Evening star., 1940-11-24
Flagstad Has
Third Solo
Engagement
Symphony to Play
Under Macarthur
AS Guest Leader

Two interesting and important
concerts are on the National
Symphony Orchestra's schedule for
the coming week.
This afternoon at o'clock In
Constitution Hall, the National
Symphony, under the direction Of
Hans Kinder, will give the second
concert in the popular Beloved
Masterpieces" series. On Wednes-
day evening the Incompatible Kir-
stem Flagstad will appear as soloist
with the orchestra for the third
time in less than a year. The Ma
tional Symphony on this occasion
will be under the guest direction of
the gifted young American con.
ductor, Edwin Macarthur.
Works by Mozart, Weber. Scriabin,
Wagner and Enesco have been pro-
grammed by DR.. Kinder for today's
concert. The featured composition
will be Mozarts &c Minor SYM
phony," probably the most power
full of the great classicist's works,
although certainly no less beautiful
than his other symphonies. The
program will open with the overture
to Carl Maria Won Weber's opera,
Der Freischutz," which is still
popular and musically rewarding
today. The symphony follows and
then come Enesco's 'Roumanian
Rhapsody No. 2" two Scriabin
"Etudes' and the "Venusberg Music"
frov,, We !,
About eight months ago the Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra an
nounced with some pride Nine.
Flagstad's first engagement as
soloist. It is with equal or greater
pride that it now announces her
third. For Nine. Flagstad is an
artist of such eminence that she
bestows distinction upon any or
chestra with which she elects to
appear as soloist. But more than
that, Nine. Flagstad has achieved
position, both as an aStist and as
an attraction, that is so unassailable
| that she can choose her engage
ments at will; consequently her
willingness to appear so frequently
with the National Symphony is an
important tribute to the orchestra
which DR.. Kinder has developed
in Washington.
With the National Symphony Or
chestra on Wednesday night the
great Norwegian soprano will be
heard in six arias and songs: Scena
and aria. "Ah, Perhdo!" by Beetho-
ven: three Strauss songs. "Befreit."
"Allerseelen" and "Caecilie," and for
her Wagnerian selections, Elisa
beth's prayer, from "Tannhauser,"
and "Du bist der LenZ," from Act 1
of Die Walkure"
Wednesday night will also mark
the third appearance of Edwin
Macarthur as guest director of the
National Symphony. In fact. it
was with the National Symphony
that the 32-year Colorado-born
musician made his Eastern debut
as conductor. In the two years
since Macarthur first publicly
welded a baton, he has appeared
as guest director of such distin-
guished organizations as the New
York Philharmonic, N. B. G. SYM
phony, Philadelphia Orchestra, San
Francisco Symphony and the San
Francisco, Chicago and Metropoli-
tan Operas. 1t is no secret that, as
Nine. Flagstad's former accom-
panist and protege. Macarthur re-
ceived many of these engagements
through his sponsors influence
But the acclaim which followed his
every appearance on the podium
was entirely the result of his own
conducting gifts and it was on his
own abilities that he was appointed
director of classical music for the
National Youth Administration, a
post which he has recently re-
signed
McAthur, however. wanted to be
known as conductor, and in July,
1898. through the good Offices of
Nine. Flagstad, he made his con-
ducting debut in Sydney, Australia,
directing an all-Wagner concert of
the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
with his sponsor as soloist. On
Wednesday night Mr.. Macarthur will
lead the National Symphony
through Beethovens "Egmont
overture, Strauss Death and
TRANSPORTATION" and three Wag-
ner items-preludes to Acts I and
III of 'Lohengrin' and Siegfried's