Evening star., 1945-07-04

| week program at the Water Gate
given last night instead of tonight
in order to avoid conflict with the
holiday celebration. Saul CASTOR
made his penultimate appearance as
guest conductor, again giving evi-
dence of his ability at program max
ing to the peoples liking by select
ling works Incorporating dance
rhythms OF various countries by
their outstanding composers.
! With the weather in It's pleasant
est mood, the combination resulted
in one Of the most enjoyable con-
certs of the summer 1t was cool
/ and balmy beside the river, the sky
clear of clouds and the evening star
keeping solitary watch directly over
the barge. Even the sunset con-
| formed to the serenity of the sur
| roundings showing only its loveliest
pastel colors. 1t was an atmosphere
that invited relaxation and the pro-
gram was designed to that end.
| Miss Paulee's first number was the
we'll known aria una yoce POGO IA"
from Rossini's "The Barber of Sc
ville," but she sang it in the little
known original version, which Is In
a lower register and minus some of
the vocal pyrotechnics used by colo
raturas. Her voice Is flexible enough
to bring out the bravura passages
clearly, but its weightiness gave an
unfamiliar character to the work.
1t is OF quality more appropriate
to the "Seguidilla" from Carmen"
which followed and the "Habanera"
given an encore Miss Paulee sang
both the Carmen" arias in English,
which Immediately started again
thoughts on the much discussed
question of operate translations.
While 1t Is certainly pleasant for
those not acquainted with the orig
inal to be able to follow the text SO
clearly enunciated by the singer,
| there is no doubt that much of the
suave charm and rhythm of the
words are lost in translation. 1t
was a distraction to wonder what
was coming next and to find it
rather silly sounding when it did.
The fact remains that, while one of
our greatest depriyations is the ne
cessity Of listening to opera or its
excerpts in a foreign language, more
thought is required for a polished
translation.
Having demonstrated an excep-
tional talent in her singing of the
arias, Miss Paulee further cemented
the impression by her delivery of
Rachmaninoff'S Floods of Spring. :"
Penn's "Smilin' Through" Strauss
"Caecilie" and the encores of popu-
lar appeal that followed. Her voice
is large, full and warmly colored
and she sings with emotional aban-
don. The evenness of tone through
out the registers is remarkable and
the only critical point was the
heavliness of her breath intake be-
fore beginning phrase.
In a performance spirited
throughout, Mr.. CASTOR differenti-
ated the national characteristics of
the music the orchestra played. In
troduced by the lively Academic
Festival Overture" by Brahms. the
program contained his Hungarian
Dances Nos. and g." the Inter
lude" and Dance No. l" from De
Fallas La Vida Breve." Dvorak's
"Slavonic Dance No. 10 in E Minor.
Op. 72, No. 2" and Johann Strauss
Blue Danube Waltz" In this list
of familiar numbers was one less
seldom heard. Faure's "Pavane, Op.
So" a lovely work of austere char
acter with melancholy solo passages
for the flute. The keen knowledge
OF orchestral contrasts which Mr..
Castor possesses once more embel-
| lished the presentation.