The Washington times., 1939-01-07
MARY APPLES
VOICE BRINGS
warm PRAISE
ContraIto Disdains Easy
Road to Success
BY WILLIAM NEWMAN

Mary Apple, contralto, guest
artist at the Friday Morning
Music Club. She is a dark, tall
and slender beauty, with dark
and not so slender voice to match
Her art is serious matter with
her. She disdained the easy sue
cess and turned resolutely to mas
terpieces of the literature by Bach
and Cesar Franck with results
that, in most instances, justified
her confidence. Feeling and
musicianship combined to make
her Interpretation of the former
masters familiar song, "Dist du
bel mir" entirely successful. 1t
is not, as many believe, sacred
song, but a love song of exalted
mood.
CONTRAST ABSENT
Bach made no change in the
idiom on that account so that the
singer entered upon the great con-
tralto aria from the Passion Ac-
cording to st. Matthew" Erbarme
dich, mein Gott," without achiev-
ing a contrast. For the sake of in
terest it might have been wise to
have presented the latter with the
beautiful viola obbligato, since
there was a violinist on the pro-
gram.
Franck's song, la Procession, ?"
also was delivered with appropri-
ate elevation of spirit, as was Wi
doris Contemplation" which had
to be repeated. Miss Apple shared
the program with Betty Baum,
pianist, and Milton Schwartz,
violinist. They offered a musi-
cianly account of Beethoven's So
nata in G opus 80 and Mr..
Schwartz, with typically pleasant
tone and clean technic, presented
two compositions of his own, an
attractive bit of lyricism called
Song of the Shepherd" and a
stunt piece entitled "Nocturne
Orientale."
AMERICANS FEATURED
Washington's concerts for Jan
uary will feature American artists
almost to the exclusion of the
alien. There are many who be-
lieve that, with all European doors
closed to the American, the much
praised doctrine of reciprocity
should be invoked in behalf Of
the American artist at home.
Gladys Swarthout comes to sing
in Constitution Hall tomorrow
afternoon. Her management now
calls her a soprano, though she
gained fame as a rnezZo. One
notes that she cherisheS a preju-
dice for American composers and
the English language in arranging
her program.
Richard Crooks, tenor, and
Kathryn Meisle, mezzo, will sing
in Constitution Hall, on Tuesday,
January II. Guila Bustabo and
the famous Ernest Schelling, who
will present the program at Mrs.
Townsend's Mayflower musicale
Monday, also are Americans.
SCHELLING TO CONDUCT
Mr.. Schelling, of course, has
long been figure on either con-
tinent. His activities extend to
the National Symphonys con-
cert on Wednesday evening, when
he will conduct the entire pro-
gram and play the solo part in
his own "Suite Fantastique" for
piano and orchestra. He lists his
own tone-poem "A Victory Ball, !"
Griffess' Pleasure Dome of
Kubla Kahn and Frederick
Stocks transcription of the st.
Anne" prelude and fugue of Bach,
in his program.
Marjorie Lawrence, an Aus
tralian cousin, is to be the Ma
tional Symphony's soloist at its
concert in Constitution Hall, Jan
uary is.
In this stimulating atmosphere
Of native art and artists appears
Catherine Van Buren, native lyric
soprano, to, sing a program at
Howard University, Tues
evening, that stresses the Ameri-
can composer and the English
language.
Profiting by the turn in the tide
the enterprising Conti-Berengeur
concert management announces
q Young American Artists Sc
ries, to begin at the Chevy Chase
Woman'S Club, January 16, the
program to be repeated at the
Phillips Memorial, January 18.
The first program will be given by
Francis Bernard, bass baritone,
of Cincinnati.
The chamber concerts by the
Coolidge Quartet, whose members
are Americans, continue at the
Library Of Congress Thursday at
$3.50 and Saturday at 3:45. They
will play quartets of Cherubini,
TanSman and Schubert at the
first concert, and Haydn, Bridge
and Brahms at the second.
Robert Noerhen, American or
ganist, will play the great Wash
ington Cathedral organ Monday,
January Is, under auspices of the
Washington Chapter of the A. G..
o. DR.. Hans Kinder will lecture
for the Friday Morning Music
Club next week, assisted by Mary
Howe.
FOREIGN VISITORS
Distinguished foreign visitors
are not numerous. Yvonne Georgi
brings her Dutch Ballet to the
National Theater tomorrow night.
Miss Georgi is Swiss. a disciple
Of Mary Wigman, who earned
| fame as the first associate of