Evening star., 1950-07-02
News Of Music
Playing of Rovel Work Here Friday
Stresses 18th Anniversary
By Alice Eversmon

EVSISWoU
in ciboure. where the house faced
the sea.
But you have mountains there
ALSO" I said. "Are you not fond
OF the mountains as well?"
"oh. no." he replied. 'T do
not like them. They are so badly
made"
Dressed Very Carefully.
Such insistence on symmetry of
outline was part of Ravels inher-
itance from his Swiss engineer
father who had. early in life, in
vented a carriage to be run by
gasoline. It was reflected in his
clothes of which he had a guam
tity, selected with the greatest care
as to color and style. It was part
of his appearance also. everything
about his slim figure and sharply
defined features being neat and
orderly.
The warm -heartedness his be-
loved Basque mother bequeathed
to him was hidden under sophis-
ticated exterior and masked by q
gift of language to which the
French tongue lent itself superbly.
His modesty caused him to dis
miss honors paid him, although
when, for the third time he re-
fused the Legion of Honor. he adj
mitted. when questioned: THAT
was pure vanity on my part"
Ravel played his first public re-
tcital in New York in the Gallo
Theater. owned by Fortune Gallo.
limpressario of the San ;. Carlo
Opera, which has just finished its
season at the Watergate. The tour
Twas arranged by E. Robert
Sehmitz. whose last appearance
here was In a piano recital in the
French Embassy. Ravel was over.
whelmed at the reception he re-
ceived all over the country, and he,
in turn, created a sensation where
ever he went by his sartorial ele-
gance. Eva Gauthier said he
stopped traffic"
Mrs. Schmitz relates that on
Ravel's arrival he was horror
stricken to find that the new eve
ming ties, delivered just before
leaving Europe. we're half an inch
too long. She offered to shorten
them but was considerably dis
mayed to discover they num-
bered 81.
Kinder Secured Assignment.
The late DR.. Hans Kinder was
responsible for a commission for
a chamber music work from
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge to
Ravel. The composer accepted
and wrote a quartet for voice.
cello. flute and piano. called
''Trois Chansons madecasses."
Ravel was never known to be
prompt or on time for anything.
Only one of the songs, taken from
collection of Madagascar poems,
was ready for the concert ar
ranged by Mrs. Coolidge in the
Hotel Majestic in Paris. It was
an invitational affair, the audi.
ence made up of prominent musi-
clans and critics. Ravel played
the piano and Kinder the cello.
Nine. Bathori sang the difficult
vocal part and the noted fiutist,
Fleury. completed the quartet.
The other two numbers were writ
ten later and this work, seldom
performed now, remained one Of
the composers favorites.
1t was DR.. Kinder also to whom
the premier performance Of Ra-
vel's cello and violin Sonata was
given. The National Symphony's
founder played it with the violin
ist, Yelly d'Aranyi, at the home
of Mrs. Alvar in London. DR..
Kinder frequently programmed
Ravel's works for the National
Symphony Orchestra as has How
ard Mitchell.
The old idea that Ravel was
simply follower of Debussy has
been disproved. Ravel's originality
of concept and inventiveness Of
writing have secured for him a
separate niche among great COM
posers. The depth of his nature
has now been impressed on, the
musical world.
Marie Seuel-Hol roronosa,.