davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-07-16
BY CONSTANCE MELLEN
Contributing Writer

ZURICH. - The festival
weeks of the Zurich Opera
are a tradition dating back
to 1906. At present, a con-
centration of the past sea-
sons repertoire serves as a
framework for new produc-
tions and special guest pres
entations.
The shows are staged in
the Zurich Opera House, built
around 1890. The audito-
rum seats perhaps 1000 and
follows the favorite Euro
pean pattern-three tiers of
boxes; a deep, wide pit; a
fairly deep stage. Modern
foyers are a recent addition.
The theater's beautiful sit
uation by the lake, its COM
plete accessibility, and it's
surrounding halo Of fine res
taurants make it a most at
tractive house to visit.
The two operas we heard
presented a contrast and ex-
emplified all the variables
that a company presenting
six different operas a week
must deal with.
"Cosi Fan Tutte"
In "Cosi Fan Tutte" two
members of the cast we're
requirements. The balance
OF. this opera is so delicate
that just such a circumstance
can weaken the close inter-
play of it's characters, and
turn its fragile ironies into
farce.
In the face of this draw
back, the cast did well.
Cora Canne-Meijer had the
warm timbre and all the
charm of a sympathetic Dor
abella and Elfriede Pfleger
was a flirtatious Despina.
The noted Swiss baritone
Heinz Rehfuss appeared as
Don Alfonso and Robert
Thomas as Fernando.
To those accustomed to
hearing "Cosi" in Italian, the
German sounded strange, but
the audience enjoyed the
jokes hugely, so we could
not help agreeing with the
idea.
EIektra
The next evening, a superb
performance of Richard
Strauss "Elektra" set at
rest any doubts about the
Zurich company's accom-
pliShments.
Grouped around mge
Borkh, the guest artist. an
excellent cast created an at
moSphere of brooding tension
for what is in effect a mon
ologue. Vera Schlosser's
looks and voice were right
for Chrysothemie. The Cly-
temnestra of Elsa Cavelti
was a fascinating study -
vocal gifts nearly ideal, crys-
tal-clear diction, and a visual
Evening star., 1961-07-16
SATURDAY

ROBERT sHONE, organ. st. Johns
Prelude and Fugue in A minor,
Bach; Chorale Prelude-Come Now
Saviour Of the Heathen, Bach:
Alteration, Bingham; Solemn Prelude
for the Feast of st. Mark, Diemer;
Sonatina, Sowerby.
Evening star., 1961-07-16

torium in miniature.
Way Back When
Back in the ieisurely
nineties, the business of cut
ting hair and shaving faces
was not infrequeptly laid
aside for the more social pur-
suit of making music.
Master barber, assistant
barber. apprentice barber,
and customer sang the old
chestnuts-even then old
with a touch of reverence,
holding each delicious chord
With tenacity and joy.
I miss the amateur spirit
among modern professionals
and semi-professionals, who
are slick to the point of as
tonishment.
.There is nothing quite like
the thrill of bulling through
d slightly off-pitch chord to
q. perfect and satisfying
sound, and the only way to
experience this is to do it.
Those bewhiskered gents
wha congregated in turmoil
the-century barber shops did
h-and they were the final
Towering of a tradition much
older than they knew.
Good old Days
For some strange reason,
barbering and music always
seemed to go together. even
as long ago as the days Of
good Queen BeSs.
In Elizabethan times, bar
bers were jacks-of- -all-tradeS,
and the gentleman-gallant
would Just as soon visit his
barber to have a tooth pulled,
or q duelling wound bound
up, as he would to have his
hair trimmed and powdered.
There were two things that
showed a potential customer
that a shop was a barbering
establishment. The first was
the familiar round pole with
red-and-white stripes (these
representing bandages on
mangled flesh); the second,
hanging in the window as
trophies of war, were teeth
the master-b arber had
yanked-suspended on Lutte
strings.
AEEzabethan Barber Shop
If the average American Of
today were to wander into a
18th century barber shop, he
would probably think he had
stumbled into a music store
by mistake.
Barber chairs, now re-
sembling royal thrones, were
then mere stools.
The most important fur
nishihgs were the virginals
"a Sort Of primitive piano.,
the lutes "a sort Of bloated
guitaF), and the citterns Ia
sort of misshapen ukulele).
When BARRIERS were not too
busy-which seems to have
been quite often-they would
while away the hours by
strumming the latest tunes
on.the virginals.
Eutes and citterns were the
magazines and newspapers of
the day, available for the use
of 1.-THE customer waiting his
tuIn.
AS often as not, patrons
would be invited to join bar
bers in singing madrigals,
catches and glees, the music
for which the tonsorial expert
would deftly produce from his
cabinet. In those days. any,
body who could not pick up
a piece Of music and read it
off at sight was a freak and
a veritable pariah in the eyes
Of honest men.
Gone, Gone, Gone
THOSE days are gone for
ever.
The postwar world has
brought us crew-cuts, butch
cuts. duckbills, hollow-ground
razorblades, streamlined elec-
-
Evening star., 1961-07-16
NEWS OF MUSIC
Where Are the Old
Borbershop Singers?
THE SUNDAY STAR
Washington, D. c.
July rs, 1861
By IRVING LOWENS
Star Music Critic

