davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11

with gray-haired music lovers, but
with youngsters of high school age.
Requests reach me from plain, every
day people, asking that Schubert
and Brahms be sung in English, so
that they can understand the words
as we'll as the music Letters are
sent by workers. garage-keepers,
mechanics with stock Yankee names
people who, decade ago, were
not thought to care for good music
Hence. am not at all discouraged
by the craze for swing. Because
underneath all the fads and the nov
elites Americans have an innate
feeling for what is right and sound
and sure. The increase in the de-
mand for good music on the air
| where cost considerations cannot
enter the picture and every one
can get what he wants-must prove
this.
Americas favorite music. I find,
consists of ballads, arias. and songs
of marked melodic content which
are easy to enjoy and wholesome to
live with. And that is an excellent
thing, because this kind of music
is the easiest to take into everyday
life. My own awakening to music
came through hearing my mother
sing ballads and hymns and fine old
| airs, as she went about her house
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Cossack Chorus to Sing
Here This Afternoon
Rachmaninoff to Be Heard
In Only Full.Length
Recital Tuesday

The Don Cossack Russian Male
Chorus. composed of approximately
SO former cavalry officers of the Rus
sian Imperial Army and organized
and conducted by the fiery and in
spring Serge Jaroff, comes to Con-
stitution Hall this afternoon at 4
o'clock for the ninth consecutive an
nual concert in this city. The con-
cert is one of the attractions of
Dorothy Hodgkin Dorseys first Sum
day series of afternoon concerts, sea-
son of 1938-39.
Few concert attractions visiting
Washington have ever gathered so
loyal and enthusiastic a following
as the Don Cossack Russian Male
Chorus, which has never failed to at
tract a capacity audience in this
city. Singing entirely a cappella,
without accompaniment of any kind
The Cossack Chorus, under Jaroff S
superb knowledge of its powers, pro-
duces vocal music that is electrify-
ing.
First organized in the notorious
prison camp of Tschelengir, near
Constantinople. after the defeat of
Wrangel's White army by the
Bolsheviks, the Cossack Chorus was
first heard in public as the choir
Of the famed orthodox ST. Sofia
Cathedral in Bulgaria, where they
began their musical career with
Jarof as their first and only con-
ductor. In the decade or more of
their existence as a travelling unit,
the chorus has sung in all parts of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Symphony, Ending Tour,
Faces Busy Schedule

Returning to Washington after a
IA concerts in half dozen Northern
States and in Canada, the National
Symphony Orchestra, DR.. Hans
Kinder, conductor, faces a busy
schedule of five programs in the
Nations Capital during the coming
week.
On Wednesday at $50 pm. in
Constitution Hall the orchestra will
play the third concert in its mid
week series with Mischa Elman, SUI
preme master of the violin. as guest
artist in Beethoven's violin :'Con-
certo in D Major The program
will open with the overture to
Mozarts opera, THE Marriage OF
Figaro" and will include the per-
Torrance of Bach's Suite in B
Minor" for flute and string orchestra
The concert Will be completed with
the first Washington performance
of Scenes of Poverty and Toll" by
the Chicago composer, Robert L
Sanders.
Next Sunday, December 10. at
pm, Lucille Manners, young Amer
lean soprano. who because of illness
was forced to cancel her scheduled
appearance with the National SYM
phony on November q, will sing
with the orchestra the aria, "Convien
Partir." from Donizetti's Daughter
of the Regiment" Henschels Nor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11

10 years ago than they are now.
The point is that. in those days,
good music was not generally &C
cessible, as it is now. People didn't
know much" about it and kept
away from it as a result What
radio has done is less educational
than self-revealing. People have
been given a chance to find out
what noble music means and. having
made this acquaintanceship, they
have decided that they enjoy it..
Our average American listener found
himself listening to good music with
out much effort on his part. but
he's been coming back for more
quite spontaneously.
All of which is natural develop
ment for us. We Americans are a
progressive people; we're willing to
try anything! And. deep down in
side. we have an instructive sense
of values We are able to recognize
and appreciate essentially good
things. 1t is this trait, to a large
extent. which has enabled us. within
$50 years. to build colony of
pioneers, farmers and small mer-
chants into the foremost nation in
the world.
In my tours from Maine to Cali
fornia l see interesting things afoot.
Gallery seats are crowded, not only
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
ARTIST SEES WIDE RANGE IN OUR MUSIC TASTE

