Evening star., 1945-12-02

telling of the circumstances of their
marriage and private life there
after, Mrs. Caruso brings out the
most endearing qualities of Caruso
and at the same time gives true
picture of his greatness as man and
artist.
Another volume emphasizing the
sweetness Of famous musicians
character Is q collection of the let
tiers of Mendelssohn. assembled and
edited by G. Selden-Goth. "The
Letters" may increase or decrease
your feeling toward the composer
according to your reactions to their
personal quality but. aside from the
fact that q cultured and sensitive
gentleman wrote family and friends
with affectionate warmth of all his
doings, the documents reveal the
environment and the interesting
personalities of the period. Since
Meldelssohn's music is experience
ing a swing back into public favor.
these letters come at the right time
for closer acquaintance with the
composer.
Latin merican Music
With the war bringing us into
neighborly association with Latin
America, Nicolas Slonimsky's Music
of Latin America" gives US a long
needed history of the musical back
ground and present day trend of
the art in our sister republics. This
book is the first attempt to assemble
and explain the rich heritage of
these countries and the use their
composers have made of 1t.
Music for Fun
Sigmund Spaeth, whose sympa-
thies are always with the musical
willing but unlearned, has tried to
forward their efforts toward greater
understanding in"two books, Music
for Fun" and "At Home With
Music" The first is designed mainly
to inspire parents to incorporate
music into the family life as early
as possible and Mr.. Spaeth has de-
vised many means of doing so.
The preface can be read with profit
by musicians and laymen alike.
"At Home With Music" will bolster
up and confirm your own impress
sions while clarifying much that
has seemed highbrow and beyond
the ordinary music lovers compre-
hension. Both of these books
denude music of it's more fearsome
aspects and logically present it
for what it k-an art to be enjoyed
by all from the cradle to the grave.
Frank Damrosch was of the
same opinion and his work toward
that end is told in Prank Damrosch
Let the People Sing" commits
stoned by the Frank Damrosch An
niversary Committee and written
jointly by Lucy Poate Stebbens and
Richard StebbinS The title is prob
ably taken from the fact that Mr..
Damrosch founded the Peoples
Singing Glasses in 1892 and success
fully proved his theory that people
of all classes, ages and races can
achieve harmonious association
through singing. Drawing from the
splendid record of his accomplish
ments. the authors have made an
inspiring lineup of the activities
of a man who worked generously
for the furtherance of music appre-
citation in this country.
The Musical Scene
What a critic thinks of the varied
musical fare offered the public is
gathered together in ''The Musical
Scene" by Virgil Thomson, music
critic of the New York Herald-Trib-
une. Mr.. Thomsons caustic and
frank reviews caused quite furor
when he first joined the newspaper
so that a collection of his best writ
ings in this vein had sure market.
They are not cut-and-dried criti-
cism but are enlivened by pertinent
material all colored by his particular
point Of view.
Louis Bachner, an American, for
merly professor of singing at the
Hochschule fuer Musk in Berlin,
has brought out volume called
Dynamic Singing" in which he
breaches the gospel of freedom in
all muscular coordination. Without
going into great detail as to how
this is to be accomplished, his en-
phasis on it's need is convincing.
Marjorie Lawrence has written the
preface.
Filling another void Is William
Carter Whites "a History of Mill
tary Music in America" The author
was formerly Director of Music at