Evening star., 1950-01-01
Music
1000 Programs,
Published in Full,
Show Excellence
Of City's Art
By Alice Eversmon


During the year just finished
nearly 1000 musical events we're
listed in the Programs of the
Week" column on this page. This
by no means took care of all con-
certs or recitals for some were
of a private nature and notice of
others arrived after the Tuesday
deadline and could not be in
cluded. Many of the events were
free to the public but that did
not lessen their value or i'm
portance in estimating years
interest in music.
It would be difficult to esti-
mate the number attending all
these programs. Thet seating
capacity of Constitution Hall is
little over $500 and time after
time the house is sold out. The
National Gallery of Art, where
concerts are given every Sunday
night, can accommodate more
than 1000. and the Library of
Congress, with the Coolidge Audi
torlum and Whittall Pavilion,
around TOO. In the Library nearly
all the programs are given on two
nights so that twice that many
may hear them. The Depart
mental Auditorium, the Lisner
Auditorium and the Marine Bar
racks draw many hundreds each
week for the Ser vice Bands con-
certs. There is a regular audi
ence, usually of capacity size, for
the weekly events in Barker Hall.
YWCA. the Phillips Gallery, and
the YMCA. And the Water Gate
attendance scars into the tens of
thousands three times a week
during its season.
Music Draws Well Here,
Adding all this together makes
sizable crowd patronizing music
events constantly. Yet outsiders,
and some Washingtonians, claim
That little is done musically in the
Nations Capital. If this fine array
does not always represent the
highest in musical art, it demon
strates that music has great draw
Ing power locally and that people
go out OF their way to hear it. It
shows also that music is very
much alive in this city and
progressing rapidly towards a
oetterment of its quality.
Less widely publicized are the
concerts sponsored by groups, the
smaller scaled recitals, the school
programs and the very important
musical evenings held in churches
Many "Firsts" Scored Here.
The local public is kept abreast
OF the times by the concerts ar
ranged by Richard Bales in the
National Gallery and by Elmira
Bier in the Phillips Gallery. FIRE.
quently artists give a first hear
ing In one of these Galleries. to
a program presented in Town Hall
or Carnegie Hall a few DAYS later.
The Festival of American Music.
running for month each year
IN the National Gallery, brings
many new works by American
composers and excellent artists
TO present them. Hardly any pro-
gram in the Galleries but has
one, or more. unfamiliar numbers
on it. mostly of contemporary
origin. The Washington Cathe-
dral and the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church have spe-
clallzed in giving new and inter-
esting choral works and visiting
choral groups as we'll as other
local ones, have made notable
contributions to a knowledge of
that particular branch of music.
Mitchell Takes Helm.
The greatest change, as re-
CARDS local affairs last year, was
the resignation of Hans Kinder
as conductor of the National
Symphony and the installation in
that post of Howard Mitchell.
The death of DR.. Kinder occurred
a few months later. The year
saw also the final concert here
OF the Boston Symphony under
koussevitzky's direction and not
long ago. its temperance under
its new conductor. Charles Munich.
The National Symphony had as
guest conductors the renowned
Brazilian composer. Villa-Lobos,
the fiery Britisher, Sir Thomas
Beecham, and the beloved Georges
Enesco. The New York Phil
harmonic came for one concert,
after a long absence, with Bruno
Walter directing.
Perhaps the most brilliant per-
sonality among recital artists was
Clifford Curzon whose piano re-
cltal was a revelation in artistry.
Two young pianists, Jean Cas-
adesus and Seymour Lipkin, were
news on their appearances here.
The Shaw Chorale made its local
debut and Margaret Truman's first
concert here was a gala affair.
Another exciting event was the
return of Mary Garden in one of
the most original lectures ever Civ
en-. This year saw several Chopin
events, commemorating his death
centennial. the first being the
program given In the Phillips CAL
lery, where his works for strings
and piano were given their local
premiere. On this program also
was played for the first time
Paderewski's violin sonata. The
Composers Club of this city in
augurated a recital discussion of
its members works, an important
departure from their regular pro-
grams.
Some Other High Spots.
The list is by no means COM
plete and space is limited. But
mention can he made nf the co,,