Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23

x are making the Nat10na
Capital safe for the music
center of the United States
at last.
Influential individuals and large
civic groups with the power to
turn the scales in favor of fine
permanent projects seem to have
become really music conscious In
the season now drawing to close
more than ever before. Real
teamwork" invaluable asset in
any endeavor, is beginning to bear
fruit in high places.
There are many here who have
been keenly interested in the mu-
steal progress of Washington for
years. Some of the leading must
clans here have had visions of
what seems on the brink of be-
coming reality, for nearly half a
century. Pioneers in music, how
ever, as in everything else, work
under handicap. Theirs is the
proud knowledge that they saw
the vision and have hammered
steadily in its behalf. Others, on
the contrary, usually are the
practical instruments of realizing
Sucn VISION.
X 4 X
THERE have been those to whom
opera is the prime interest.
who have talked constantly of
bringing the finest available OPP
era in this country to Washington
regularly. Only within the past
year has the Washington Opera
Association, Inc, organized by a
group of society women, placed
an annual visit of the Metropolis
tan Opera Co. on a practical, SyS-
tematic basis. Previously, one
manager has had to make this
project her personal gamble. Now
the Metropolitan Opera Co.'s ap-
pearanceS here have become Suf-
f1ciently important in the eyes
of those who have the reinS that
guide the accomplishment of rad
ical changes, governmentally or
otherwise, that several miracles
have been performed.
Through the combined efforts
OF Representative Bloom Of New
York and Mrs. Robert Low Bacon,
wife of Representative Bacon, also
from that State, and chairman of
the local opera associations COM
mittee, William Fox, motion pic
ture theater magnate, has con-
Sented to rent the Fox Theater in
Washington for these perform
ances in April. Mr.. Fox, moreover,
will take only the necessary oper-
ating costs. Mrs. Wilson Greene,
manager or the opera company's
local productions, also accepts no
personal profit. With the seating
capacity of $500, the ticket price
for the public has been reduced
considerably. The lowest priced
seats now are So instead of SIS, and
there are many more of them
than was possible at Polls Thea
ter, which seats only about 1900
people, at the higher rate.
In addition to the above-men-
toned examples of fine co-opera-
ton, even the Internal Revenue
Department of the United States
Government is showing a friendly
effort to help make these opera
performances in Washington a
real success.
Because of the educational
value Of opera, the Washington
Opera Association, Inc, which will
sponsor the appearances of
the Metropolitan Opera Co. at the
Fox Theater, has been declared
free Of all amusement tax on the
tickets, and any payments by the
guarantorS will be deductible from
income tax payments when re-
turns are made for 1880.
This ruling was made by the
Bureau of Internal Revenue in re-
spouse to a request from Mrs.
Bacon.
The association, recently form
ed, has for it's purposes ito en-
courage the understanding and
appreciation of music, to cultivate
musical art, to promote the must
cal education of the public and to
stimulate interest in grand opera
in the National Capital.
"GRAND opera is dead; long
live grand opera!" has been
the confusing croSS-crying of
many in the musical world within
the past few months.
Nothing could be more contra
dictory of the rumor that grand
opera is passing than the Staunch
support that comes from the
White House itself for the Ameri-
can Opera Co. A national drive
is on at present to substitute the
American Opera Co. for period
Of five years. This company Of
course, gives all productions in
English, "the language of the au-
dience." 1t also has Amerieanized
and generally revolutionized pro-
auctions of many standard oper-
attic works. The directors of this
company have published, appar-
emily with full official authority,
a letter which President Hoover
wrote to Nicholas Longworth,
Speaker of the House, in which
the Chief Executive wrote:
II am glad to learn of your in
tereSt in the American Opera Co.
It is a vital movement to estab-
liSh a national organization for
young American singers, compos-
erS and writers.
II wish to take this opportunity
to indorSe so fine an effort and
to urge all music loving Ameri-
cans to lend their support in max
ing it a permanent national insti-
tuition"
1t is interesting in this connec-
fN.N b. 81 H.. u.