Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15

stars is hung up for the public gaze. Which
leads one, now that the professional musical
year is on the wane, to thumb back over the
various events that have taken place this
season and which struck real fire and
which didn't, and why.
The case of Mime. Clairbert is rather
curious one Hailed first on the West Coast in
opera as one of the most phenomenal singers
ever, she appeared here in concert and caused
only mild ripple. This department cap1tulated
to her Immediately because she brought forth
the most perfect and clear notes with no effort
whatsoever and she did some of those colora-
tura stunts which throw most singers jaws
out of perspective with no visible trouble
whatsoever. However many many others
thought differently. At her second recital here
a prominent concert artist was heard to say
"She sings like a music box" and an equally
well known gentleman, whose wife knows all
there is to know about music, especially in
Washington said "She ought to be sent to the
south of italy and get little OF that Italian
temperament into her blood"
There is no question but that the outstand-
ing concert of the season, and perhaps OF any
season was given by Mr.. Paderewski, under the
local management of Mrs. Wilson-Greene. NO
one attending this concert will ever forget the
tremendous vitality that became more and more
evident as the program went on, or the dinner
hour that slipped by so easily, or the piano that
was whisked out under the very nose OF the
artist That grand old man OF the muslcal
world bending over the keys with very little
sign that the years had taken any of the fire
from him. played what to lesser virtusos might
have been two concerts-from 4:30 until after
7-and received such an ovation as no one has
had in that hail before or after him.
Further proof of a noisy affection was, how
ever, very nearly duplicated at the Krelsler con-
cert and the Don Cossack Chorus, the latter
lust about raistP% the roof. Although an emil
nent member of the intelligentsia decried the
fact that these Singing Horsemen OF the
Steppes" had to stoop so low as to cheer ana
to whistle the effect as a whole was vastly slim
ulating and the method of close harmony not
rivaled by any other organization of recent
years.
The Beethoven Festival with its week of I'M
surpassed performances by the Boston Orches-
ira led with rare Judgment by Serge Kousse-
vitzki and raised to real heights by the pres
ence of Myra Hess Joseph Hofmann and Efrem
zimbalist as we'll as by a talk given at the
Library of Congress by Philip Hale, was some
thing also not easily forgotten. Ditto the sing
ing of the local choristers in the Ninth Sym
phony"
other concerts of the Wilson, Greene series
that come most readily to mind include the
GigIi recital Yehudi Menuhin's splendid per-
Torrance and JeritZa's human performance,
with laughter as well as with song. The only
disappointment brought about by this worthy
Office was all the lag-hying earlier in the sea-
son over John Mccormack who never came,
and the fact that some of the audiences at
the best of these concerts were lamentably
small.
TN the series sponsored at the Mayfower by
Mrs. Lawrence Townsend it would be difficult
to pick out the really victorious artists by the
weight of applause, since applause was admin
stored so gngerly. However, by the nodding
of plumed heads and the gentle patting Of
gloved hands it did seem as though Rosa Pom
selle and Grace Moore, Gigli and Richard
Crooks were the most approved of, although,
apart from Miss Ponselle, it did seem as though
Mr. Iturbi in spite of display Of temperament,
and Carlo Zecchi and one or two others had
presented more interesting programs.
THE T. Arthur Smith symphonic season ended
in an unquestionable blaze of glory last
Tuesday, when, with Toscanini's performance
of the Cesar Franck symphony" the very
heights of perfection seemed to have been
reached. The Philadelphians, of course, under
the guidance of StokoWski brought much that
was good with them the serenity of their sea
son having been only slightly stirred by the
busting of Senators and critics at one of the
performances, and the automobile accident which
prevented Mr.. Stokowski from appearing at the
last moment at one Of the concerts. Mr..
GabriloWitschs piano playing at one of these
events will not go by the board quickly, how
ever. And since this orchestra will make four
scheduled appearances next season, there is
much to be looked forward to.
"A s a kind of tag to the weekly nominations it
seems only just to admit defeat in the mat
Ter of having said last week that "Mgnon"
hadn't been sung here in "yars" and vars"
M nday had barely begun to grow when one
Of the most prominent musicians in town came
b. the office and said that but three years ago
there had been "Mignon" and soon after