hold tasks. The taste of my own
son and daughter has been devel-
oped by the home music their
mother surrounds them with. A ma
ton which reaches out spontare-
ously for things like that cannot 60
very far wrong unsteady.
Personally, I'd like to see more
singing in English. A song consists
OF words and music, and the listener
who is shared out of half the CON-
bination gets only half the fun! One
doesn't feel much inclined to take
Europe as model for anything,
these days; yet Europe enjoys a rep
utation for musicalness, and in
those musical lands you find that
programs are presented in the Ian
guage of the audience rather than in
that Of the composer. We, over
here, still seem to feel that our
plain, everyday English isn't good
enough for poetic or artistic use.
That is a mistake The language
Of Shakespeare, Shelley, Words
worth is fit for inclusion in any
program. The composer, after all,
knew what the song was about-lets
have English words = for English.
speaking audiences, and give them
chance to find out, too!
The time will come, I feel sure,
when we will have opera in English,
too. Such step will be fastened
when more excellent translations are
available. Think how much more
enjoyment our audiences would have
II the actions of the operate char
acters were made accessible to them
by Understandable words!
DR.. Walter Damrosch tells of hav-
ing once prepared an anniversary
program at the Metropolitan Opera,
Tor which he wrote an English YER
sion OF one act of Die Meister-
singer" The effect was tremendous.
AS the action unfolded the audi
ence roared out with laughter. For
the first time cosmopolitan New
York audience realized that the re-
vered classic" Wagner had writ
ten-a comic opera! Let's have
more Understandable opera and
watch opera interest increase.
I can speak feelingly of language
difficulties in opera! Some six years
ago when I was gathering operate
experience abroad, I was invited to
sing the part of Cavaradossi in La
Tosca' in Budapest I knew the role
in italian and in German but the
performance. I found. was to be
given in Hungarian We finally hit
on the idea of having a special
prompter for me. who would give me
my clues in Italian. At rehearsals,
everything worked splendidly. But
on the night of the performance it.
self my prompter must have gotten
stage fright. Whatever happened
to him. he got completely lost. He
fumbled with the score. kept watch
ing the stage. tore his hair-and
gave me my cues in Hungarian!
There was nothing to do but Stun
BILE along, cueing myself according
to the sequence of the music, and
singing whatever words came into
my head. But I remained much
impressed by that consideration for
the pleasure of the audience that
decreed Hungarian words, even at
the expense of a tenor's peace of
mind!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Crooks Lauds Radio
as Influence in
Popularity

I have been invited to talk about
anything like, which Is as liberal
as an invitation can be, except that
it awakens memories OF the humor-
list who was greeted by his host with
the request that he say something
funny. Naturally, the great wit was
Immediately mute. I have no in
tention of keeping mute, but like
to talk about so many things that
it is difficult to know where to
begin.
The best start, perhaps, is music.
Where is American taste trend
ing in music? What sort Of music
does our average citizen want? It
has been of great interest to me to
probe that question-and the re-
suits have found are more inter-
esting still.
Undoubtedly there is large ap-
petite among us for swing and jazz
numbers. There is no use evading
that fact; there isn't even any need
to, because jazz fits into niche all
it's own. Mostly it is favored for dane
ing and non-contemplative merry
making. and in such role it hardly
interferes with anything better. No
matter how deeply you appreciate
Beethoven, you don't reach out for
him at the moment you want to
dance. Jazz serves another pur-
pose, too. Oddly enough, it often
acts as the entering wedge into the
world of tone, to people who might
otherwise hear no music at alp
Don't misunderstood me about
this. l most emphatically do not
mean that jazz is in anyWise a sub
stitute for good music. But it does
embody the musical fundamentals
of rhythm and melody and thus pro-
vides a sample, at least, of those
same elements found in nobler
forms. If, for example, person is
completely music-shy he will listen
to nothing. But if he listens to
jazz on his radio the chances are
that he'll keep his dials tuned when
the Jazz is done and something bet
ter comes along!
We used to make a definite dis
tinction between the person who
liked popular" music and the one
who kept to the classics" 1 find
that it is no longer wise to do this,
for the immensely important reason
that the same people have come to
take pleasure in both. That, think,
is an advancement. There has al
ways been an encouraging group
of music lovers to create outlets for
the best in art; but today the rank
and-file citizen. formerly believed to
have popular tastes, is dividing
his attention between syncopation
and symphonies.
Undoubtedly radio has brought
this about. Radio admits jazz to
our homes, but it brings a vast
amount of better things, too, and
the better things would not be sent
out over the air if they failed to
strike a popular response. I doubt
very much whether the Toscanini
concerts would have been as gen.
orally popular 10 years ago as they
are today. Neither do I wish to
imply that people were less musical
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Teacher Body
In Music to
Meet Here
Problems Before
Profession to
Be Debated

