Evening star., 1947-05-04
Edinburgh Fete
Is Sign Of Music
.JJpturn Abroad
BY Alice Eversmon

By Alice Eversmon
Another sign OF the resurgence a
musical life in Europe is the Inter-
national Festival OF Music and
Drama to be held In Edinburgh.
Scotland. from August a. to Septem-
Der 13. During this period, the
music program viii be extensive
covering all fields as presented by
world famous artists. High lighting
this portion Of the festival will be q
three weeks season of opera to be
given by the renowned Glynde-
bourne Opera Company In the Kings
Theater. Georg Sell will conduct
the Scottish Orchestra and Carl
Ebert will be the producer.
Among the American singers to
take part In the two operas, Mozart,s
lie Nozze di Figaro" and verdi's
Macbeth. which wiz be alternated
during the season, are Eleanor
Steber, John Brownlee and Virginia
MacWatters. Miss MacWatters, who
has been achieving great success in
Europe, will be soloist with the
National Symphony next season on
one OF It's Sunday programs. Todd
Duncan. baritone, on the faculty Of
Howard University, is another Amer
ican singer specially invited to Edin.
burgh to give song recital in Usher
Hall that will include number Of
Negro spirituals.
Duncan World Traveller.
Since the end of the war, Mr..
Duncan has been in great demand
for appearances all over the world.
He has been a trail blazer" all
through this period. Last summer
he toured Australia and New Zea-
land, as the first Negro concert
artist to appear ,ere. He gave 10
concerts in II mas ,r cities and was
hailed as a "true artistic ambassador
Of his country" Similar success
was typical of previous tour Of
South America. From these tours
he has brought back number of
interesting examples Of native music
which he has included In recital
programs.
Following his appearance in Edin-
burgh, MIR. Duncan will give concerts
in various European countries with
10 already scheduled for England.
At the conclusion Of the tour he will
go to Italy for opera performances
In Rome, Florence and Milan. There
is also possibility that q revival Of
Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" will
take place in Stockholm, In which
he will resume the role that made
him famous and OF which he has
given 1900 performances. For Is
months he appeared in "The Sun
Never Sets" at the Drury Lane
Theater in London, returning to the
United States to play the Lawd's
General in Cabin in the Sky"
Other operatic appearances have
been as Tonic in ''Pagliacci" and
Escanillo in Carmen" with the New
York City Opera Co., "the first Negro
to sing white role with q white
cast" as Time Magazine remarked.
This winter he has given 50 concerts
In the United States and Canada
and has made a series of musical ed
ucational films for schools at the
West Coast Sound Studios.
Orchestra Concerts.
Orchestral concerts will be played
every other day during the festival.
It will be inaugurated by the Co.
lonne Orchestra of Paris, directed
by Paul Paray, followed by four per-
formances by the Vienna Philhar.
monic under Bruno Walters Lead
ership, when, at two Of these NAH
ler's Song of the Earth" will bs
given. The Halle Orchestra, John
Barbirolli conductor, and the Liver
pool Philharmonic with Malcolm
Sargent directing, viii also be heard
with the Scottish Orchestra. Walter
Susskind conductor, and the BIO
Scottish Orchestra, under the baton
Of Ian Whyte taking part In the
final week.
The Menges Quartet, the Calvert
Quartet of Paris, the Robert Masters
Quartet, the Carter Trio with Leon
Goossens and the Czech Monet Of
Prague will be heard in programs,
while chamber music concerts will
feature the combination Of Artur
Schnabel, Joseph Szigeti. William
Primrose and M. Fournier. A recital
of lieder by Schubert and Brahms
will be given by Lotte Lehman
with the assistance of Bruno Walter
and an entire Schubert recital will
be presented by Aksel Schiotz. A
two weeks season Of ballet by the
Sadler's Wells Ballet and theater
performances by the Old Vic Thea.
ter Company and Louis Jouvet's
Company from the Theatre do
rAthenee in Paris win complete the
program,