The Washington times., 1937-02-16
By CARL L. BEMIES

Operas Forgotten Man-t h e
Super" is the subject Of a touch
ing article by H. Howard Taub-
man in last Sundays New York
Times Magazine. The outstand-
ing fact that emerges from the
treatise is that each one Of the
superS, be he priest, soldier or mat
ador in grand opera, be receives
the munificent sum Of one dollar
for his services for each perform
ance.
Mr.. Taubman estimates that
approximately so per cent Of the
supers work because they need the
money, the other 40 per cent work
only for the thrill Of appearing
on the same stage with great sing
ers. What Mr.. Taubman evidently
failed to do was to interview the
Supers themselves. He might have
uncovered some embarrassing in
formation in regard to the one dol
lar paid the SuperS.
Allowing for a possible renovs
ton with the years, it was not so
many years ago, when friend of
ours made several excursions in
the realm of opera as a super.
After the performance he was
paid the dollar, and, on the way
out as he passed the door, he
claims there was man with his
hand extended into which the
supers dropped their dollars. He
further claims that any super
who neglected to drop the dollar
in the extended hand, was never
called again to act as super.
Which reminds us of u prosper
Gus farmer back home many years
ago who hired number of farm
hands for so cents a day and
board. He also owned a country
store and q saloon. The hands
were paid SO cent piece each
day and, after q supper Of salt
fish, the coin usually found it's
way into the saloon till the same
evening. One hand claimed he
got the same coin every day for
two weeks.
Mr.. Echaniz projected a delight
full poetic feeling in the Chopin
works, 1.-TWO Etudes" and "Scherzo
in B Minor; and a brilliant dis"
play of technique in the LiSzt
"PolonaiSe in E Major" The dy-
manic power of his performance
of Prokofieff's 'Toccata Opus H."
won prolonged applause.
Relying not only on brilliant
display passages nor on mere
power, he displayed much of that
subtle touch and feeling in express
sion that raises his playing to q
high and pleasing plane.
Kristen FlagStad, the Norwegian
soprano that consistently packs
them in at the Metropolitan
Opera House, will appear tonight
in recital at Constitution Hall al
$3.50 o'clock. Strauss, Grieg, Jor-
dan, Marx and other composers
will be represented on the pro.
gram.
The recital will open with four
Strauss songs, "Seitdem dein aug
In meineS Schaute," Zach, lieb, ich
muSs nun scheiden," "Schon sind.
doch kalt die Himmelssterne,"
and Itch liebe Dich." The group
of German songs will be followed
by three Norwegian songs by Ed
ward Grieg. Mems jeg venter,"
"Lyn natt," and "Det Gynger en-
baad," "Og Sc, hun kom."
The remainder of the program
includes the following: "ES naht
der Herbst" (Jordan); "Und ges-
tern hat er mir Rosen gebracht,"
and HAT dich die Liebe Beruhrt,"
Goseph Marx); octurne"
Head; "Spendthrift" ernest
Charles; Love Went a-Riding"
(Bridge); "EinSam in Truben
Tagen," from "Lohengrin," and
"Du bist der Lenz," from "Die
Walkure" (Wagner).
The theme shown above is the
second subject of the TranSfigura-
tion movement of r. Deane Shure's
'Berkie Symphony" which will be
given premier performance to-
morrow afternoon at 4:45 o'clock