From every corner of the Nation
hundreds of men and women repre-
senting cross-section of the entire
country s. large body of music teach
ers will gather in Washington late
this month to discuss outstanding
problems facing the profession today
and to hear lectures by leading
authorities in the field of music.
The occasion will be the 60th
annual convention of the Music
Teachers National Association to
be held on December %, 20 and 80
at the Mayhower Hotel. Figuring
prominently in a packed convention
program will be reception at the
White House, an evening concert
by the National Symphony Orches-
ira under DR.: Hans Kinder, two
chamber music concerts on the
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge and
Gertrude Clark Whittall Founda-
tons at the Library of Congress and
an organ recital at Washington
Cathedral.
Meeting at the same time as the
M. T. N. A. will be three other i'm
portant organizations in the field
of music-the American Musicologi-
cal Society, the American Associa-
ton of Schools of Music and Phi
Mu Alpha, largest mems music
fraternity.
Climax of the M. T. N. A. sessions
will be the annual banquet on Thurs
day night, December 20, at 7:3O
o'clock with Lawrence Tibbett
World-famous baritone, as guest of
honor and chief speaker. Rudolph
CAM. renowned pianist, will be
POSTMASTER.
Local arrangements for the con-
vention are in the hands of a
committee headed by DR.. Harold
Spivacke, chief of the music division
of the Library of Congress. A meet
ing of this committee will be held
tomorrow night at $3.50 o'clock at
the Library of Congress. At this
time reports on the number of men,
berships obtained for the convention
will be made and lists completed
for the White House reception. Those
expecting to attend the reception
must have their names in by that
evening, it was announced.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Shure Premiere

One hundred and ten Washing
tonians went to Harrisburg, Pa, on
November 20 to hear the world pre-
miere of Dean Shure's "Choric
Symphony" produced by the Harris
burg SYMPHONY Orchestra, George
King Raudenbush, conductor, and
the symphony chorus, Walter Nc
liver, director.
Mr.. Shures church sent his choir
to hear the work in compliment for
his 10 years of service to Mount
Vernon Church. The work is a
departure from the classic symphony
both in form and context. The
composition is based on the Legend
of Simon Girty" and is in 10 con-
nected episodes, each having
distinct and separate form.
A packed house greeted the inno-
walton with great enthusiasm. Both
press and public we're unanimous
in declaring that the use of the
human voice as an orchestral in
strument was a decided success and
holds great possibilities for the
future.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11

gen Hymne" and Bizet's aria,
louvre ton occur"
Three students concerts will be
presented during the course of the
week with Ernest Schelling. famed
conductor of the New York Phila-
harmonic Symptoms children S
programs, making his Washington
debut on December Is and 16 with
! concerts in two of the city's high
schools Dr. Kinder will conduct
the first student concert tomorrow
at Woodrow Wilson High School,
Chesapeake street and Nebraska
avenue NV. These concerts are
at $3.50 pm.
Special interest attached to the
new American work, Scenes of
Poverty and Toll" by Robert l..
Sanders, to be heard on Wednesday
Mr.. Sanders, born in Chicago in 1906,
is now the dean of the School of
Music at the University of Indiana.
He studied at Bush Conservatory in
Chicago and later went to Rome
where he received the fellowship of
the American Academy and studied
with Respighi. Upon his return to
this country he became assistant
conductor of the Chicago Civic Or
chestra and later conductor of the
Chicago Conservatory Symphony.
Mischa Elman was born in Tolna
Russia. When only he showed his
first signs of interest in the violin
by singing when his father played.
BY the time he was his attempts to
use his parents violin resulted in
the purchase of small instrument
for him. Placed in the Odessa I'm
perial Academy of Music at an I'M
heard-of age, he came to the atten-
ton of the great Leopold Auer, with
whom he began studying at the age
of 10. Auer had him study at the
st. Petersburg Conservatory of
Music, where his first public concert
was so sensationally successful that
it led to a decision to take the prod
ICY on a tour of Europe.
In 1910 Elman's debut in America
created a Juror and he was soon
established as the great concert vio-
linist. Annually since then his COM
prehensive tours of this continent
have enhanced his reputation until
now the name of Mischa Elman
stands supreme. Last year the
world-famous artist repeated his
former triumphs in the Orient, South
Africa and Europe.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Y. w. G.. A. Hour