Between swpes of the and ships of the scissors
the modern tonsoria attendant generally enterains his
customers with citchat about yesterdays ball game the
state of the Nation, the latest murder
=. If there isn't chatter radio makes that there
isn't any silence.
Forgotten. except in the of the Society for the
Preservation Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet
Singing America (SPEBSQSA1, is the fact that the
Evening star., 1961-07-16
Zurich Opera Festival
Ends Remarkable Year

impression OF enameled and
bejeweled ruin. James Pease
was a sonorous Crest. The
solo voices in the chorus of
attendants were outstanding.
But in essence 1t was Miss
Borkh's evening. Currently
considered the best inter-
prefer of Elektra, her re-
markable performance justi-
fled all expectations. The
slightly m etallic voice
warmed gradually to white
heat, and scared with tre-
mendous power over the OPP
era's unbroken arc. She
shared honors with Rudolf
Kempe, who conducted the
Tonhalle Orchestra in an
electric reading of the score.
Americans in Cast
The past year has been a
remarkable one for the Eur
ich Opera, and it is interest
ing to note that almost a
third of the regular company
are Americans, assembled by
Herbert Graf, formerly as
sociated with the Met, when
he took over. The arrange
ment is unique in Europe,
and particularly heartwarm-
ing to Washingtonians, as
several members of the Eur
ich Company have been
heard in Opera Society of
Washington productions.
Reri Grist, who last year
sang the title role here in
the Stravinsky "Rossignol,"
is very busy during the Fes-
tival with four roles. Regina
Sarfaty (Genevieve in the
Washington "Pelleas") is Oc-
tavian in "Rosenkavalier."
James McCracken, who first
sang the role of Otello with
the OSW, now commuteS be-
tween Zurich and Vienna to
satisfy the general demand
for a first-rate Moor; he
also sings Bacchus in "Ari-
adne" in both cities. Reli-
able sources say that he will
bring his Otello to the Met
ropolitan in the season after
next.
Other Americans in Zurich
include Virginia Gordoni,
Mary Davenport, Sandra
Warfield, Glade Peterson.
Robert Th ON as, Robert
Kerns, and James Pease.
World Premiere
American singers are not
all that DR.. Graf has to
offer by any means. Last
month he presented the
world premiere of the Kaz-
antzakiS Martini Greek
Passion" and also the first
performance outside Ger
many of the opera that has
all Europe by the ears this
summer, Hans werner
Henze's 'Elegy for Young
Lovers" The Henze work
was heard in a guest per.
formance by the Bavarian
State Opera. with Fischer
Dieskau in the leading role.
Other novelties were Benja-
min Britten's midsummer
Nights Dream" and Heinrich
Sutermeister's "Raskilnik-
off"
The Zurich Opera, like
others in Europe, depends on
State support, but a number
of local businessmen have
been extremely generous to
it. I noted with interest
that a group of private cit
liens had subscribed the
money for this seasons new
Rosenkavalier" cost u m e S.
The same group will also
support a new undertaking
next season-an Interna-
tional Opera Studio where
talented young singers, de-
signers, and directors may
get practical thet ter expert
ence as they learn the op-
cratic trade.
DR.. Graf is to be congrat-
ulated. His tenure in Zurich
has been marked by adven-
turous ideas; he has energy
and imagination and an in
ternational point of view.
He has made Zurich the con-
tinental showcase for Ameri-
can artists, and thus per-
formed q service to both the
United States and Europe.
Evening star., 1961-07-16
SUNDAY, JULY q

