Evening star., 1954-05-30
Another Fine Arts Bill
Representative HoweIl's Is Latest
And 10th Now Before Congress
By Doy Thorpe

prestige Of the United States
In the eyes Of the world Ii
expensive nonsense. The
people Of no nation on earth
would have more respect for
US If we should have state
subsidized opera. and If they
did. what q Shamefully-pur-
chased alteration. Unspon-
sored American jazz has car
ried our message to all ma
tions, has created q respect
for ono achievement Of ours
Of which we can genuinely be
proud, but have the glories Of
the Moscow Ballet amelio-
rated by one jot or little our
present national feeling for
the Russians? i
They're Impractical
Considered from an entirely
different angle. the fine arts
bills are Impractical. for they
are patiently such omnibus
bills, drafted to 11atter so
many widely divergent groups:
they include so much that is
beside the point; and they en-
viSage the eventual expendi-
ture Of such fantastic sums of
money. that they stand little
chance Of appealing to a Con-
greSs unanimous enough to
enact them. and If enacted
little chance Of the necessary
appropriations to be made ef-
fective.
Yet perhaps there Is much
merit in the basic avowed pur-
pose Of the bills. Why should
not Representative Howell
propose q substitute which
would enable his plan to be
put into effect in one single
city for three. five. or seven
years. A city could undoubt-.
edly be found where an opera
house is now dark and availa-
BILE. 1t should be relatively
easy to persuade Congress to
finance an experiment limited
in geographical scope but un-
limited in the possibility of
artistic achievement. Then If
the people of the United
States, having seen the Gov
ernment in the role of artist,
applauds the show. it would
be a simple matter to put it
on the road.
CANTOR IN RECITAL
Washingtonians should not.
miss the chance to hear Cantor
Jacob Barkin next Wednesday
evening. Although the cantor
is well known here. the con-
cert marks his first appear
ance in full-length recital at
Constitution Hall, and COM
memorates the eighth ami
versary of his distinctive serv-
ice in the pulpit Of Adas Is
rael Congregation. During
these years, he has gained
great favor in the community
for the excellence Of his in
terpretations to the musical
life Of the Nations capital. /
and for the beauty and power
OF his impressive tenor voice.
GREAT WORK BY HANDEL
Next Friday evenings per-
formance Of Handel's "Jeph-
tina" by the National Mormon
Choir promises to be an. un-
usual treat for Washington's
music lovers. There seems to
be no record Of q performance
anywhere since 1912, and the
director of the choir, DR.. w.
LeGrand Maxwell, claims that
this Is the first complete per-
formance given in America.
The Commute oratorio is un-
questionably one Of Handel's
great works. and there are
certain authorities who are Of
the opinion that it is his
MOZART OPERA
DR.. Frederick Fall, one of
Washington's most active op-
era boosters, will conduct a
concert performance of Mo-
zart's Abduction from the
Seraglio" tomorrow night at
the Department Of Agricul-
lures Jefferson Auditorium.
DR.. Fall will utilize the talents
of the Agriculture Symphony
Orchestra, of which he is reg
ular conductor. and local vocal
soloists including the genial
Patrick Hayes, who is better
known as impreSSario than