The program for the music houl
at the Young Women's Christian As.
ISOLATION at Seventeenth and K
streets today at o'clock will be a!
follows:
cantata: might Of Holy Memories"
Ira B. Wilson
Christian Church. Soloists: Ruth
Welsh Thelma Barr. Eoto Russell;
MIS- Kelly Tatum. accompanist.
Duet; From Heav'n an Angel (Hun-
gerian folk songl Arr by Salama
Margaret and Edna Braithwaite.
20. Little Town Of Bethlehem"
BrookS-Radner
THE Sleigh" Kounts
Mrs. Graham Loving. Eleanor swan.
accompanist.
Choir and audience
"Hark, the Herald Angels SING"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Concert to Be Given
Bv Papas Group

The Papas Guitar and Mandolin
Orchestra, under the direction of
Sophocles Papas, will give concert
Wednesday evening in the Dramatic
Hall of the Foundry Methodist
Church. The concert is sponsored
by the Foundry Forge and proceeds
will be donated to charity.
A unique feature of this group of
40 members is that it includes all the
fretted instruments. combined in a
symphonic way. Mr.. Papas has been
experimenting for several years in
finding an effective way to give SYM
phonic color. With the latest addi-
ton to the fretted instrument family,
the electrically amplified ones, Mr..
Papas, with the cooperation of his
arranger, Walter Kaye Bauer of
Hartford, Conn, has succeeded in
obtaining effects never before at
tempted.
Among the numbers to be played
by the orchestra are MacDowell's
ITO a Wild Rose" and a Christmas
medley. Hazel Helsper, soprano. will
give group of songs. The Papas
Mandolin Quartet and the Banjo
liers will also render selections. The
entire ensemble will appear tomor-
row morning over Station WMAL
between 8 and $50 a m as a special
feature of Lee Everett's program.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11

Philadelphia Orchestra gives a most
splendid background, as was to be
expected.
Among the instrumental releases
is a magnificent recording of Gersh-
wins Rhapsody in Blue" by Jose
and Amparo Iturbi. This transcript
ton by Mr.. Iturbi for two pianos
of the popular work is an especially
fine one and as played by the famed
Spanish pianist and his equally
talented sister it is something really
worth hearing. There is so much
brilliancy in their delivery, such
clarity and shading, that the
Rhapsody is forever gloritied. Mr..
Iturbi has taken it out of the popular
class of music and put it definitely
into that of the concert repertoire
of the best modern music. Undoubt-
eddy many who have heard this work
of Gershwins played for sorority
alone will be surprised to find how
very beautiful it can be when in
the hands of great artists.
For the violinist are two record
ings by Fritz Kreisler, that of the
Andante Cantabile from Tschaikow-
sky's Quartet in D Major" and
Dvorak's "Humoreske" Both are
played with that grace and indi-
viduality of style which is Kreisler's.
The accompanist is Franz Rupp.
And precious beyond words, is the
single disk recording of two excerpts
from Boris Godounow" by Feodor
Chaliapin. the Prayer" and the
Death of Boris" Made during a
performance of the opera at Covent
Garden, London, it brings back the
great voice of this greatest of inter-
prefers of Boris with unusual vivid
ness and all the dignity and drama
that he brought to the role.
OF special appeal at this Christ
mas time is the album of Christ
mas Carols of Many Lands" sung
by the Vienna Choir Boys, Viktor
Gomboz, director. Included in these
carols, which are of French, Eng
fish, Austrian, German, Tyrolean,
Silesian, Latin and American Indian
origin are ANGELS We Heard On
High" "Ayapo," Noel" "Adeste
Fideles," "Weinachtslied aus dem
Vintschgua," les Hat SIGH Halt"
"Stille Nacht. Heilige Nacht," Marie
auf dem Berge," "Hymme de Noel"
and Gloria in Excelsis."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Concert Schedule

