Evening star., 1931-04-26

"AH6 Deems Taylor. composer OF the
much-feteo peter Ibbetson," in an
article entitled Have You Net the
NJ Immortals?" which will soon meet the
public gaze in MoCallS Magazine:
Let ms assume that I have a oaughter-which
have. Let us further assume that would like
her to attain her majority with background
Of familiarity with the arts-including opera.
Or let rs assume that she is some one else's
daughter Cor son, for that NATTER, and lives
at q considerable distance from any large
musical center, so that her evenings at the
opera are the result of pilgrimages rather than
casual visits. In either case, the opera roper
toire being what it is (the Metropolitan alone
performs 50 different operas every season..
what operas should she have seen or heard be-
fore she is 81?
1T Is easy enough of course, to name a large
number Of operatic works that are worth hear.
ing. listed 30 in few minutes. It is quite
another matter to select a list that one should
see, not only because they are enjoyable, bsEt
because they are indispensable weapons IN ones
esthetic arnnor, 50 to speak; a list that, once
seen and heard, will enable one to discuss ex-
isting operas inte1igently and to form opinions
about new ones.
Here Is list of IL. They are not only
worth hearing for their own sakes, but are val
uable rs examples Of the various periods and
forms Of opera with which the listener is con-
fronted: Don Giovanni by Mozart; Rig
olefto,' by Verdi; Der Freischutz,' by Won
Weber; Tannaanser,' Lohengrin,' Eieg-
fried and die Meistersinger,' all by Richard
Wagner; Aida by Verdi; La Bohenae,' by
Puccini; Carmen by Bizet; Boris Goduno6,'
by Moussorgsky, and Pelleas ct Melisande.' by
Debussy.
This Is. Of course, by no means the only pos
sihle list Of its kind. There are many famous
titles eonspicuously absent Faust for IN
stance; La Gioconda,' Tristan ParSifal.'
Der Rosenkavater,' to name only few. Nor
can guarantee that any one person would like
them all.
II can, however, promise this: II that hypo-
thetical daughter Of ours hears these H. she
win know what composers wrote them. II she
likes none at all. she will at least, know Why"
A LII Of which Is brought to mind apropOs OF
the Metropolitan,s recent visit to the Fox
Theater, where we were regaled with one Of
Mr.. Taylors most prosperous operate efforts
this Peter Ibbetson'O has netted him $2,50O
on royalties alone in the past three months,
and where one must suddenly realize none Of
MIR. Taylors golden dozen was presented.
Even If, however, "Tosca" seems to have grown
more dramatic and less operate with the
wheeling along Of the years, and even If Mi
gnon" Is one Of the pet antipathies Of Hans
Ktndler-who Is smiling broadly at any street
corner you may happen TO meet him account
of his symphonic dreams coming true-theSe
two operas nevertheless met with cordial enS
thusiasm on the part of their audiences.
Jeritza played havoc with some persons SEN
sibilitieS when her tiara fell of and her blonde
hair was revealed IN twentieth century bob.
But apart from that, and certain basso-pro-
fundo not adhering strictly to pitch in the
latter-there was nothing that wasn't successful
about both OF them. And about Peter" one
should like to say this: That it lacked the
something that was given TO 1t the afternoon
of its premiere. Possibly the oVeranxiouS
prompter, or the orchestra, or the singers them
selyeS-which we doubt-at any rate, the music
in its second hearing was more soothing than
ever, but the whole opera itself, for some rea-
son, wasn't
WASHINGTON is doing great things for
Music week. News of the Fox Theateris
activities came out last week. And now Ger
trude Lyons, recently elected president Of the
District Of Columbia Federation of Music Clubs,
volunteers information that should put this city
way up in the musical heavens for the number
and the quality Of. the voices that will be heard.
Mrs. Lyons has arranged with three prominent
radio stations, WRC, WMAL and VOL, for O
series OF radio recitals in which many of the
best musical groups Of the city will be heard.
Each club has been asked to include one or two
selections on It's programs by American COM
poSefs, and several programs viii include prOmi-
nent DiStfict Of Columbia composers.