For full details. see next Sunday.
listings.)
STRINGS ON THE GREEN. American
University String Quartet (GeOrg,
Steiner and Donald Radding, VIC.
Inns; Richard Parnas, viola; Morrii
Kirshbaum. cello). 5000 Watson
place, 4 pm.
UNITED STATES MARINE BAND
Watergate, $50 pm.
Evening star., 1961-07-16
TUESDAY

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BAND,
Col. George S. Howard, conducting.
Capitol steps, 8 pm. Program not
JOAN HoLLEY, piano. Music Build
ing Auditorium: Catholic University,
lakewood road, 8 pm. Program
UNITED STATES ARMY BAND, Cwo
Fred Rose, conducting. ,WateEgate,
$3.50 pm. Old Comrades, Teike;
Overture to II Guarany, Gomez;
Polka from The Golden Age, Shos.:
from 1t. Kije,. Prokofief-Stuart; 81
takevitch:. Variations on Theme
Alamo. Akers: Suite from the
Bsftered Bride. smetana-Lotter: In;
vitation to the Dance, Weber;
Feel. Song Comm On, McHugh,
Fields and Oppenheimer Specialist
Joey Trabucco, tenorJ; lorna &
surEiento, Curtis (Specialist joey
YEabucco. tenor); Selections from MY
Fair Lady, Loewe (Specialist joey
Trabucco, tenor): Finale from SYM
phony No. 3, Tchaikowsky.
Evening star., 1961-07-16
TODAY

UNITED STATES MARINE BAND, 1t.
Col. Albert Schoepper, conducting.
Watergate. $50 pm. Americans
We, Fillmore; Overture di Ballp.
Sullivan; Selections from Ny Fair
Lady, Loewe; Czardas, Monti David
Johnson, cornet); Finlandia, Sibelius;
Knfghtsbridge March, E. Coates;
Manx Rhapsody. Wood; Drinking
Song from Hamlet, Thomas civilian
liam Tell, Rossini.
Evening star., 1961-07-16

SPIN. Capitol Plaza March. Stephen:
overture to Mignon. Thomas: Selec-
tions from Porgy and BesS, Gersh-
win Carnival of Venice, Staigers
(Frederic Erdman. cornetl: National
Fencibles March, Sousa; Carnival
Suite, Tansman: Arabesques, jean
Jean (Ronald Schnare, clarinet): q:
Gold and Silver Waltz, Lehar:
Roumanian Rhapsody No. l. Enesco.
THURSDAY
UNITED STATES NAVY BAND. 1t.
Anthony Mitchell, conducting. Water
gate. $50 pm. Repeating Mon
days program.
FRIDAY
UNITED STATES ARMY BAND. Cwo
Fred Rose, conducting, U; S.. Cap
itol, s pm. Punjab March, Payne;
Overture to II Guarany, Gomez;
Carnival Suite, Tansman; Tamboo,
Cavez; March Of the Steel Men, Bel
Evening star., 1961-07-16
WEDNESDAY

UNITED STATES MARINE BAND. 1t.
Col Albert Schoepper, conducting.
East Front, United States Capitol,
Evening star., 1961-07-16
TOMORROW

