Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-04-23

handling Of the large cho-
ruses. The first act set did
nothing much to help mat
tiers, in my opinion, and the
crowds OF soldiers, urchins
and cigarette girls looked like
a New York subway platform
during rush hour"
But the second and third
act sets, helped out by a SEN
sitive use of shadow on the
backstage, were both highly
effective"
Mr.. Callaway's pacing of
the opera left nothing to be
desired. and the playing Of
the orchestra was excellent
throughout. A special note
of praise should be given to
the choristers, who acquitted
themselves nobly in a par
ticularly rich choral score"
Carmen is wonderful
show. Dramatically it was
even stronger than usual be-
cause the composers original
version utilizing dialogue to
round out the characters was
presented instead Of the more
customary grand opera YER
sion"
FESTIVAL CHANGE. AS
the biggest music festival in
WaShington's history gets
under way, the cancellation
Of tomorrow nights concert
by the National Symphony
Orchestra at Cramton Audi
forum, due to unavoidable
circumstances, is announced.
Ticket holders can eX-
change their ducats for ad-
missions to other concerts at
the box office set up in the
gift shop of the Pan Ameri-
can Union at 18th and Con-
stitution avenue NV. but act
quickly since tickets for only
q few Of the other affairs are
still available.
hRS
PRESIDENTS CHOICE. A
few weeks ago a German
music trade magazine picked
up and reran the story Of
President Kennedy's favorite
musical compositions, as he
had revealed them as a can
didate during the campaign
for a broadcast over Radio
Station WGMS.
The then Senator Kennedy
selected works by Ravel, De-
busy, BerlioZ, Gounod, and
Moussorgsky, a list that would
presumably gladden. the heart
of any music lover.
Not so Representative Car
roll d. Kearns, however, who
points out in the Congress
SiOnal Record that no music
by an American composer
was included, while former
Vice President Nixon bestowed
an accolade on Richard
Rodgers, among others.
Congressman Kearns quotes
a letter he received on the
matter from Arthur Hauser,
president of the music pub
fishing firm Theodore Presser
Co. of Philadelphia. as fol-
lows:
Your interest in American
music prompts me to believe
that you share my annoyance
international good will
might have been served by
his choice of music from vari-
Gus foreign countries, but on
the other hand our strug-
Cling contemporary composers
need all the official backing
they can get and If our Presi-
dent had mentioned at least
one American composition,
am sure that his statement
quoted in foreign countries
might have helped our
cause"
Perhaps President Ker
nedy is not familiar with
American music. If this is the
case, 1 am sure that oul
various musical societies will
be only too happy to helr
him learn more about what
is being done in America tt
improve our cultural stand
ing among nations"
Have we so soon forgotten
the historic Inaugural Con-
cert, notable not only fol
, taking place during the eve.
: ming Of Washington's Great
Blizzard of 1861, but also fol
performances of serious music
by John La Montaine, Ran
, dali Thompson and George
Gershwin?
It strikes me that Mr.
Hauser's letter and Mr.
Kearns' commentary are OBJ,
=: ject lessons In the gentle ar
!; Of making mountains out o
U molehills.