Evening star., 1945-10-08
By ALICE EyERSMAN,

SCAo 1CS1tdlo al 1dTE CIlOuSll
events. as things go in a musical
season, to arouse attention and
when an artist such as Felix Sal
mond gives one the interest is dou-
bled. Mr.. Salmond appeared last
night in the National Gallery of Art
and in spite of the belief of many
that the cello Is not solo instru-
ment, held a capacity audience en-
thralled from start to finish. This
was the artists first performance
here, If memory serves correctly,
since Mrs. Lawrence Townsend s
series in the Maytiower Hotel
The program chosen by Mr.. SAL
mond offered no novelties but a
selection designed to show his
superb tone and mastery technique
in every Variation. These could be
said to climax in the Brahams
Sonata in F., No. 2, op SO" where
the passionate quality rises to dra-
matte potency. Mr.. Salmond played
it with abandon in the three alle-
gro movements and with poignant
feeling in the tragic adagio affet-
tuoso. His artistry is sensitive to
nuances and appreciattve of the
finely developed musical line. The
sorority and flexibilty of his tone
and its vivid quality are highly ex-
presSive mediums of color and senti-
ment.
Mr.. Salmond was fortuante in
having an unusually sympathetic
pianist in Leonid Hambro whose CO.
operation in the full artistic effect
was superb. The auency and spon-
taneity of his playing and his sensi-
tive musical feeling assisted the
cellist in every effect with rare dis
cernment. The Variations on
Theme by Mozart" by Beethoven
obtained greater power than inher-
ent in this less outstanding of the
masters works by reason of the
combined skill of the performers.
Beethoven's harshly conceived
Sonata in D, op. 102, No. 2" was
an excellent foil for the Brahms and
the fugue of the third movement
was dashingly played by Mr.. Sal
mond. Veracini's "Sicilienne" in
Salmon's arrangement and the
adagio from Bach's organ Toccata
in c" displayed Mr.. Salmond's COM
mand of delicacy and the warmth
of tonal quality he draws from his
instrument.
Debussy's Sonata in D minor"
and group of shorter works con-
cluded the program The audience
was receptive to the polished ar
tistry of the performance through
out and the enthusiasm mounted
from number to number.
John Yard Gives Recital.
In the Phillips Gallery, John
Yard, baritone, was heard in song
recital that, showed both the excel
lence of his natural gift and his in
terpretive powers. His voice is of
appealing quality and schooled in
sound technique that permits of
flexible handling. To this funda-
mental equipment he adds keen
musical insight which joins text and
music and the fluctuations of each
in a fine analysis that presents the
songs to the best advantage. 1t may
be that, conscious of the power in
reserve, he~is reluctant to spoil pure
artistic effects by too much volume,
but his use of pianissimo was ex-
aggerated and often employed to
the detriment of the idea. 1t lacked
focus and so lost its carrying power
and blurred the clarity of his die
ton.
With William Reese at the piano,
Mr. Yard sang two songs, Give Me
Thy Heart" and With Pleasure
Have Passed My Days" by Francis
Hopkinson leading into two Handel
ariaS, the "Piangero" from Julius
Ceasar" and THE Glorious Deeds"
from Samson" Ravels seldom pro-
grammed Don Quichotte a Dull
cinee," with its three divisions,
"Chanson Romantique, "Chanson
Epique" and "Chanson a Boire," is
an interesting number of which the
vtvacious drinking song formed both
contrast and climax.
The soft tonal quality Mr.. Yard
employed so effectively in the Han
del arias was less impressive in the
first portions of the Ravel, leaving
them too monotone in color Songs
by Richard Strauss and Charles
Ives rounded out the program which
was cordially received by the au-
dience.
johnson Choir in Debut.
Spotlighted in the center of the
field at Griffith Stadium, the Hall
johnson Choir made its debut ap-
pearance here under the auspices
of the Washington Negro Co-opera-
tive Civic Opera Company in COL
laboration with the National Coun-
Gil of Negro Women of which Mrs.
Mary Mcleod Bethune is president.
The weather had a chilly tang in
1t last night for singing in the open
and the members of the choir
wrapped themselves in cloaks dur
ing the intervals between groups.
A small stage had been erected
facing the stands and here, with
strong lights and amplification, the
famous choir could be both seen
and heard. The program consisted
mainly Of spirituals with group
of secular songs such as Water
Boy" River Chant" st Cannot
Stay Here by Myself" and "St.
Louis Blues" The arrangement of
all the songs was made especially
for the choir by It's director, Mr..
johnson.
The timbre of the voices is so
varied that many remarkable vo-
cal colorations are possible. The
male voices, which were heard in
one group alone, are deep and rich