Today.
Don Cossack Russian Male
Chorus, Serge Jaroff. con-
ductor, Constitution Hall, 4
pm.
Frank Kneisel. violinist, Roose-
welt Hotel, $50 pm.
Y. w. C. A. Music Hour, Junior
Choir National City Christian
Church and soloists, Barker
Hall, S pm.
Arsenic Ralon, violinist; Matt
Windsor, accordionist; Arts
Club, evening.
Monday.
Richard Crooks, tenor; Robert
Virovai, violinist; Robert
Nicholson, baritone, Mrs.
Townsend's Musicales, May
flower Hotel, II am.
National Symphony Orchestra,
students concert, DR.. Hans
Kinder. conductor. Woodrow
Wilson High School, $3.50 pm.
Bach's "Sleepers Wake St.
Johns Choir, Arthur Howes,
director; Katherine Harris,
soprano; Jeffrey Gould, bari
tone; Henry Kerr, organist;
St. Johns Church. Sixteenth
and H streets NV, $50 pm.
Tuesday.
Serge Rachmaninoff. piano re-
cital, Constitution Hall, 4 pm.
Soldiers Home Band Orches-
ira, $50 pm.
Wednesday.
National Symphony Orchestra,
DR.. Hans Kinder, conductor;
Mischa Elman, violinist,
soloist, Constitution Hall,
$50 pm.
Papas Guitar and Mandolin
Orchestra, Foundry Metho-
dist Church, Dramatic Hall,
evening.
Marine Band. Marine Barracks,
2:3O pm, and Marine Band
Symphony Orchestra, 8 pm.
Thursday.
National Symphony Orchestra,
students concert, Ernest
schelling, conductor, Roose-
welt High School, $3.50 pm.
Gordon String Quartet. assisted
by Emanuel Wishnow,
violinist and violist, Library
of Congress, $50 pm.
Soldiers Home Band Orchestra,
$50 pm.
Interstate Male Chorus, Clyde
B. AAtchison, conductor; A.
Rat Williams, tenor, soloiSt,
Departmental Auditorium,
$3.50 pm.
Friday Morning Music Club,
Ray Brown, lecturer, Barker
Hall, 1870 am.
National Symphony Orchestra,
students concert, Ernest
Schelling, conductor, Eastern
High School. $3.50 pm.
Marine Band, Marine Barracks,
3 pm.
Saturday.
Gordon String Quartet, assisted
by Emanuel Wishnow, violinist
and violist, Library of Con-
gress, 3:45 pm.
Soldiers Home Band Orchestra,
$50 pm.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Orpheus Quartet's
HOLIDAY Concert

In the Parish Hall of the Transfig-
uration Episcopal Church, 1415 Gal
latin street NV, Rev. John j.
Queally, rector, the Orpheus Quar-
tet, directed by Otto Torney Simon,
Hazel Gem Hughes, soprano; Elaine
Sebring Ford, contralto; Jesse Nus
scar, tenor; William Morrison Hanft,
bass, will give a Christmas concert
on Sunday evening, December 10,
at 7:3O
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11
Kneisel in Program
At the Roosevelt

At the Sunday evening concert at
the Hotel Roosevelt tonight a dis
tinguished violinist, Frank Kneisel,
will be the leading artist. He will be
accompanied at the piano by Alice
Finckel.
Mr.. Kneisel is the son of Franz
Kneisel, who was a noted violinist
and founder of the famous Kneisel
quartet.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-12-11

National Park College presented a
program of music on Thursday eve
ming, December l, from the classes
of Fannie Hellner, piano; Prudence
Fish, voice, and Doris Sturgeon,
violin. The following students par
ticipated: Suzanne Woodwork,
Martha Cofield, Ruth Heylum, Mil
dred Collins, Harriet Herman and
Josephine HUMPHREYS.