Evening star., 1939-05-28


remain, but it has grown in imports
agitation that promised almost INN
worth while has been accomplished
and even the talk that once was
universal among musicians on these
subjects has died down. Whether 1t
will be revived when the winter ses-
sion begins remains to be seen.
It must be borne in on all musi-
clans who are planning recitals of
some magnitude how difficult tits to
find a hail suitable in every respect
for what they wish to present. Many
OF the best are very far out; those
In the city have not the facilities for
parking nor, perhaps, large enough
seating capacity. Others lack the
appearances which add dignity to
public performance. Such points as
special staging or the presenting of
a large ensemble simply cannot be
taken care of. And, of course, opera
Is still out of the question.
1t seems too bad that we may have
to begin another season with skimp-
,jng in the matter of large spectacles.
The plans that have been under
consideration do not place musical
affairs in the foreground, from all
reports. The music public of this
city will be no better off if an audi
torium is built where the main hall
is too large for singer or violinist
to be heard in, or otherwise insult
able for dignified presentation of
a musical event. A large auditorium
has been tried here and proven
failure: it was not suitable even for
grand opera.
Music Public Grows.
What the sponsors of the erection
Of an auditorium do not realize is
the important growth in the music
public Of this city within the last
few years. They still consider music
as a minor activity we'll enough
taken care of with the present halls
available. But everything that grows
must have room and the progress of
y music will be assisted only by bigger
and better presentations for the mu-
sic-loving public.
Principally among these is the
desire for opera, yet whenever the
possibility of having opera here is
mentioned the first question is, But
where?" Constitution Hall as it is
at present will never do, as has been
shown in spite of the care and
thought, not to mention the ex-
pense, lavished on the attempts to
give it in this hall, the seating
capacity OF which, however, is ideal
Even the performances of the Monte
Carlo Ballet, where scenery is not
so essential. suffer from the size of
the stage and the lack of proper
exists. 1t Is useless to hope for
correctly staged opera until there
is suitable place to give it in.
The second matter of a Federal
bureau of fine arts does not so
directly affect the local musical life,
although 1t would undoubtedly
benefit from such a bureau. The
first two bills, the -Pepper-Coffe bill
and the Sirovich bill, came to
naught, but there is still the very
well-thought-out one advocated by
DR.. Damrosch. More and more the
majority of this country's serious
thinking musicians believe that a
Federal bureau is absolutely neces-
sary. There are those, of course,
who dread the thought of the Gov
ernment mixing in the conduct Of
any branch of art and there is the
danger that politics will be played in
this matter as in others. But such q
fear is small compared to the good
that might result if the construction
of such bureau be properly super
vised by those whose interests are
at stake.
Merits Of Plan.
Other countries have had gov
ernment subsidy for music and pros
pered under it. In fact, so i'm
portant have appeared the noted
European conservatories and opera
houses that Americans have focked
abroad for instruction and expert
ence. Americans can learn what to
do and what not to do by thor
ough study of what has been in
practice In other countries for many