Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05

ana sends Its predecessor into vale
of conventional oblivion. The auto
mobile now rattles along as unnoticed as a
dried-up relic of Victorianism; electricity floods
the house, with neither a grunt nor a groan;
the telephone rings in Paris and a voice says
care you there?" from Seattle; ice cubes bristle
into shape in rubber trays In the pantry; q
movie star says It love you" once before q
camera and subsequently says it three times
daily in several thousand movie theaters
throughout the country
Music has had its share of surprises.
lew years ago a man waved his hand In the
air and discovered that he could draw music
out of It, Stokowski pressed some kind of
button and his radio performance with the
orchestra said to be tuned to perfection.
Discords have been found to be good music
and some of the classicists have been found
to be quite as modern as the "modernists.'
The latest musical idea has been baptized
by a musician known especially for her work
in Washington and New York-Mre. Won
Unschuld-and this idea has been found to be
good. Musical instruction by television; this
Is the latest bit of magic that has come about,
and the aforementioned lady has had the
honor to be the first lady in the land to in
corporate this interesting development through
the piano.
Teaching through the medium of television
seems almost like an Arabian Nights" tale.
One buys q machine. One looks through the
wicket that has been provided for the eyes.
One sees a lens and through that lens, let
us say, Nine. Unschuld's right hand NOV
ing slowly on the keyboard. This all happens
on Tuesday. One knows that at such and
such a time (and it is actually on Tuesday,
the instructress will give lesson No. 10 in
her well known course on technique. Looking
through the lens, Nine. Won Unschuld is
seen and heard continuing the lesson where
she left off week ago. There are the fingers,
working slowly so as not to confuse the pupil
and there iS S0I0d-and there the
maxims as prepared by the teacher for that
particular lesson. It all seems bit weird.
And yet it is said to be wonderfully perfect
performance.
Although teevision has not struck home
Korcibly as yet, it is certainly catching on. 1t
seems that in New York the mammoth de-
partment stores carry the machines and that
some $1,000 of them have been sold already.
The fact that all branches of educators are
bearing down on this field and that many Of
them, like Nine. Unschuld have started
what promise to be vitality worthwhile courses
indicate that this invention, which, when first
mentioned threw mankind precipitously out of
bed, is now absolutely at hand.
A MONG the musical notes and activities
which have struck the worlds attention
most forcibly during the past few weeks
are the storm of protest that has arisen in
Paris over Heifetz's transcription for violin and
piano OF Cne famous DeDuSSy AFTERNOON OI
Faun"; this has been called "a barbarouS
act; the season of Russian opera and Russian
ballet at the Lyceum Theater in London under
the direction Of Sir Thomas Beecham-
Chaliapin seems to have been splendid and
not much else; the Metropolitan Opera Co.'S
engagement Of two new stage directors, Alex
ander Sanin and Hams Niedecken- Gebhardt;
the orchestral novelties that will be presented
by Fritz Reiner and Albert Coates at the New
York Stadium this Summer, among the most
publicized The Flea" by Shaporin, said to be
representative of music today IN Russia;
the statistics issued by the New York Times
10 the effect that of the LAO musicians play
ing in the 10 major symphony and operate
orchestras throughout the country 513 Of them
are native born-that the players come from
27 nations. that Seattle has the highest per-
centage Of native performers, that Chicago
has the lowest native average that the New
York Philharmonic has only 26 per cent. and
that Italians and RusianS-after the native
most numerous in these musical
organizations, and Rosa Ponselles phenomenal
success in the title role of the Romano Romani
opera, "Fedra," produced recently at Covent
Garden.
DIERRE KEYS Musical Who's Who" re-
! Gently published, should interest those who
are at all Geographically inclined. Although
The summary of musicians found in this large
volume is brief-and many names not found
which should be among those present-there
Is enough material at hand to satisfy the
curious music sleuth. Here ages and dates
Of birth Of your favorite musician may be
found there are many surprises possibly
twisted year or two in some caseS-and just
who studied with whom and what roles he or
she has undertaken and what his or her
address is. In some cases the artists history
Is expanded at great length, and in others
given only the briefest survey The longest
summary Gas is often true in such matters)
does not by any means indicate the Importance
Of the man or woman.