Evening Star Newspaper, March 30, 1930, Page 58

A i BY HELEN FETTER. HE professional concert sea- son in Washington is trail- ing away on the heels of the lions and lambs of March. The Finno recital given by Sergei Rachmaninoff was the last of the formal concert series programs for 1920-30. The visit- ing orchestras made their final bow locally when the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orches- tra appeared here under the di- rection of Arturo Toscanini. The newly organized National Sym- phony Orchestra is to give the third and final program of its ini- tial series of endeavors April 8, which will be the last professional program here. At the same time, even as the winds of March carry away the professional note in music, the amateur season arrives. The com- ing week has another of the pro- grams being given by members of the Washington Composers’ Club and a formal recital by Flora Mc- Gill Keefer. Later April will wave particularly gay music banners when the Metropolitan Grand Opera Co. comes for three operas Each day rumors and announce. ments of local endeavors for April and May are forthcoming. More- over, these do not include the Spring recital season, which doubtless will bloom as soon as Easter music is over. o ox ok “‘HEN Arturo Toscanini was in Washington on a fleeting visit to receive the honor of the medallion awarded him at George- town University Tuesday night, his few words of greeting seemed to those who could catch what he said to concern his birthday. It so happened that he was 63 years | old that very day and had en- Jjoyed an informal birthday party | on the private car of Clarence Mackay, in which he had traveled | from New York to the Capital. This reminds us that among fa- mous musicians who will have achieved that quoted milestone of “three score years and ten” during the current year are Ig- nace Paderewski, pianist, and the | two famous conductors and musi- cal educators, Dr. Karl Muck and | Dr. Frank Damrosch. It is to be hoped that Arturo| ‘Toscanini will still be able to con- | duct Wagnerian works as he did| the “Tannhauser” music here a| couple of weeks ago when he, too, | reaches 70 years of age. * x % % 'HERE is not a little news to| consider, orchestrally speak- ing. Particularly gratifying is thef announcement that the Phila-| delphia Symphony concerts for| ‘Washington next season are b ing planned for evening events{ instead of afternoon affairs. | Always, while there is a neces- | sity for having concerts in the| afternoons, there are rebellious souls. There is sound reason and varied, too, for having these en- tertainments at night. Medical authorities have long since made | it known that the state of mind and body was at lowest ebb at 4 o'clock in the morning and the‘ same hour in the afternoon. That is why, in the Orient, there are| long afternoon siestas and why, even in Europe, the custom of| drinking tea or coffee or other stimulants at 4 and 5 o'clock in| the afternoon has come to be. To go to a concert after a day of business or teaching or shopping or visiting, depending on the ac- tivities of the various people that make up these audiences—tired, often without time to “freshen up”—it is not possible to get full enjoyment from even the most inspiring music excellently played. Also, in the back of the mind is the thought of having to get home for dinner, so as to make proper connections for other af- fairs in the evening. Also, again, and more prosaically, there-is lia- | ble to be a lurking emptiness else- | where in the human anatomy. On the contrary, in the evening | one is refreshed, recently fed and consequently, relaxed and at leas partially rested. There is no ur- gent duty lying at the other end| of the concert, except bed, even- | tually. How much more logical a time and condition for real en-| Joyment of music! Of course, the chief reason why | concerts have been afternoon af-| fairs for so long is the fact th-t programs had to be given in thea. ters where regular theatrical at tractions were playing in the eve- | ning hours. Now, however, that| drawback is eliminated. The Sat-l urday evening course of concerts that Mrs. Wilson-Greene gave this past season showed the definite| interest of the public in attend-| ing evening musical events. It is| to be hoped that gradually alll such programs may