Evening star., 1933-12-10

their eleventh year, are not only unique
IN character, but are an ornament to
the cultural life of the city. Outside
OF New York their duplicate cannot be
found, for nowhere does the aristocracy
OF music and the aristocracy of the So
cial world meet in such complete har-
mony. Mrs. Townsend chooses her ar
lists with discrimination, taking the
pick of the best the world has to offer
and she has made it point to present
them to an equally chosen audience
To make it possible for the serious
musician, to whom the price of admis-
sion must come into consideration, to
take advantage of the wider acquaint-
ance with the artists which these con-
CertS afford, Mrs. Townsend has low
cred the admission fee to the limit, so
that any barrier to profit and enjoy
ment has been removed.
For these Wednesday morning musi-
Gales, 1t is not wholly an affair Of 60
Ing TO box office and buying a ticket.
The selling of these tickets has a per-
sCn2l touch for the names and ad-
CrcsSeS of the purchaser are put on
record and the originator of the con-
oeftS is there to give welcome to all
who come. This personal supervision
CT an audience gives a homelike at
nosphere which the artists themselves
appreciate. The life of a concertizing
artist for the most part resolves itself
into one formal audience after an
other, group of people who are dis
tant from the performer and who ex-
r-egS their opinion by the amount and
quality of their applause. At the morn
ing musicaleS another atmosphere has
been created, in which the human in
tcre55 on both sides comes prominently
to the foreground
Nearly rs of the worlds most famous
singers and instrumentalists have made
their Washington debut with Mrs.
Townsend Since the day when her
foresight and good Judgment sought
them out, many have returned again
and again to form part of the musical
season. Richard Crooks, who will sing
Wednesday. was heard here last sea-
son for the first time at the Mayflower
the program. with him, will have her
first appearance in this city.
To be called great Isolde is the
highest praise that can be bestowed
upon a soprano. for it means a perfect
balance of voice, muSicianship, tenn
perament and personality. This is the
title that Gertrude Kappel bears, but
she is not alone great Isolde, she
is great in all Wagner roles, particu-
larly Bruhnhilda. 1t was Nine Kappel
also who was responsible for the enor-
nous success of Strauss Electra" that
opera which was revived last year with
fear and trembling, still surrounded by
the echoes of its former unpopularity
Strauss. with whom Nine Kappel has
studied all the leading roles of his
operas, declares her unequaled in her
forceful Interpretation and beautiful
singing of this difficult role. Incl
dentally, Nine. Kappel is dancer, and
her fine artistic sense would not per-
NIT her to follow the customary habit
OF prima donna and delegate to others
any dance moments that may come in
an opera, and she, herself, danced the
frenzied dance at the end of Electra
without losing control of her voice.
Nine. Kappel was born in Halle, Ger
many, and studied at the famous Con-
servatory of Leipzig, where, under
Arthur Nikisch, she trained in piano,
theory of music, singing and compost
ton. At first she determined to become
a pianist, but being heard as a singer
ut students recital by the intendant
of the Royal Theater of Hanover, she
was persuaded to change her mind.
Offered contract at that theater, she
made her operate debut at the age of
l8 as Leonora in "Fidelio" with in
stantaneouS success.
After another year given to study,
she became regular member of the
Hanoverian opera, where she remained
for seven years, leaving it to accept a
contract with the State Opera of
Vienna. She sang also at the festival
performances in Munich, deviding her
time between Vienna and Munich for
several seasons. Guest appearances
brought her to the Covent Garden in
London and to the Royal Opera of
Madrid, during which she was decorat-
ed by the royal family of Spain, and
finally, in 1928, to the Metropolitan Of