Evening star., 1947-01-05
Notable Events
OF Past Year
In Review
By EIena de Soyn


Although Washington still lacks
grandiose temple of art to pro-
mote music in impressive surround
ings, befitting the dignity of
Nations Capital, the scale of at
fractions and the manner in which
they are launched grows better from
year to yeer.
The Importance which this city
has assumed of late, is best mani
tested in the caliber of perform
ances. the type of music presented
and the galaxy of visiting artists.
Washington is second to none in
opportunity given to hear new
works, to grow musically and to
keep abreast of the times.
Nineteen hundred and forty-six
marked the 18th anniversary of the
National Symphony Orchestra, cele-
brated on January 16 by a gala
concert for members of the National
Symphony Orchestra Association
with Fritz Kreisler as soloist. Dr.
Kinder and three charter members
of the orchestra's personnel were
recipients of gifts from the asso-
citation on that occasion.
Novelties Are Offered.
Indorsing Fundamentally the new
movement to assist modern COM
posers in gaining recognition, the
National Symphony has presented
a number of novelties this past
year such as -Four Sea Interludes
From Britten's Peter Grimes :"
Grainger's youthful Suite" Mil
hauds Concerto for Two Pianos" :"
Bartok's Portrait" for violin, and
Ponce's Concerto del Sur" for
Spanish guitar, both with orchestra.
Just a year ago, almost to a day,
the Boston Symphony Orchestra
with Serge Koussevitzky, played
here for the first time Prokofleff's
Symphony No. ST. while the Phila-
delphia Orchestra gave first hear
ings to .McDonald's violin concerto,
also to Carpenters "The Seven
Ages" Prokofieff Byrns "Diabolic
Suite" Handel Ormandy Suite
from Water Music" Handel-Skilton
Suite E Minor" and LIE Clair
Dubensky "Concerto Crosse" The
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra,
Reginald Stewart, conductor, paid
two visits with Yehudi Menuhin,
violinist, and Helen Traubl, soprano,
as soloists. The opera season of
standard operas, given by the Phila-
delphia La Scala Opera Company,
while not very long, was well
patronized.
New Works Recognized.
The So annual concerts in the
National Gallery of Art, permanently
established three years ago, have
done, possibly, most to introduce
unfamiliar composers and to give
world premieres or first local hear
ings before an average of 1000
listeners at each event. Soloists,
chamber music groups and the Ma
tional Gallery Sinfonietta, Richard
Bales. conductor, presented about
thirty new works.
In addition to world famous art
lists, who make their annual ap-
pearances here, new names have
been introduced: Patrice Munsel,
soprano, and Jusse Bjoerling, tenor,
brought by Dorothy Hodgkin Dor
sey; Icelandic Singers and Father
Flanagan's Boys Town Choir, pre-
sented by the C. c. Cappel Concert
Bureau, which also engaged Lily
Pons for a recital. Miss Pons has
been not heard here for some time.
together with Myra Hess, pianist.
and Albert Spalding, violinist, she
belongs to the small group whose
return after several years OF alb
sence was something of an event.
Sir Ernest Mcmillan and Walter
Hendl conducted the National SYM
phony Orchestra during the years
winter series, Mr.. Hendl appearing
as second conductor of the new Hit
Parade" concerts. The summer
Water Gate concerts by the National
Symphony listed several new guest
directors: Ignace Strafogel, George
King Raudenbush, Stanley Chapple
and Jose Vasquez, the latter of Mex
leo.
Chamber Music Concerts.
The chamber music concerts in
the Library of Congress, sponsored
by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge
Foundation, gave an opportunity to
hear two new duo-teams: Nicholas
Graudan, cellist, with Joanna Grau-
dan, pianist, and Henri Temianka,
violinist, collaborating with Leonard
Shure, pianist. The annual observ-
ance of the Stradivari death ami
versary by the Gertrude Clarke
Whittall Foundation and the acqui-
sition of the Mendelssohn collection
gave rise to extra concerts, among
which was a recital by Nathan
Milstein.
1t is possible to enumerate only
in part the number of musical events
which took place during the year.
Excellent outside and local artists
filled regular dates in the Phillips
Gallery, the Pan-American Union
and with the Chamber Music Guild.
The Arts Club, the Friday Morning
Music Club aided in promoting tai
ent, while churches contributed to
the appreciation of religious music.
Various locally progressive groups.
amongst them the Washington Ca
thedral Choir and the Washington
Choral Society presented large
choral works.