will
share the program Mrs. Towns
end presents Wednesday with
Beniamino Gigli, the great tenor
Of the Metropolitan Opera Co.
The two singers, both operate.
will take advantage of their eff
cheney In that branch of song and
give arias and duets from well
known operas
Saturday the Cleveland String
Quartet makes its public debut
here, at the Library Of Congress,
In works by Mozart and two pres
ent-day composers, Vittorio Rieti
and Ernest Block.
%& y
QUIETLY and modestly, a new
~ hope for Washington bios
somed in the midst of all the bril-
liant music last week. Sunday
morning a week ago, and Mon
day, too, inicthe dingy, huge hall
of the Musicians Union, on E
street. IS Washington musicians
got together, aniably and with
out thought of compensation, to
engage in the first two rehearSals
for the National Symphony Or
chestra.
It L. q saying inherited from
the early sixteenth century, &C
credited to- zone Thomas TusSer,
that "It is an i'll wind turns none
TO good"
Many musicians have been
quick to see the possible detri-
mental effects of the perfection
of "talkies," especially for orches-
trail Interpretation of Aim scores,
Ia regard to the instrumentaliStS
wlro depend upon the motion pic
ture theaters for providing their
living. The radio, too, has given
musicians generally not a few
anxious moments Of bordering.
Yet both these mechanical de-
vices have brought the finest as
well as other music to the atten-
ton Of millions of people who
never thought of attending an
orchestral concert and who, as
motion picture patrons, found
their orchestral "overtures" only
mildly semi-clasSical at best.
Through mechanical devices pro-
grams have rushed to a place
where managers of picture thea
ters feared to even gaze in con-
temptation.
There are too many really IA
NOUS people saying repeatedly in
interviews Musicians are in
clined to underestimate the taste
Of the general public" for there
not to be some truth in this opin-
ION. Radio, in particular. has
shown the way this wind Of pub
lie interest is blowing by the re-
quests for philharmonic and SIM
liar programs.
COOPERATION is one Of the
~ stabilizers of this world of
supposedly civilized human be-
ings. It is by cooperation that
this National Symphony Orches-
ira is organized. It Is by the con-
senting of 80 Washington musi-
clans, many of them distin-
guished soloistS, to rehearse to-
gether without talk of present
compensation, to give three con-
certs locally this Spring, that
hopes of a permanent symphonic
organization for Washington have
sprung up afresh.
It is particularly significant
that these musicians are doine
everything themselves. They got
together and chose their leader
a highly qualified man who i
head of the opera school of the
Cleveland Institute of Music, tc
be their leader. The local musi-
clans also have paid in advance
for the rent of the hall where