Evening star., 1951-10-07

washington, the world most
important capital, has been minus
an opera house, minus proper
auditorium for concerts. and
minus a conservatory of music, all
necessary for the cultivation and
presentation of the art of music
in a major way. 1t has, however.
no equal as the fountain head for
the cultivation and encourage
n1ent of one division of music. The
chamber music concerts in the
Library of Congress have attained
an eminence recognized interna-
tionally and from them has gone
forth a tremendous impetus both
to the composition and perform
ance of works in this category
without precedence in any other
field of music. Chamber music
has become a beloved part of mu-
sical interest in this country
largely through the sponsorship it
has received in the Library.
The month of October includes
the birth dates of the two pa
tronesses responsible for this. Be-
cause both have devoted their
wealth and thought to the fur
therance of chamber music, un-
told numbers of people have
learned to like it. have had their
cultural life broadened by it. and
have felt the urge to follow it.
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge was
the first to dedicate herself to
this end by building an auditorium
in 1925 and establishing founda-
ton for the presentation of con-
certs. Ten years later, Gertrude
Clarke Whittall made her gen.
erous gift of quintet of Stra-
dwarf instruments. with bows for
each from the hand of the re-
nowned Tourte So that these
choice instruments could be heard
and enjoyed by many, she formed
the foundation and constructed
the Pavilion that bear her name
Mrs. WhittalIS Birthday.
Today is Mrs. Whittall's birth
day and to celebrate it, she has
invited an audience to hear
special concert by the Budapest
String Quartet with Mieczyalaw
Horszowski, pianist, assisting. On
October 80. Mrs. Colleges birth
day. Founders day will be cele-
brated with a program consisting
exclusively of compositions writ
ten by her for her chosen medium.
At that time, her Quartet in E
Minor" will be performed by the
Kroll String Quartet, and her re-
Gently composed Sonata for Oboe
and Piano" by her son. Albert
Sprague Coolidge, oboist, and
Gregory Tucker, pianist, of Bos-
ton. The remainder of the pro-
gram has not been decided upon
at this time. Her Trio in F
Major" was played by the Abe
neri Trio in 1947 and her Quar-
tet" was recorded by the Coolidge
String Quartet for Victor in 1941.
Under the auspices of the Whit
tall Foundation, the Budapest
artists will begin a series Of con-
certs on Thursday and Friday of
this week that will continue into
November. During this time. all
of the chamber music of Brahms
will be played. For the first time
these concerts, and others in the
Coolidge Auditorium. will be
broadcast over Station WGMS and
Continental FM Network to cities
on the North Atlantic and Middle
Atlantic seaboard. The limited
seating capacity - 500-of the
auditorium has proven inadequate
to accommodate the increasing
numbers that wish to attend. The
performance of the same program
on subsequent nights helped some
But in his annual report in l949,
the librarian. Luther H. Evans,
said that even these could not
satisfy the demand and an ar
rangement for broadcasts with
Station WQQW-FM in greater
Washington was received enthuSi-
astically. The broadcasts starting
today over the new FM arrange
want uril1 ha tho frct o,1r1ort,,Yoitv