Evening star., 1943-04-04
Music
Notes
Opera Season Just
Ended Here Proves
A Huge Success
By Alice Eversman.

conception of the amount of work
and the quantity of material that
goes into weeks production of
opera such as was given by the
San Carlo Opera Co, at the National
Theater. In fact. the average con-
cert patron also is ready to accept
without thought the performance
of an artist who has spent hours of
preparation for q single program
The presentation of opera is divided
between several individuals quite
apart from the singers and their
skill in doing good job and their
pride of accomplishment receives
scant recognition.
During the week in which the
San Carlo Opera Co. presented 10
different operas, there were SO
changes of scenery entailing expert
handling for safety and speed.
Seven thousand properties were
used to give historical color and
opulence to the scenes. The operas
required 1900 costumes authentic
as to period and there were 40 diff
ferent combinations of jeWelry
worn by the prima donnas Carlo
Peroni, the hard working and tai
ented conductor, and the orchestra
consumed more than 80 hours in
playing the scores if the time were
strung together.
More than 10000 persons attended
the performances during the week,
with every night sellout. In spite
of illnesses that occasionally re-
quired the substitute artists to sing
more often than contracted for, the
various members of the cast found
time and the desire to visit the
Stage Door Canteen on three nights
after the performances and sing
for the servicemen.
The National Symphony Orches-
ira also has some data to offer re-
garding the 1890 concert series
which it hopes to increase from
the three concerts of the initial
venture to at least five next season.
A poll has been taken as to prefer
ences in composers and soloists, with
Beethoven and TschaikoWskv lead
ing the first and Heifetz, Eugene
List and Jeannette Macdonald the
second. The well-known works of
symphonic literature and the
classics took precedence over any
modern composer, even Shostako-
Vlch, who was relegated to the
ninth place in the roster of living
composers.
The 1880" concerts were inau-
gurated by group of young people
with Patricia Morris as chairman
According to the QUESTIONABLE. the
age groups were in order of attend
ance. 20 to Is leading. with 25 to 80
second and Is to 20 last. Govern
ment workers turned out in force.
1t is comparatively rare to find a
President of the United States who
is at the same time a music lover
and a practitioner of music. Such
was the accomplished and versatile
Thomas Jefferson whose 2OOth birth
day anniversary will be celebrated
next week with an exhibit in the
Whittall Pavilion of music items
llolH JEFFERSON S personal library ana
concert by the Budapest String
Quartet in the Coolidge Auditorium
OF the Library of Congress.
In spite of his active political life,
Jefferson found time to practice the
violin and to follow with interest
the new developments in the manu-
facture Of the harpsichord, the work
OF such men as Francis Hopkinson
and Charles Burney. with both of
whom he was in constant CORE
Spondence, and to write his own
views on musical artistry. His high
regard for culture can be seen in
the schedule for study that he laid
down for his two surviving daugh-
ters:
with respects to the distribution
of time. from to 10. practice music;
from 10 to l, dance one day and
draw another: from to 2, draw on
the day you dance and write letter
the next day: from 3 to 4. read
French; from 4 to 5, exercise your
self in music, from to bedtime,
read English. write"