Evening star., 1960-01-24

which includes Frederick A.
Gutheim, Carl M. Freeman,
and other prominent resi-
dents of the northern sub
urbs, has been moving
ahead carefully with some
very interesting plans.
Jewish Center Plans
Still a third cultural CEN
ter which has appeared in the
news in recent weeks, and
will no doubt be heard from
more frequently is the Jew
ish Community Center at
Sixteenth and P streets NV.
This organization, under
new and ambitious direction,
is experiencing a new burst
OF life and, on the music
front, aspires to be to the
Washington community what
the Ninety Second Street
YMHA is to New York. AS
anyone familiar with GothT
ans musical life knows, this
is tall order. But it does
seem that there is a better
than fighting chance that
this can be accomplished.
The prime mover and
spark plug in the rapidly ac-
celebrating music program at
the Jewish Community Gen.
ter is an energetic and tall
ented young woman by the
name of Vivian Weiss, whose
name will doubtless become
more familiar as the months
pass.
Miss Weiss has assembled
an extremely diversified
music advisory committee to
help her to answer questions
about musical needs the Jew
ish Community Center can
fill. Among her conSultants
are such knowledgeable peo-
pie as Richard Bales, Robert
Bialek, Todd Duncan and
Pierson Underwood-to men,
ton only a few.
Activities include short
courses-one on jazz taught
by Tom Scanlon. one on bal
lads and blues taught by
Hutch Morris, one in recorder
playing, taught by Robert
Paris. to mention only a few
AS we'll as workshops IA
flourishing one in chamber
music is in progress directed
by Jacob Blatt) and some
very interesting single events
and musical series.
Two of these are repre-
sented in the weekly calendar
of musical events elsewhere
on this page.
The first, one in the series
of Concerts for Young
People" by young people
primarily high schoolers-is
scheduled for 4:l5 this after
neon, with the extremely
talented teen-agers, Mary
Ellen Blanchette and Elaine
Weissberg, as featured artists.
Recital by Robert Paris
The second will present
Robert Paris, composer.
pianist, teacher and reviewer
with the Washington Post.
in a recital next Saturday
featuring a performance of
Robert Evett's fourth Piano
Sonata.
Also coming up will be
some intriguing Coffee and
Conversation" evenings with
prominent local and visit
ing musical figures.
1t is an interesting and
healthy thing that the music
program at the Jewish Com
munity Center, while it does
contain many things of spe-
cifically Jewish interest, is
nevertheless directed towards
the nonsectarian needs of
the Washington community
as a whole.
Things would appear to be
looking up these days in our
fan city on the cultural
front, even aside from the
NdLlonaI cultural Center.
-
"OTELLO" HISTORY
Those of you who enjoyed
the f1rst-rate Opera Society
OF Washington production of
"Otello" last Friday night
tor are planning to do so
this afternoon or tomorrow
evening". will no doubt be
interested to learn that the
first American performances
OF this great masterpiece were
a complete and solid bust.
The opera was put on by a
company especially organized
for the purpose by Italo Cam
panini, who had been IN Mi
Ian at the world premiere and
had secured American per-
formance rights.
Inc American premiere
took place on April l6, 1888,
in the New York Academy of
d Music, and repeats were
given on established opera
nights and Saturday after
moons.
The venture was disastrous.
The public was apathetic in
the extreme. The title role,
sung by a tenor specially I'M
ported for the occasion from
Italy, was apparently maSsa-
cred. The prices were too
high, the music puzzled al
most everybody, and after
eight performances, the COM
pany folded.
From the sold-out houses
at Lisner Auditorium, and the
general expressions OF delight
every time an OSW produc-
ton is mentioned I Know