be given at later hours than 4:30 in the aft- ernoons. *x ks 'FHE United Service Orchestra is to make even a more repre- sentative bow than previously when it appears in the next pro- gram of “all-American music” at the Pan-American Union ing the evening of April 21. ‘Whereas until now the orchestra has been composed of about 75 men chosen from the United States Army and Navy Band Or- chestras, now, by special order from headquarters, the United States Marine Band Orchestra— “the President’s own”—is sending in its quota and giving the serv- ices of its conductor. This means that 100 men, picked from about 275 in the three service organizations, will present a program that is to include sev- eral “first performances” of works by Latin - American composers, one of which, at least, was written especially for this occasion and for this number of players. Capt. ‘Taylor Branson, leader of the Ma- rines, will share the baton with Capt. W. J. Stannard of the Army group and Lieut. Charles Benter of the Navy aggregation making up this orchestra. This is a really important phase of musical development in Wash- ington—this series of programs offered under the auspices of the Pan-American Union—and it has literally world-wide effect. Each program is broadcast in the capi- tals of 21 American countries, and | sometimes abroad. The fact that|the E.m more of these concerts are attracting | judges anonymously, | as it does with the Pan-American | are being made by a committee of young | from Takoma-Silver Spring High School, Build- | and more interest among cmzens‘ and sojourners in Washington is shown by the long waiting list with requests for tickets to each of these events, received long be- | fore each program is to be given.1 | e | ‘l\lARY HOWE, Washington com-! poser, has come to the fore! |in several events recently. She participated a couple of weeks ago | with Anne Hull in an unusually fine two-piano recital. She is the | writer of “Mists,” a new work| given first-time performance in| the first of three concerts pre-| sented by the Barrere Little Sym- | | phony program at the Guild The-! |ater, New York City, March 23 And in addition Mrs. Howe (who | is known here in private life as Mrs. Walter Bruce Howe) has just been announced as winner of the $100 prize offered for the best | composition written and submit- | ted to the committee of the League of American Pen Women | this year. The judges were Wal- ter Kramer, editor of Musical| America; Henry Cowell, modern- | istic composer, and Percy Lee, Atherton, composer and special assistant in the music division of | the Library of Congress. The win- | ning composition was a string quartet, entitled “Habana.” { The next award, first honorable | | mention, in this contest, which | | was Nation-wide, also was won by | a local composer, Dorothy Radde | |Emery, formerly of Pittsburgh,| but now a member of the Wash- | ! ington Composers’ Club. Her work was a suite of four songs written | for soprano, piano, violin and vio- | loncello. Mrs. Emery (in private| life Mrs. Alden H. Emery of Sil-| ver Spring, Md.) is presenting| some of her new works at the| Composers’ Club concert at the| Congressional Country Club to- day. Second honorable mention goes | to Phyllis Fergus (Mrs. Thatcher | Hoyt of Chicago), who also is very well known and gopular in Wash-| ington, where she has appeared | on a number of women compos- | ers’ programs within the past few | years. | All the scores were sent to the with only numbers to correspond to those on envelopes containing the com- posers’ names and addresses. Mrs. Watson, chairman of the national contest, will direct the concert at which these works will be per- formed here, April 24. She also is chairman of the Washington Composers’ Club. The week known as Easter week certainly looks as though it would be replete with music, beginning | concert, including three mndI operas by the Metropolitan forces and this women composers’ pro- gram, which is to be held at the home of Mrs. Henry F. Dimock. | Girl Reserves Will Give Operetta This Week THE delightful fairy operetta, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” by Jessie L. Gaynor, will be presented by the Girl Reserves of Washington as their fourth annual Spring production Friday night and Saturday afternoon of this week in Barker Hall of the