United STATES NAVY BAND, 1t.
Anthony Mitchell, conducting. Cap
itol Plaza, 8 pm. Wings OF Victory,
Ventre; Overture to Colas .Breugnon,
Kabslevsky; Bolero, Ravel; Cowboy
swan lake, Tchaikowsky; Theme
from Exodus, Gold; Holiday for
Strings, Rose UNITED States Navy
Band Saxophone Ensemble, Musician
Tony Geiser, leader; Chorale and
Aleuluia: Hanson; River & &kwai
UNITED States Navy Band Sea
Chanters, Musician/1 Ron Smith,
director); Finlandia, Sibelius.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11

horizons by taking some
courses with other adults.
Decency is still an asset, not
a liability.
DEAR ABBY: An elderly
man, who claims he knew nv
husband many years ago,
turned up in our town. My
husband barely remembers
him. Anyway, this man said
my husband was his favorite
when he was a small boy.
l had him to dinner and he
saw my dishes didn't match,
so he sent me a new set
which must have cost him
$40. He met our children,
and took them all downtown
and bought them new
clothes. We had a few bills,
and he paid those. He is
staying with us, and hands
me $50 a week. He buys us
turkeys. steaks and chops. I
personally think he's off his
rocker, but you can't argue
with him as he says he has
heart trouble. He says he's
divorced, and his family
doesn't care for him :.
that he's not a millionaire,
but he wants to spend what
money he has his own way.
He'll go broke, I fear. How
should we stop him?
VERY WORRIED.
Find out something about
his background. Your local
sheriff or police can help
you. If he is just a generous
old gent, you are in luck.
If he is, indeed, "off his
rocker" you could be accused
of taking advantage Of his
condition.
=
What's troubling you? Write
Abby, care OF The EDenino
Star. Include selt-dddresSed /,
stamped envelope.
For Abby's booklet, Hon
to Hare a Lovely Wedding"
send so cents to Abby, Boz
1865, Beverly Hills, Calf.
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate. Inc.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11

but the doctor delivered a
daughter. I was riding a
horse called Sun Burst. Since
my hopes for a son had
burst. the doctor figured
what could be a more logical
horse for him to bet on.
He won."
MASTERY: Bacteriologist
Hideyo Nogushi gave lectures
in medical centers all over
the world. He was forever
consulting one language
guide or another.
Once, when he was pre-
pairing to leave on a five
nation European lecture
tour, a friend asked him:
Wont you find it diff
cult to make yourself I'M
derstood?"
NO." replied Noguchi, "af-
ter all these years I have
mastered more languages
than diseases"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11
DEAR ABBY
Keep Decent and BUSY!
By ABIGAIL VAN BUREN,

DEAR ABBY: When I
was young I had to walk
home more than once. I am
now a widow of so, and I
have found that men are
still the same. Whether they
are 18 or 80, if they take
a woman out to dinner and
a show, they think they have
rented her for twelve hours. I
have been from California
to Boston. and down to
Texas, and they are all the
same all over. The first thing
they think of is to make up
for everything the poor
woman has missed since her
husband died. But they
aren't interested in marriage.
What does a decent woman
do? I am
PLAIN DISGUISED.
She keeps herself busy do
ing decent things with de-
cent people. She volunteers
to help at church, in hos
pitfalls, or in politics In her
spare time. And she might
even attempt to broaden her
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11
How to
STOP KILLING
YOURSELF
Late Porenthood Welcomed
By DR.. PETER J. sTEINcRoHN

as if we are living our lives
over again.
I couldn't begin to tell
Mrs. A. the JOY this baby
has brought us. True, I'd
be the first to agree that
couples should have children
when they are young -but I
don't think anyone VIII o
really wants a child should
let age stand in the way.
My advice to Mrs. A. is to
go ahead and have a baby.
God will give her the faith
and strength to carry on and
that little baby will be so
lucky to have parents who
really want and love it.
My mother was 81 years
old when I was born and is
still going strong at 81.
She often tells me she was
so busy raising me that she
didn't have time to think Of
her own aches and pains.
How true! Middle age is Won
derful with a little toddler
running about. Mrs. p, N. j.
OPINIONS differ, but I
think the majority opinion is
that surgical removal of
hemorrhoids is the preferred
method. There are some who
swear by the injection meth
cd Of treatment, but it's not
unusual for these to be fol-
lowed by occurrences. And
the relief they bring may be
only temporary.
Many people fear the OPP
Grafton because Of after-pain
Remember that the doctor
doesn't Just let you lie there
and suffer. He orders COM
presses to relieve inflamma-
ton. You're allowed up on the
day after operation. You're
allowed a full liquid diet. You
take hot Sitz baths which
bring comfort. The doctor
orders warm oil for the rec
tum and mineral oil by
mouth. You receive pain
relieving drugs If you are
uncomfortable. BY the third
day you are on regular diet
and on the way home. Not
a picnic, but not so bad,
either.
DR.. Steincrohn's leqtlet,
Maybe Your Heart Troubles
Imaginary" tDiH be mailed
on receipt OF a stamped, self
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11
jim BISHOP:
REPORTER
Something Made Fred Nervous

