The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1936-01-10
MARIAN ANDERSON
SCORES A TRIUMPH

NEW YORK fANP1 Perhaps
the best way TO do justice to Mar.
ian Anderson's performance al
Town Hall Monday night Is to let
the critic Of Americas great news
paper, the New York Times, de-
scribe how he felt as he heard ner.
Let's follow the critic who signs
himself always simply HIT
Let it be said at the outset
Marian Anderson has returned to
her native land one Of the great
singers Of our time. The Negro
contralto who has been abroad for
four years established herself in
her concert at the Town Hall last
night as the possessor of an excel
ling voice and art. Her singing
| enchanted an audience that in
cluded singers. There was no doubt
Of It, she was mistress Of all she
surveyed.
The simple facts are better than
superlatives, for superlatives are
easily abused Fact one, then,
should be the sheer magnificence
of the voice itself considered as a
! musical instrument. It Is a con-
tralto Of stunning range and vol
ume. managed with suppleness
and grace It is a voice that lends
itself to the entire emotional gam
ut. responsive to delicate nuance,
and able to swell out with opuIence
and sorority.
Fact two should be Miss An
derson's musicianship. In pro-
gram that encompassed full
group Of Handel, another BY sehu-
bert. Verdi aria, q Finnish sec
ton, and a concluding group Of
Negro spirituals. she revealed
penetrating command of style. She
understood not only the difference
IN approach between the songs Of
Handel and Schubert and Sibelius,
but the divergences of intent IN
music by the same composer. Each
song was treated as an artistic I'M
it, set forth with care, study, and
intelligence.
But without deep feeling those
other assets would not achieve the
grandeur of Interpretation that
was Miss Andeg sons last night,
and that should be item three. For
Miss Anderson has the transcend
ing quality of all authentic art q
genuine emotional Identification
with the core of music. Schubert's
Der Tod und das Maedchenn,
and HAllmachtv were ennobling IN
their grandeur. And how many
singers have communicated the
TRANSPORTING rapture of Payne's
Crucifixion" as Miss Anderson did
last night It was matchmaking
that probed too deep for words.
ITO all these things must be
added the native good taste of the
artist and the simplicity of her
personality. Here was a woman
Of poise and sensibility. The fact
that one foot, injured in an acct
dent on board ship in the voyage
home, was encased ia q cast, was
never permitted to intrude on the
listeners consciousness. She sang
with q. consciousness of her ability
and with a relish Of her task that
was positively infectious.
1T was possible fer those of pc
dantic minds to find minor mat
tiers to bubble over, such as an
| occasional edge in top tones or i'm
projections of enunciations In for
eign languages. They needn't be
labored here In the presence OF
such art pedantry might well be
,iIspared.
I Limitations of space forbid q
detailed discussion Of each song on
Miss Anderson's program, where
columns could be devoted to il
with profit. A hint of felicities OF
phrase and style culled without Sc
uuence must be added. however
j the sweep of Handels All Spieta-
to- the delicacy Of Schubert
''Liebesbotschaft, the purity OF
the contralto's amazing low tones
| in Tod und das Maedchen," the
coloraturs york in Sibeliuss "Die
Libelle, remained always u
the fra %, song, the laugh
ing qual4 Suisite tone col
oring in tn 20, uish folksona
that was an 4, Ner the Su-
omi group.
Miss Anderson ~ubted-
! ly give many more ". u, this
season, and there will = N2AN ctun-
ity for extended commeA Z on heI
resources. The reticent accom-
paniments Of Kosti Vehanen must
not be overlooked.
I'm the last four years, Europe
has acclaimed this tall, handsome
I girl. It is time for her own coun-
/ try to honor her; for she bears
/ gifts that gre not to be feared
Born Of poor parents in Philadel-
phia, Miss Anderson has made
something Of her natural endow-
ment. If Joe Louis deserves to be
an American hero for bowling ov-
er a lot of pushovers, then Marian
Anderson has the right to at least
a comparable standing. Handel
Schubert and Sibelius are not push
oversl-HT."