Evening star., 1933-05-14

paid. Surely 10 tnem Inoie Via.'
to any other should reverence be
given for the link they formeo
between the divine element. OF
music and it's earthly expression
There are many records OF the
energetic efforts of the fathers OF
famous musicians and composers
to further the material interests
Of their children, but little has
been said of the silent, unootru-
sive influence that nodded and
guided these gifted ones and Kept
them true to their ideal, or the
hopes and fears that followed
their every step. What exalted
feeling and sense OF responsibility
must have stirred these mothers
when they recognized that the
blessing of an extraordinary gift
for music had been conferred on
their children! How they must
have understood and shared those
first musical longings and
watched with pride and anxiety
mingled the development OF the
beauty and poetry they had
help to create!
No great composer has shown
more devotion and recognition to
his mother than did Johannes
Brahms, whose centenary cele-
bration began last Sunday. A
simple little mother was his, frail
and plain, and not highly cul-
tured, but strong in her belief IN
her sons genius. Before starting
out to face the world, he extracted
a promise from her to write him
every week a long letter. This
she continued to do throughout
her life, although sometimes 1t
was, as Brahms told a friend,
''copied from a newspaper; what
ds she to do when she has no
more news? She cannot write a
philosophical treatise, but she
ALWAYS sends me three whole
pages" The care of his mother
was Brahms lifelong preoccupa-
tion and whenever possible he re-
turned to her for rest and refresh
ment, and when she passed away,
gave voice to his sorrow in one
OF his finest and most dramatic
choral numbers, the "Deutsches
Reouiem." To the mothers of the
great musicians be all gratitude
and respect for the sublime
thoughts they helped to bequeath
TO posterity.
THIS is the season when festival
- plans are maturing in various
parts of the country. The years
musical endeavors are culminat-
ting in outbursts of melody in
keeping with the bursting into
bloom flowers and trees. This
week will bring a May festival
concert by the Washington Choral
Society. an organization which,
since its founding in 1880, has
made a speciality of a May fes-
tival each year. The program
which will be presented on Tues
day is one Of great interest, giving
the first hearing in America to
Bach's cantata, "The Four Sea-
sons" This work was written in
honor of the birthday of Elector
Augustus and was first performed
in 1874. A group of madrigals
sung unaccompanied will be sue
ceeded by the magnificent setting
given by Cesar Franck to the
d50th Psalm. An orchestra COM
posed of members of the National
Symphony Orchestra will play
Saint Saen's prelude" and
Corelli's Pastoral" and will ac-
company the singers in the Bach
and Franck numbers. Gertrude
McRae Nash. pianist, and Walter
Nash, organist. will assist and
both singers and orchestra will be
under the direction OF Louis
Potter.
The chorus is composed of 100
voices and might appropriately
be called the "city's civic chorus
since it is independent of anv in
stitutional affiliations. II, is in
reality a gathering together OF
selected singers from various por-
xions of the city who are inter-
ested in studying the finest choral
music of different periods and OF
different schools. In the first year
OF It's existence it was under the
directorship of Frederick Alexan-
der Of Ypsilanti, Mich. and gave
the first festival concert program
in Epiphany Church. The follow
ing year another festival was
given, conducted bv Louis A
Potter. The name of washing
ton Choral Society" was definitely
adopted this year and under this
title it has appeared three times
Ia concert with the National Sym,
Ohony Orchestra. The cultural
Value of an organization OF this
Kind cannot be too highly appre-
ciated. for it offers a means tc
MANY who otherwise would be de-
barred from musical participa-
ton. to give expression to thell
musical instinct and that in union
with the ideas of the great
geniuses of each epoch OF musical
history. This choral group, OF
which Myron W. Whitney is presi-
dent, has an advisory committee
which includes the name OF DR.
Hans Kinder.
THE echoes Of the triumphant
- May Music Festival which has
lust finished In Cincinnati con-
tinue to resound. A difficult ano
varied program which called
forth the best efforts OF a long
list of famous singers was car
ried out in a manner to brine
glory to the City of Cincinnati
and Joy to all those who are
watching the reaction Of audi
enceS to the finer type OF music
The opening concert was devoted
to Handels oratorio, Samson" In
which Margaret Matzenauer car
ried away the honors. The second
program was Bach's Mass in E
Minor" the third devoted tc
Mozart, the fourth to Wagner, the
fifth to Beethoven and the sixth
- Dnr1sAo ~, Tho NHn0or rf Yorn.