Evening star., 1941-06-08
Record Reviews
By Alice Eyersmdn.

If one were inclined to philoso-
phize about the development of the
vocal art and its great medium,
opera. the releases by the Victor Co.
this month of widely varied ex-
amples of it would offer a fine op-
pOrtunity.
Because it comes at an appropriate
time and because it is thoroughly
American in origin and production
John Charles Thomas singing of Il
Hear America Singing" cantata
based on poems by Walt Whitman,
would come first Second on the list
is the recording of excerpts from
Gays The Beggar's Opera" then,
the orchestra arrangement of bits
from Howard Hanson's Merry
Mount" and finally the singing of
the two arias from Saint -Saens'
Samson and Delilah," by Marian
Anderson.
The setting which George Klein
singer has given the Whitman poems
is an ideal one only in spots. In the
places where Mr. Thomas, either
declaiming or singing brings the
might of his artistry and the beauty
of his resonant voice to a powerful
projection Of its meaning, the work
is stirring. In the portions where
he Ladies' Garment Workers Union
Radio Chorus takes over. the words
lose their potency because the music
does not give proper emphasis. But
the chief point is. that this cantata
stresses again the real desire Of
many to hear America singing"
There probably would have been
little hope of this taking place if
John Gay had not written The Beg
gar's Opera Tired of the domi-
nance OF foreign singers and OF
opera, even by the beloved Handel,
sung always in an unknown tongue,
he gathered together many familiar
and popular tunes of the day and
wove them into an opera. assisted by
DR.. Pepusch as musical cola borator
He allowed himself TO make fun of
the operate style and even went so
far as to steal a number from Han
del's "Rinaldo" and make it into a
highwayman's chorus TO the great
delight of the London public. 1t
took London by storm and COM
pletely demolished the hold that the
stiff, foreign opera had had on the
people.
The whole follows the style made
familiar to this generation by Gill
bert and Sullivan. with many clever
illusions to political happenings.
The music is gay, tuneful and SIM
pie and its satire such as would
bring good-natured laugh from
victim or onlooker. One owes
debt of gratitude, first to Mr.. Gay
and, secondly. to Frederick Austin.
whose new version of the work is
here recorded with a group of sing
ers, chorus and director. the names
of whom, however, are not well
known.
Mr.. Hanson, the fortunate Amer
lean composer who had his Merry
Mount" excellently presented at the
Metropolitan Opera. proves in this
WOIk UnaG naUlN6 talent mas WORTH
while things to offer. In the 206
years that elapsed between the first
performance of The Beggar'S On
era and Merry Mount musical
composition has gone a long way
and Mr.. Hanson has given a fine
example in this work of excellent
writing and of interesting content.
The suite contains the overture,
"Children's Dance. Love Duet
Prelude to Act a. and the "Maypole
Dances" played by the Eastman
Rochester Symphony Orchestra,
with Mr.. Hanson directing.
And to round out this vocal
synopsis with the American angle
uppermost is the recording by
Marian Anderson of Amour, viens
alder ma faiblesse" and Mon occur
souvre a ia yoix,' the lovely arias
from Samson and Delilah." Miss
Anderson. singing in English. gives
another demonstration that she is
Americas s leading contralto.