Evening star., 1941-02-02
Best Music
Offered for
Beginners
New Recordings in
All Fields Are
Very Helpful
Bv Alice Eversman.

ping up every few weeks, for any one
TO claim that he has not an oppor.
tunity 10 learn or to understand
music. The whole process of becom-
ing acquainted with music is being
simplif1ed by thought and research
and being presented to the public
at little expense to it. The record
ing companies have realized the
possibilities offered by their par
ticular branches and are putting
them to good use. They have tried
to make complete libraries of all
the best music in various fields
recorded by the best artists, with
the recording accompanied by COM
plete explanations, giving something
of the history of the composer, the
background of the particular work
and any interesting point connected
with its composition.
The Columbia Recording Corp
issues this month, for the first time
a new series called the Student
Music Library Series. 1t has been
brought to this idea by the success
of a former venture in which records
of chamber music were put out with
one part missing so that any one
wishing to practice a particular part
could do so with the cooperation OF
the other necessary players by means
of the. discs This series has become
very popular and has led to the
releasing of another series of educa-
tional records.
The new recordings are of recital
numbers and junior classics OF the
violin. piano and cello played by
outstanding artists. They come In
neat albums of three 10-inch discs,
the first piano album containing
three works by Beethoven, seven by
Bach. movements from three Haydn
sonatas and the first movement OF
Mozart's Sonata in G Major"
The director of Columbia's educa-
tional department, Marie Finney,
saws of these sets: They provide a
standard of performance for the
student, so that he can measure his
own development and musicianshlp.
In playing his own study pieces
again and again on the phono-
graph and studying the technique
of great artists who have recorded
them, he simplifies his own problems
as well as the teachers. ConSe-
ouently his own advancement is
accelerated"
Months have been spent IN
preparation for this series, with IN
tensive research into the repertoire
of each instrument. The works
have been graded for different de-
erees of proficiency of the pupils.
In subsequent releases, works OF
the same type for flute, clarinet,
trumpet and other instruments Will
be selected.
Today marks the sixth anniver-
sary of the Metropolitan Opera de-
but of Kristen Flagstad. The great
singer. who now ranks foremost
among the operate stars, continues
to amaze her associates with her
simplicity. The adulation which
she has received continuously on
concert tours throughout the coun-
try has not changed her personality
or her manner of living. In the
earlier decades of the Metropolitan
Opera, it was almost necessity for
a great prima donna to be sur
rounded by pomp, and even lnstru-
mental artists such as PadereWsk1
felt it due their station to travel
with a retinue Of servants and Sec
retaries.
Nine. Flagstad does not even take
a personal maid with her on tour or
have one to assist her at the opera.
She dresses herself for her perform
ances, packs her own trunks Tor
tour and calls on the hotel to have
q dress pressed or for any other
service. She forgoes all the luxury
that usually surrounds prima don
mas and lives quietly and without
glamour. For all her great success
she has remained the unaSsumng,
wholesome person who first startled
the musical world in this country on
her debut.
Most people in the beginning had
difficulty in adjusting themselves TO
such a sane attitude toward nerve
racking art and to her quiet de-
meanor on the stage. But those
who had to serve her appreciate
her. and two of the important men
behind the scenes of the Metropoll-
tan are glad to voice their admlra-
ton, and what they say can be de-
pended upon to be true, for their
experience with artists has been
wide and colorful. Nicholas Lanzi-
lotti, in charge of costumes at the
Metropolitan, says of her:
Just a nice, sweet woman. The
kind you are proud to know"
Adolph SEM, the Metropolitan wig
maker and makeup expert, grows
more effusive. Il consider her the
finest character that ever walked
In through that stage door" he
said. "She's calm. She's patient
while you fix her, and when she
goes out on the stage she's perfect.
Some of the other prima donnaS-
what tempers I used to cross my
self before 1 went into their dress
ing rooms. But not Flagstad. She
is always pleasant. The biggest art
lists are the best people"
First announcements of the 34th
Bach Festival in Bethlehem, Pa,
have been sent out by the office of
the Bach Choir. The festival will
take place on Friday, May Is, and
Saturday, May II, in the Packer Me-
mortal Church of Lehigh University.
On Friday the following cantatas
will be sung: No. 78, Jesus, Thou My
Wearied Spirit; No. SO, "If Thou
Wilt Suffer God to Guide Thee; No.
II, Praise Our God in All His
Splendour";; No. 102, Lord, Are
Thine Eyes Not Searching for the
Righteous; No. 1873, I'm God I
Place My Faith and Trust; No. 2l
"I Suffer With Great HeavineSs";;
No. 1872, Nov Thank We All Our
God" On Saturday, the Mass in
B Minor" will be given in its en-
tirety, as is customary.
The choir of 230 voices has been