Young Women's Christian Association Build- ing, Seventeenth and K streets north- west, under the joint direction of Lucy Street, music director, and Alice Sig- worth Morse, drama director, respec- tively, of the Y. W. C. A. ‘There will be three acts and an entr'acte in the piece, for which spe- cial settings have been provided by committees of Girl Reserves under the supervision of Mabel R. Cook, director of Girl Reserves of this city. Costumes artists among the girls. Leading roles in “Snow White” will be played by Catherine Schofield, Mary Middleton, Virginia Sellers, Helen Mid- dleton, Betty Goodyear, Ellen Siemon, Margaret Dean, Dorothy Seaton, Elsie Barber, Beatrice Mullen, Mary Lesta Wakeman, Gertrude Kluge, Mary Phil- lips, Gertrude Weitzel, Norma Hoage, Dorothy Cissel, Beverly Jennings, Susan Ha\,l; Tania Gnoocheff and Martha | isher. Chorus and dance groups will be presented by large groups of Girl Re- erves of the senior and junior high chools and the graded schools in the | ity, assisted by Reserves from George Mason High School, Potomac, Va., and Maryland. There will be 92 girls in the cast. The Priday evening performance be- gins at 8:15 o'clock and the Saturday matinee at 3:30 o'clock. The matinee is offered especially for children and young people, who annually entertain theater parties for this event. The National String Quartet| And Pianist in Festival | THE National String Quartet, com- prising Henri Sokolov, first violin; Max Pugatsky, second violin; Samuel Feldman, viola, and Richard Lorleberg, violoneello, and with Mrs. Walter Bruce | Howe, pianist-composer, at the piano, will be the featured instrumentalists n | the Washington Choral Festival pro- | gram Saturday, May 10, at Constitution | Hall The concert, to be conducted for the | second_consecutive vear by Dr. Fred- | erick Alexander, will be the feature of | National Music ‘week here in the Capi- tal City. This will be the first appear- | ance of the city’s reorganized festival | chorus, under auspices of the friends of music in the Library of Congress, the D. C. Federation of Music Clubs and the Church Music Council, The chorus rehearsed Tuesday af Thomson Community Center under the direction of Kurt Hetzel of this city in the absence of Dr. Alexander, who is in Chicago conducting the National High School chorus of 400 voices at the sec- ond biennial meeting of the Natio: Music Supervisors' Conference. Dr. Alexander will be in Washington April & tn conduct the local rehearsal. Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’ Today By Cathedral Choir ‘*'THE CRUCIFIXION,” the famous cantata by Sir John Stainer, will be sung by the Cathedral Choir of men and boys, under the direction of Edgar Priest, organist and choirmaster, at the people’s evensong service at 4 p.m. to- | day in the Bethlehem Chapel of Wash- | ington Cathedral. The Rev. William L. DeVries, Ph. D., |D. D., canon and precentor of the ca- | thedral, will be in charge of the service. The first hour of the service will be broadcast over WRC. | All interested are cordielly invited to attend. No admission cards will be required. o Congressional b CourtryClub | MILDRED KoLB ScHULZE- Leads Lovette Progrnml i EVA WHITFORD LOVETTE OMPOSITIONS of the Thomas 8. Lovette, written for plano, voice and violin, will be presented at the mus! to be given tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. in Plerce Hall, Sixteenth and Ha vard streets. The occasion is the ann versary of the birth of the composer, who was known here and abroad as planist and teacher. He is noted for original work in the ‘line of principles of relaxation and application of arm- weight in the art of modern planoforte playing. After studying and later teaching at the Conservatory of Leipsig, Dr. Lovette came to this country. He became head of the music department at Baylor College, Tex. Coming to Washington in 1922, he founded the Lovette Schog) of Music, now being conducted by Eva Whitford Lovette, known in private life as Mrs. Charles Coppes Lowe. Master classes were con- ducted in recent years by Dr. Lovette in Philadelphia, New York and at National Park Seminary at Forest Glen, Md. national Association of Art and Letters, under whose auspices this grmcnm is presented, will preside. . Arthur Deerin_Call, secretary of the American Peace Society, will make a few remarks on “The International Language,” pointing out the universality of musi and other arts. By virtue of the many years of his close friendship with the composer, Dean Walter M. W. Splawn of American University will give a brief introductory to the musical m. ‘The Lovette Choral Club, to which male voices have been added, will sing three numbers entitled “The Kingdom of Our Graclous God,” from the sacred cantata “God’s Kingdom”; “Garnlwyd”. (Haleluwia), sung in Welsh, and “All Through the Night,” lfltflgd a8 a chorus in the Welsh melody. 