skidded on a roller skate that
the little girls had left In the
living room. Tou wouldn't
notice the limp unless you
looked.
Brother John came up from
the cellar. What's going
on?" he said. and the laun-
dryman went back a step,
loaded with suits and bed
spreads. We had put John
and his wife Anna in a guest
room in the cellar.
I'VE were sleeping" he said,
land Anna woke me up and
said it was raining. I said:
1T can't rain in a cellar
She said it was raining. I
sat up in bed. 1t was rain
ing all right"
"A pipe broke in the kitch-
en-" I said. oh" he said,
fine. We'll I have news for
you. The ceiling is coming
down in chunks. My wife
apologized to Fred. Excuse
me-" she said. She went be-
low decks. 1t was raining all
right. My sister, in-law Anna
was trying to put a robe on.
She looked as though she
had been caught in a ty-
phoon.
Anything else?" Fred said.
I asked him If he could get
my French cuffs turned up,
instead Of being pressed flat.
No. he said. 1t would be diff
cult because it's a machine
operation and all cuffs are
pressed flat. I told him to
tell Donald, the laundry OPP
orator, to get a new machine.
Fred asked would I escort
him past the dog.
WE STARTED out. AS we
passed my father. I said,
That's my father" Fred
smiled a little. rs that SOP"
he said politely. How do you
do?" he said to Big John.
My father opened no eyes
and said nothing.
Gayle came in with Frank
Gerace. This is my younger
daughter" I said, land her
husband. They live in the Of
flee because there are no
more rooms in the house.
He bowed. I'm the Officer"
he said. How nice" The
The nervousness was notice.
able. He's a sensitive man.
Anna came upstairs with a
Turkish towel around her
head. I introduced her to
Fred. Il think the rain in
the cellar has stopped" she
said. 1 told her I was sorry.
Anna is particular about her
beautiful red hair and she
doesn't like to pick bits Of
ceiling out of 1t.
We'll" Fred said. "I'll be
on my way" Someone took
Rocky out Of his path. I
watched the laundryman go
down the front walk toward
his truck. Every four or five
steps he stopped. seemed to
think a moment, and then he
would shake his head.
He needs nerve pills.
Copyright, 1851, King Features
Syndicate, Inc.)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11
DOWN ON THE, FARM
Living in Country
Can Be Romantic

or rode a horse toward the
setting sun. This was stated
a bit rebelliously, because
some of our agricultural
teachers had sGoffed at the
romance of farming, explain
ing that real dirt farmers
were much too busy to think
about such things.
I thought about Wendy
this morning, because it was
the kind of dawn Wendy had
in mind when speaking of
the glory Of farming, Of ma
ture itself. 1t had rained
during the night; a slight
drizzle still prevailed, and I
stepped out on the front
porch to drink deeply of
Hidden Valley Farms ma
tural wonders.
Cardinals and bluejays and
swallows were greeting each
other in the sturdy, shelter
ing trees around the big old
house. Our Suffolk ewes and
frolicking lambs we're inter-
spersed with sleek black An
gus cattle on the deep green
meadows near the glistening
pond. Twelve white ducks
glided smoothly around the
water, regal and watchful.
A mountain mist shrouded
the upper half Of the high
forest opposite our farm, but
below it you could see the
elongated S Of our little
roadway winding from the
county road to our home and
the barnlot, and easily cross
ing a picturesque little bridge
to get there. AS I took in
this early morning scene, the
ROSTERS in the henhouse be-
gan Growing.
But best of all, perhaps,
was the ferny. earthly smell
of the early morning the
wet grass and the enduring
trees. of the clean crisp au-
tumn air and of the pri-
mordial, mysterious mist it.
self.
THE ETERNAL peace of
such fleeting moments, l
thought to myself, more
than make up for the work
and worry Of farming, the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11
BY ED HARRIS

