Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-18

DO NOllUlIiuO WILL VIC VAC oAAAdA1
Dirksen-Aeolian Skinner posi-
tive which in many respects
is similar to the baroque in
strument of Bach's time.
A TV CONCERT
The far-off fields are green,
and I am never more aware
of the verdure than when !
long to write a few words about
television, that comely sister,
art of music whose wiles have
ensnared me.
For example, as I came home
a week or so ago, my wife told
me there was a likely-looking
drama starting on TV. you
haven't missed two minutes Of
It," she said.
1t seemed quite likely, I must
say. Here was a Britisher, a
top OSS man, instructing an
agent, a beautiful brunette, to
select spy to be apprehended
by the Nazis carrying false in
formation about troop move
ments. or something.
HE mustn't know that he is
a decoy. for the Nazis can de-
tect phony men, If not phony
information" said Sir Level
lyn, head of British Secret
Service. "You must find us a
true patriot who is at heart
a cowardly lion, and will break
down before any serious dam
age is done to his person.
Well, there is a candidate for
the job who is concert pianist,
and that's where I became in
terested. He told the beautiful
agent that at his debut in
London he had scorned Bee
thoven, Bach and Brahms and
had played program of I'M
conventional music - Dukas,
Galuppi and Sterndale Bennett.
Never heard Of any of EN-"
said the beautiful agent hon.
estly. But it seems the London
music critics had, and with
a unanimity. admirable if I'M
believable, they really lit into
our young pianist. He. how
ever, was not ready to take good
advice. and declared that he
was going to continue to be a
purveyor of what was great,
if unappreciated. music.
His attitude left the beauti-
full agent up in the air, so she
decided to have a closer look
at her prospect in his apart
ment, that is. his fiat. She
goes there, lies down on the
sofa. and as her alabaster
bosom begins to heave, the
young pianist says to hell with
Sterndale Bennett and SUCH
like esoterica. and begins to
soften her up with good old
work-a-day Chopin.
Aha" says the beautiful
agent to herself, "just as I
thought, here's a man who
doesn't have the courage of
his convictions" and straight
away she has him assigned to
the overseas sitting-pigeon
job.
Next we find the pianist a
captive Of the Nazis, but in
stead of the phony inforn1a-
ton the stupid British intel
ligence officer thought he
would divulge, he is sticking
close to name, rank and serial
number. The Nazi officer is
a willy gent. however, and he
asks with seeming innocence,
Tell me, what is your pro-
fessional opinion of the F
minor Konzertstuck of Web
er?"
Our hero is seized by a sud-
den. inexplicable, and dis
astrous rage. Silly, sentiment
tai trash" he replies trucu-
lently. He astounds the officer,
although he would have con-
firmed the suspicious of those
London critics who questioned
his taste. The Nazi takes him
for an English degenerate and
puts him to torture by mutt
lating his fingers. That's the
good thing about TV. If it
can't create excitement one
way. it always can another.
At this point dinner was
served, and I never did learn
what finally happened.
X X K
TRAVELLING CHORISTERS
The Children's Choir of the
Casa Materna Orphanage in
Portici, Italy, which will give
two local recitals this month,
may be a good chorus, and 1t
unquestionably is a hardy one
It is embarked on a tour,
started on February 20, which
will see the children in 70 con-
certs in SO days. From Scars
dale and Mount Vernon, N. Y,
the children will go all over
the East and Middle West by
bus, ending in Winfield, Kans.,
and Oklahoma City. Ending,
that is, Just is time to take the
road again from May 10 to
June IA through Texas, New
Mexico and California.
Sun Mar Ok N,9fl D Al