8 Whit- ford Lovette, who is directing the pro- gram, will be conductor and also will sing a group of solos, including “If I Could Love Thee,” Love My Love,” “The Throne of Love” and “The Closs of a Day,” a monotone with one climax, written especially for her voice. Lorena Stockton Gawler, coloratu: soprano, will sing “The Message of a Rose” and “Resurrection.” Jack Charl- ton Ward, mezzo soprano, will sing ‘Heart of a Rose” “Asthreen’ “Mair-in og A Stor,” “Star of My Heart” and an_unpublished arrang>- ment of “Abide With Me.” “My Guiding Star” and “Who Knows" will be sung by Ethel Lynn Fast, colora- tura soprano, and Nellie Barber Brooks, soprano, will sing “In Eastern Sky of Old,” a Christmas song. Mrs. Louls Robertson, violinist, will play “Un Petite Romanze,” Longfellow’s poem, “The Reaper,” will be sung by Morti- mer H. Davenport, baritone, and Gil- bert C. Clark will sing “Almighty God, Who Sleepest Not,” a baritone solo from “God's Kingdom,” Lovette’s sacred can- tata. Henry S. Gregor, pianist and com- poser, will play a “Nocturne in A Flat.” Assisting at the plano for the choral numbers will be Pauline Lishman. Elsie Cranmer and Eva Whitford Loveite will assist the soloists. Men singing in the choral numbers are Evan C. Brooks, Nathan_Clark, Roy K. Easter, Griffith Evans, D. Breese Jones, Harold 8. King 4nd Royden K. Whitford, sr. ‘Women in the chorus are Lucy N. Alsop, Nellle Barber Brooks, Marieita Brumbaugh, Pauline M. Bruner, Kath- leen Dietz, Ethel Lynn Fast, Lorena Stockton Gawler, Loulse K. Hartung, Audrey E. Koons, Bertha Kryz, Lucy 8. Ma: Elsie 'S. Phelps, Clara E. Riese, Beulah Burton Smith, Janlece Stockton, Fay Bruce Swenson, Emily E. Tennyson and Lulu Wood Volland. Priends of the late Thomas S. Lovette and of Mrs. Lovette who have not re- ceived a card of invitation may obtain one if desired by calling North 7015, Organ Recital Tomorrow. T. GUY LUCAS, organist and choir- * master of St. John’s Church, La- | fayette square, will give the following selections in his twenty-ninth organ re- cital at the church, tomorrow at \ 8:1 3 | choral preludes, “O World, I E'en Must ] Leave ,” and “My Innermost Heart (Brahms); “Du_Bist Die | (Schubert); “Morn! Song” w:‘l::lt: b"smpnn(ks«ans" (Hollins), and a le by ick. | Harry Myers and Watson Ahlenfeld | wtxll l.ll;‘ Mr. Lu::l:, sing i two groups | of three Negro spirituals each. | ° &8 usual, at 8 o'clock, just preceding [ the recital, a short talk on the 'R:ognm will be given b{mm Lucas in cholr m’&d Al w) are interested are invi 3 Mrs. Willlam T. Reed, contralto; Sade | Styron, planist, and Milton Schwartz and Isanc Mingvich, violinists, will give this week before mem! Morning Music Club, Friday late | salon | | cannot appear personally, due to ill- | “Stng _Agat Worst) .. Victor Russell, president of the Inter- | 1 p.m. | elude and Fugue in D" (Bach); EVENTS OF TOMOI Otterbein College Glee Club Brethren Church, at 8 p.m. 4:30 pm. COMPOSERS AT COUNTRY CLUB— Today. Five members of the Washington Composers' Club will be represented in the program to be given this afternoon at 5 o'clock at the Congressional Coun- try Club. The composers are Dorothy Radde Emery, Edward C. Potter, Sleg- | fried Scharbau, Ervine J. Stenson and Jerome Williams. All these compositions are “first-time” performance today. Assisting the composers on this pro- gram will be: Mildred Kolb Schulze given | (herself a composer of ability), who will play Mr. Willlams' works, as he ness; Harlan Randall, baritone; Flor- ence Sindell, soprano, and the follow- ing members of the United States Ma- rine Band Orchestra: Herman Hoffman and Henry Weber, first violins; Charles Tohla and Theodore Roth, second vio- line; Peter Hases, viola; Joseph Ber- nolfo, celio; Bartley Moore, flute; Emil Rada, clarinet; Silvio