My wife and I know a re-
markable woman in Cali
fornia named Wendy Stew
art who is both a doctor and
a lawyer and currently has
set her sights on being a
writer-farmer.
Wendy wants to be a
novelist, and I have no doubt
she will succeed, as she has
in everything else. In order
to concentrate she decided
to go off somewhere on a
large farm. If you live all
alone anywhere they call you
a hermit" she explained,
but if you put some cattle
around, you're a farmer"
NOT THAT SHE was
averse to farming. On the
contrary she enrolled in
Agricultural courses at Pierce
College, Canoga Park, Calf.
and did so brilliantly that
her instructors were aston
ished. Often they would ask
for her outlines and papers
so that they could have them
as a guide in future lectures.
Small in stature, this Brit
ish-born Jill-of-all trades
also loved horses. and to get
experience in handling them
she volunteered to take care
of some huge, spirited stall
lions that a male neighbor
couldn't handle anymore. On
several occasions one of the
wilder steeds nearly killed
her. but she stuck it out
without a culver and in the
end had the stations eating
out Of her determined palms.
Miriam and I also enrolled
in Pierce College to study
farming. That's where we
met Wendy. but we could
never start to approach her
l6-cylinder mind. At that
time her great ambition was
to own and operate a cattle
farm; the writing bug hadn't
yet bitten her.
She used to say that when
and if she did Nown a farm,
there would be times when
she would let the wind blow
in her hair as she walked
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-11

The laundryman seems
nervous when he gets to our
house. I can't understand it.
1t is a normal, average
household. Still whenever
Fred shows. there is some
thing about the place which
causes him to tremble like
an old percolator.
I watched him come up the
walk this morning. He rang
the bell. Nobody answered.
He rang again. Mrs. Bishop
answered. She said Come
in" Her face was a white
mask Of cream. The honey
blonde hair was full Of wires.
A bathrobe was clutched at
the neck. The suits to be
pressed are on the floor OF
the closet" she said, point
ing.
HIS FACE began to witch.
He tiptoed through the dark
dining room and almost fell
over my father. Dad sleeps
in a lounger chair tilted back.
with a sheet under his chin.
He opened one yes. My IA
ther not Fred. Good morn
ing he saba nd went back
to sleep.
Fred was shown to the
closet. Three suits were on
the floor. Pressed" I said.
He nodded rapidly. The po-
lice dog came into the room.
He is no fan of Fred's. The
ruff Of hair rose between his
shoulders and he barred his
two inch incisors. The laun-
dryma Strengthened up
quickly.
Stop it, Rocky" I said.
Rocky didn't stop it. There
was a deep rattle in his
throat. Asthma, perhaps. He's
a friendly dog. I told Fred
that Rocky would eat out of
his hand. yes" he said,
laughing nervously, "or my
leg"
The housekeeper came in.
She's a colored girl. Caroline
Taylor of Elizabeth City,
N. c. Nothing excites her be-
yond a drawing whisper. "A
pipe busted in the kitchen
sink" she said. I nodded.
"See you in a minute" said.
She went back to the
kitchen.
Mrs. B. gave Fred two bed
spreads and told him how
she wanted them done. Fred
yessed her, but his eyes were
on Rocky. The dog wouldn't
hurt a flea. A man, yes. But
not a flea.
The room began to appear
cowded. Mrs. BIS little girls,
Karen and Kathleen Stone,
came in from laying on the
swings in the backyard. I'm
gonna tell" Kathleen was
saying, This time I'm gonna
tell" Their mother listened to
the beautiful little stool pi-
geon and ordered them both
back to play.
My father opened the 9TH
er eye and said good morn
ing to the little girls and
went back to sleep. The phone
rang. Mrs. Ralph Walter, my
secretary, answered. ST e
came in from the office. She