The Washington times., 1938-12-19
MISS MANNERS
AND SYMPHONY
PROVE DELIGHT
Soprano SoIoist Once
D. C. Stenographer
By WILLIAM NEWMAN


By WILLIAM NEWMAN
DR.. Kindler's program with the
National Symphony yesterday af-
ternoon in Constitution Hall may
be summed up in the word ro-
mantle.
Though it began generously with
Bach and continued with the light,
wellmade, charmingly colored pas
torales by Isadore Freed-which
were new to Washington - and
though it profited by the song OF
Lucille Manners, a native soprano
of radio fame, the enduring i'm
preston was made by the Schu-
bert c major symphony.
TOO LENGTHY
Conductors return constantly to
this work, lured by its wealth OF
eloquent melody. From the first
the work has been reproached for
its inordinate length, and various
expedients have been tried to
shorten it to fit the limited ca
pacities for attention and reac-
ton ascribed to this generation
with its habit of quick impress
sionS.
It has been subjected to modern
speed, a treatment which has
proved unsatisfactory because the
uuickened tempt destroy much OF
the romantic mood. The compost
ton is one of sunlit beauty and
must be enjoyed as much by con-
temptation as by the active parti-
cipation of the listeners imagina-
ton.
SOLVES PROBLEM
DR.. Kinder solved the problem
by cutting all repetitionS and re-
storing the original tempt which
still are fast enough. The results
proved him right for the romantic
aura of the composition was re-
captured to shed it's lovely, inSub-
>tantial glow over the perfor-
nance.
Freed's little pieces call for no
extended comment. They are un-
pretentious. The titles define each
brief sketch or impression Of the
open fields and wide skies, and the
quiet procession of every day
events. The composer is to be
complimented on the fine balance
of the new and the old in har-
monte and orchestral color which
he has employed and upon his
reticence and his perfect feeling
for the symmetry of the small pat
tern.
MISS MANNERS SCORES
Quite the pleasantest surprise in
many a Sunday concert was the
local concert debut of Lucille Man
nerS, radio soprano and correctly
dubbed the Cinderella of the Air
waves.
Miss Manners was a stenog-
rapher once and in the good old
American tradition was snapped
up by nationwide sponsor who
heard her voice in an addition.
With blond hair, uptilted nose,
blue eyes and a figure that would
land her a job modelling clothes
at any time, Miss Manners cap
tured her audience not only with
her appearance but with her voice
which was rich and melodious.
SANG UNDER HANDICAP
It wasn't big voice-she told
us afterwards she was just recover
ing from laryngitis-but a great
deal more than we have come to
expect from one who sings before
q microphone.
She sang an aria from Doni-
zetti's opera. Daughter of the Regi-
ment," one from Bizet's Carmen"
and songs by Roger and Henschel,
She was recalled for three encores.
One Of the surprises of the cur
rent season was an American COM
position heard at the Library of
Congress last night, where the
Gordon Quartet wound UP the
Gertrude Clarke Whittall series of
five concerts.
QUINTET DELIGHTFUL
The composition was Charles
Martin Leoffler's quintet for the
unusual combination of three VIC
Inns, viola. and cello. One of
the outstanding advantages of this
combination was the opportunity
it afforded the audience to hear
all Of the five library Strads at
one time.
The music was fresh. laden with
more melodies than can be found
in a hundred modern compost
tons, and ingeniously written.
Another composition using all
five instruments was a quintet ~
Johann Christian Bach played
here for the first time last night.
Although eighteenth century in
flavor. the warmth of its melodies
and the homophonic line fore
Swallowed the flavor of nineteenth
NaY1tI1r1y cha nhoT rnIISic