Evening star., 1933-01-01
Past Year Important in
Affairs of Music World
Items of Unusual Significance Have Aided Move
ment for More and Better Music-Timely
Subjects Discussed at Recent Gathering,
By Alice Eversman.

lish by American singers and
when all this is presented at ordi-
nary theater prices, or, better still,
movie prices-then we will begin
to love opera. When we can afford
to 60 several times q week to hear
drama set to music that We can
follow as we follow a play, then
we will have something to work
on to determine our standing as
an opera loving country.
Walter Kramer spoke on the
need of more assistance from the
public not only financially, but
in a musical understanding way
and this connects with the first
appeal made by Mr.. Witherspoon
to educate the amateurs so that
they may form the intelligent
public.
other subjects were the Sum-
mer Camp Movement and the
choral festivals. The convention
has trained the spotlight on to
the various activities that in a
quiet, but sure way, and by small
steps are helping forward, and
to them and to many other en-
deavorS of musical nature,
should be wished good luck for
the New Year.
MRS. TownSend's musicale We'd
- nesday morning will intro
duce not only to this city, but TO
this country, the most celebrated
woman singer In France. Ninon
Vallin Is called "the purest jewel
Of French vocal art" and is placed
as equal to Calve and Melba. She
Is a singer Of wide experience and
has won her laurels by hard work
and perseverance. Today she has
the love and admiration of the
entire country. Claude DebuSsy
wrote to her: "You alone sing my
songs as they should be sung"
which means that not only her
vocal equipment was sufficient to
be satisfying to him, but her un-
derstanding and grasp of the
effervescent quality of his music
was what he would have. For six
years Nine. Vallin worked with
DebuSsy, studying the interpre-
tations of his songs with care and
singing them in concert to the
composers accompaniment. Since
then she has been co-worker and
associate with other noted CON-
posers, such as De Falla, Joaquin
Min, Turina and Faure, who have
written songs for her and played
for her at the public rendition.
Not only is it question of her
voice, which Is warm and flexible,
but the expertness of her use of
1t and the delicacy and depth of
her emotional understanding.
Nine. Vallin Is a native OF the
Province OF Dauphine, in South
eastern France, and she received
her first musical education at the
Conservatory of Lyons. She made
her debut in opera at the Paris
Opera Comique, where she became
celebrated for her Interpretation
of the role of Melisande in De-
buSsy's opera, "Pelleas ct Nell
Sande," and she has sung it in
@AA ~~AS AAAPS4 bhlt OpCl d IlUuScS Vi
Europe and South America. At
the Teatri Colon of Buenos Aires
she Is one Of the most popular
artists of their celebrated Winter
season, and she has made the trip
each year in responGe to the pub
lie demand.
The artist to share the program
With Nine. Vallin Is Richard
Crooks, American tenor. He has
gone forth into foreign lands and
won acclaim for his natural gifts
and artistic ability, SO that today
ne is known not only in his own
country, but abroad as a tenor
that has few equals. His voice is
an exceptionally fine textured
high tenor, which is controlled
with skill and intelligence. He is
especially noted for his complete
understanding Of German lieder
Tor which he has a particular
fondness, although he is equally
at home in the music of other
schools. At a recent recital in
New York he was received with
sincere acclaim by all the critics.