Evening star., 1942-01-04
Music World
Ends Best
Year Here
Capital Gradually
Leading Nation in
Fine Programs
Bv Alice Epersman.

BY Alice Eversman.
The year that has just closed
marks q more definite progress in
music matters in this city tnan
has been known for some time.
The dreams and hopes Of making
the Nations Capital leader in
musical endeavors came closer to
realization in 1941 than ever before
Not only has the quantity of con-
certs increased but their quality as
we'll, while appreciation Of music
has spread to include all sections
Of the population. From school
children to adults Of all classes,
the love and understanding Of music
has developed unprecedentedly and
with this growth the day OF con.
vincing people of its value in their
personal and in the civic life has
passed into the discard Of un-
necessary things.
Music is no longer relegated to
a special period of the year, to a
special place or to a special group
The best artists of the world have
appeared here and many innova-
tions such as opera and ballet at the
Water Gate, the chamber music
series at Meridian Hill Park and
the condensed opera performances
brought by Mrs. Dorsey to Constitu-
ton Hall have been tried out and
proved successful.
Many changes have come to pass
this past year also. Mrs. Lawrence
Townsend's concerts at the May
flower Hotel were discontinued.
Long before our musical ventures
had assumed any magnitude these
concerts were the outstanding ones
of the city. making the public ac-
quainted with the best the musical
world had to offer besides launching
many young artists, since become
famous, on their career. Beloved
Fritz Kreisler. whom the public can
i'll afford to lose from the roster OF
great musicians, suffered an acci-
dent that required the cancellation
of his engagements for an indefinite
period, and Kristen Flagstad, the
greatest soprano of this age, has
disappeared into war-torn Europe
with no knowledge OF her where
abouts. No longer can the concert
public here count on having Leopold
Stokowski for at least one appear
ance with the Philadelphia Orches-
ira. The year has seen also a change
of management in the National
Symphony and the establishment of
the c. C. Cappel Concert Guild as
an organization with new and pro-
gresSive ideas.
In the year just beginning inter-
esting features are still to be en-
joyed. The National Symphony has
expanded its programs to include
new and unusual works. Among its
soloists for the remaining concerts
are such names as Nathan Milstein.
violinist; Rudolf Serkin, Guiomar
Novaes, Percy Granger and Leah
Efenbach, pianists; Helen Traubel,
sopra no, and Rene lie Roy. f1utist
Mrs. Dorsey has yet to present such
popular artists as Grace Moore,
Lily Pons, Lawrence Tibbett. Vlad-
imir Horowitz. Jascha Heifetz. Bidu
Sayao. Ezio Pima, Yehudi Menuhin,
Jan Kiepura. Nelson Eddy and the
new basso-bufio of the Metropolitan,
Salvatore Baccaloni.
Toscanini's appearance as guest
conductor Of the new concert Of the
Philadelphia Orchestra on January
13 will be one of the high lights of
the remaining season. Constitution
Hall has been sold out long since for
the opportunity to hear this master
musician is becoming rarer as time
passes. For the last concerts by the
visiting orchestra. Eugene Ormandy,
whose popularity is growing with
each performance, will be the con-
ductor. and as soloists yet to be
heard will be Artur Rubinstein,
pianist, and Efrem Zimbalist, vio-
linist. Chamber music concerts will
be abundant both at the Library Of
Congress and by several local groups
and a new concert series will be
introduced by the National Music
League of New York in February.
4IlCIc Is IlO lIlulCdllOll dS ycl lIOIIl
any quarter that concerts will be
curtailed due to war conditions. At
a recent managers meeting in New
York it was stated that orchestras
will go on as before and that no
plans were being made to lessen
their activities. 1t may assure many
of the concert-going public to know
that concert halls are being tested
for their safety and that Constitu-
ton Hall ranks among the first
buildings in this city as of the
soundest construction. In fact it is
rated as a possible shelter in case
of need. The management of the
D. A. R. Hall explains that the glass
in the roof is protected by iron
shutters that are closed when the
lights are on in the hall. Moreover,
the staff is being trained for duty
in preparation for emergencies.