Onofrey, oboe; John d'Andelat, bassoon: Thaddeus Hess, horn; Frank Febbo, English horn, and Mr. Scharbau, bassoon. Mr. Schar- bau will conduct the chamber orches- tra in Mr. Potter's work. The program includes: “The Change et “Tonight': "' (w . Moulton) m s Dorothy Emery Mr. Randali rs. Emery at the piano. e Jerome ' Williams “Jerome Williams dell. the plano. doy oo 5t le T in- egfried a‘hnhnu Mr. 8t Quartet in G minor for sizuments . ool Allegro ma_non troppo. “Mediiation on ‘the Forirait of s Friend, (for chamber orchestra). Edward C. Potter Mr. Scharbau conducting. OTTERBEIN GLEE CLUB—Tomorrow. A number of the songs sung by the Otterbein College Men's Glee Club, when it appears tomorrow evening at 8 o'clock at the Memorial United Brethren Church, North Capitol and R streets, not heard elsewhere in the same a rangement. They are written especially for the club by Prof. A. R. Spessard, di- rector. The opening number is written by Spessard, as are all the encores used. “Time to Go,” by Sanderson, is sung in Spessard's arrangement, as is 3 the Fiddler,” the latter with violin ob- bligato and a reading. “Darling Nelly Gray,” written by Ben- jamin Hanby, a graduate of Otterbein, has been arranged for the men's voices, featurin lin solo part. From modern songs, “Sunny Side | among Up" is sung, with a special arrangement of both words and music. In addition there are a number of college songs Mm!lm special versions by the director. While maintaining a high THE D. C, MARCH 30, ERVINE J. STENSON- 1930—PART FOUR. THE WEEK TODAY. Five Washington composers will have compositions presented at 5 p.m., at the Congressional Country Club. RROW. will sing at Memorial United FRIDAY. Flora McGill Keefer, mezzo-contralto, and Mildred Kolb Schulze, pianist, will give a recital at the Mayflower Hotel, at | standard throughout the hour and three- | quarters of entertainment, the glee ciub types. Among the classical composers on the program are Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Schubert. The Russian ge- nius is represented by “Creation Hymn" in an arrangement by Bornschein. Asleep” is from the pen of Chopin. “Drums.” by Meale, in an arrangement by Saulter has proven a favorite with the club in past years, as has the “Cow- boy Song,” by Russell. The program is varied further by the inclusion of the banjo-orchestra num- bers, comprising one-third of the eve- ning’s music. Piano solos from among Chopin's waitses and a Spanish dance as a violin solo help to balance the choral works. FLORA McGILL KEEFER—Friday. Flora McGill Keefer's second formal concert appearance in this city will take place Friday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock at the Mayflower Hotel, with Mildred Kolb Schulze, one of Washington’s best known composer-pianists, assisting in the role of pianist and accompanist. ‘This concert is under the mu ment of Mrs. Wilson-Greene. Mrs. Keefer has chosen for her open- ing numbers two Handel arias, “The Plangero,” from the opera “Julius Cae- sar,” and “Furibondl.” For her second group Mrs. Keefer will sing four Ger- man lieder which she coached with Mme. Julia Culp in Europe several sea- sons ago, including “Heimweh” (Wol: “Schneeglockchen” (Schumann), “Von r Liebe” (Brahms) and “Bots- chaft” (Brahms). A third group, modern French and Italian songs, will include & number by Coquard, one by Bruneau and two Res- pighi songs. final group will com- pi songs by Rachmaninoff, La Forge, MacFadyn and Densmore. ge- piano pieces, including two Debussy numbers, “Serenade a la Poupee” and “Le Petit Berger,” as well as the Strauss-Schutt ‘“‘Fledermaus Walzer,” chosen because of the interest on the Continent and in New York in the present-time el ate revival of “Die Fledermaus,” produi under the direc- tion of Max Reinhart. Imperial Male Quartet In Concert Wednesday THE Imperial Male Quartet, W. Ar- thur McCoy, first tenor; Ellsworth E. Condron, second tenor; J. Benton Webb, baritone; Francis P. Heartsill, bass, with Elsie F. Montgomery, accom- panist, will give its annual concert at Metropolitan Memorial M. E. Church Wednesday at 8 p.m. The cuartet has established an en- viable reputation through concert, radio and church work, and has prepared an interesting program for this concert. Assisting with the program will be Fannie Shreve Heartslll, dramatic