Evening star., 1940-03-17
Johann Strous: Father
And Son
By II. E. Jacob. NeU York.: The
GreystOne Press.

Greystone Press.
The Strauss family was another of
those musical rarities patterned
along the same lines as the family
Of Johann Sebastian Bach. In both
instances, q heritage has remained
that will doubtless be alive when
most of the music of even our great
contemporaries disappears in the
welter of revolutions in the develop
ment OF the art. H. E. Jacob deals
extensively with the lives, times and
music of the Strausses-Johann
(senior), Johann c''Waltz King')
Eduard and Josef.
All the Strausses left a stamp on
the cultural world of their aggregate
hfe-span that brought the whole of
western civilization to its knees in
idolatry. It was the elder Johann
who brought the waltz form into
definite existence, Johann, the
younger, who developed it to spark
ling perfection, while to the remain
ing two sons fell the responsibility Of
carrying on the tradition by compos-
ing themselves and conducting
Strauss" orchestras in every great
nation after the death of their father
and during the preoccupation Of
their famed brother. Not that the
two Johanns didn't travel and con-
duct to a prodigious degree.
The author describes, frequently
through the accounts of the Strauss
contemporaries, the colorful era when
the waltz was dance craze and the
imposing figures of either or all Of
the StrauSses were to be seen fid-
ding and swaying over the heads Of
whirling couples, crowding the many
bathrooms. He tells the heart-rend-
ing story Of the overworked father,
his disloyalty to his family and the
resulting determination of the wife
to raise her boys to be his musical
competitors. Herr Jacob is, in fact,
quite thorough in his coverage of
material, although his presentation
is poorly organized in spots and
weakly written in others. Us.
Black Manhattan
By James Weldon Johnson.
Ne,D York: Alfred A: Knopf.
This is the story of Harlem and
Of the Negro in New York, told by
the late James Weldon johnson. It
begins In Colonial times, where we
find a colored population Of per
cent as early as 1926, and comes
down to the recent past with such
famous figures as John Gilpin,
Florence Mills, Bill Robinson, Hall
johnson and-well, celebrities too
numerous to mention. Mr.. johnson
has been quite objective in writing
his work. He has not attempted to
glorify his race, but only to do it
justice by recording its part in New
York's life. His book has humor
and good taste, and Is a valuable
bit of enlightenment on an in
herent part Of Americas past and
probably-of its future. NC. r.
Detroit: Dynamic City
BY Arthur Pound. Neto York:
D. Appleton-Century Co. !"
The title well illustrates the ma
ture Of this story, for the essence
Of the spirit of Detroit is change.
Mr.. Pound begins with the estab-
lishment by the courageous and
visionary Cadillac of . small trad
ing post In the year 1701, and takes
US down through the intervening
years to the present metropolis
the "city which put wheels under
mankind"
, Mr.. Pounds able work Will, Of
course, appeal first Of all to those
who have associations with Detroit.
But 1t wiz also attract all who
possess an interest in the growth
and development of the country
at large. For the story Of Detroit,
individual though 1t Is, Is essen.
italy the story the the United
States. The reading Of this book
M snsssuss essa's y N undaf;l