Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-08
Music World Unites to
Honor Memory of Wagner
Eyes of Music Lovers VIII Focus on Festival at
Bayreuth This Year When Fifteth Anniversary
= of German Composers Death Is Celebrated
By Alice Eversman.

WdSueI QduSnGSI- ln-ldW SClll
lives with her family, S to be en-
larged by the building of a new
auoltion hall, studio and tea
pavilion.
The musical direction will be
entirely in the hands of ToSca-
mini with the exception of eight
performances which come under
the baton of Karl Elmendorf.
Perhaps the finest tribute that
has ever been paid to the great
ness OF Wagner is the manner in
which Toscanini has put aside
personal feeling and overlooked
much that required magnanimity
to overlook it in order to assist
at the festival. He is to be in
trusted with the first perform
ance of the MeiSterSaenger in
Bayreuth since 1925.
1t may be inclusion in the Bay
reuth program after long absence
that has aroused an unusual in
tereSt in this opera, particularly IN
Germany. Recently perform
ance was given in Berlin under
the direction of Furtwangler that
attempted new departures in
scenery and Interpretation which,
however, was not the success that
had been hoped for. Stuttgart
and Munich have also made fresh
stagings for die MeisterSinger,"
and in Stuttgart one of Wagner's
first operas, Die Feen," was pro-
duced. This opera was never
given during Wagner's lifetime,
but five years after his death it
was performed in Munich and
had run of 10 performances.
Viewed from our more enlight-
ened angle as regards Wagner, it
proves of decided interest, and on
this hundredth anniversary of its
composition it may find a lasting
place among Wagner's works.
The spirit Of Wagner animates
Bayreuth. In this yearly festival
the musical world unites to do
honor to that spirit and revcr-
ence to the ideal that cleared it
from any Sordid or lowly motives
of the material existence.
AN artist Offering something
different in the way of per-
sonality and talent is Conchita
Supervia, the brilliant Spanish
ezzo-soprano who will be heard
at Mrs. Townsends Wednesday
musicale, sharing the program
with Alberto Salvi, noted harpist.
Two years ago Supervia sang
"L'Italienne a Alger" and Ger
drillon" during the presentation
of the "RoSsini Cycle" in Paris.
It was not the first time she had
been heard in Paris, for she made
her debut at the age of IA, and
sang her first performance there
of Carmen" at Is. However, her
performances of these two operas
aroused the excitement of the
French press to such a degree
that the story of her success was
sent broadcast. She was besieged
with offers to appear in every
European capital. And an
American visit must necessarily
follow. The usually conservative
London press calls her voice the
loveliest heard in many a year.
They have also added a subtle
compliment when the News
Chronicle points out that "she is
one of the few coloratura singers
who may be described as good
musicians"
The recent reopening of the
Opera Comique in Paris offered
Supervia another chance to ap-
pear in Carmen" and again she
took Paris by storm. The inten-
sity with which she threw her
self into the role swept all before
1t, and she gave presentation of
superb acting and exquisite sing
ing. Her voice is of wide range
with the lightness and fiexibility
of a soprano and again the
strength and breadth of a con-
tralto.
Alberto Salvi has long been
known as the Wizard of the
Harp" He began as a boy won
der to win acclaim, inheriting.
doubtless, his leanings toward the
harp from his father, who was
an Italian harp maker from Ven
ice. His father made him his
first harp and saw to it that his
studies were so well carried out
that he had no difficulty in win
ming scholarship. The road on
ward to fame as a concertizing
artist was not long or difficult,
and today he stands at the top.
a revelation, not only of what can
be done on the harp, but of his
own artistic sense. He has revo-
lutionized harp playing. He has
put power and character into
this instrument, extracting unex-
pected effects and has raised it
to a higher plane of art. Under
his fingers, the harp is a real
masculine instrument, losing a
certain feminine quality that has
long been associated with it. Mr..
Salvi has enlarged the harp lit
erature through his compositions
and arrangements, and his pro-
grams offer more than what is
usually ATTEMPTED bV a harnist