so- prano; Bernice Stoops, reader, and Genevieve Beckwith, pianist. “ROGUE” HERE IN TWO OPERAS ' LAWRENCE TIBBETT, ho has made a decided hit in his first “talkie,” “The | is well known in this city as & teacher Opera Co. is in two of his most famous grand opera here next month. He sings Pueccini’s “La Boheme,” the night of A 23, and el 350" A7 Traviata” at the ‘matinee includes selections of widely varying | O'Hare's version of “All the World's| Mrs, Schulze will play a group of | MRS. WALTER BRUCE HOWE. MR&. WALTER BRUCE HOWE of this city, known professionally as Mary Howe, has been awarded the first prize of $100 in the recently closed na- tlonal contest for original musical com- positions held by the National League of American Pen Women for its coun- try-wide membership. Mrs. Howe, who the Pen Women, submitted a string quartet, entitled “Habana,” in the con- test, and the judges, A. Walter Kramer, Henry Cowell and Percy Lee Atherton, | judged it the most meritorious entry. First honorable mention went to Dorothy Radde Emery (Mrs. Alden H. Emery), member at large from Mary- land, for a quartet, scored for soprano voice, violin, 'cello and piano, with words written by Grace Thompson of the Chicago branch of the Women was awarded second honorable mention for an ensemble for chamber orchestra of 10 pleces. The compositions by Mary Howe and Dorothy Emery will be played at the concert to be given by the league as one of the features of its biennial con- vention. This is to be an invitational affair and will be held at the home of Mrs. Henry F. Dimock, on Scott circle, the evening of April 24. The instru- mental music will be rendered by the National String Quartet, Henri Soko- lov, director. Evelyn Randall qn sing the soprano solo in Mrs. Emery's com- position and the composer herself will be at the piano. Other league composers who will be present at the concert and whose com- positions will be on_the program are Marianne Genet of Pittsburgh, Phyllis Fergus of Chh‘;guk and Gena Brans- of New York. mgflb:ofl'w De Muth Watson of this city, who was chairman of the national music contest, is director of the na- tional concert to be held here. . Third Program Announced For National Symphony THE program which the National Symphony Orchestra will play at its third ngo concert at Constitution Hall one week from next Tuesday, April 8, at 4:45 o'clock, has just been forwarded to Frank Frost, president of the orchestra. by Hans Kindler, celebrated cellist and guest conductor, who will conduct this third appearance. Mr. Kindler, it will be recalled, made an impressive ap- rance as conductor of the second concert, March 14. The program will open with Beetho- ven's overture to Goethe's “Egmont. The second number will be Tschaikow- sky’s symphonic poem based on Shake- speare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Kindler's plan to call a briel sion of eight minutes after this num- ber and open the second half of the program with two of Brahms' Hunga- rian dances, numbers 5 and 6. 5 Two novel numbers—Maurice Ravel's “pavane” and Armas Jarnefelt's “Pre- ludium”—are scheduled to follow, and the overture to “Ek’nzl;' will cm:u‘;:: rogram with a Wagnerian com 3 % c‘l’l’r Kindler in his letter to Mr. Frost indicated that intensive rehearsals will precede the third concert, which he pro- to have as technically correct as ‘can make it in the time at his dis- posal. It is anticipated that rehearsals ‘will begin appro: tely 10 days in ad- vance of concert, most of which will be under the personal supervision of Mr. Kindler. Almost immediately after the final concert, on April 8, orchestra com- mittee, which is headed by Speaker Longworth of the House of Representa- tives and includes some of the most prominent music lovers of the Capital, will meet with Mr. Frost to map out a campaign for raising an orchestral fund by next Autumn. Organ Recital Wednesday. GE'N‘E STEWART will gave an organ concert at All Souls’ Unitarian Church, Sixteenth and Harvard streets northwest, Wednesday at 8 pm. All music lovers are lally invited. ‘The organ is a four-manual instru- ment, which, combined with the echo organ, makes it one of the largest in this section of the country. Mr. Stewart is one of the younger organists of Washington. At present is & member of the District branch 01-1 Seton. “ Phyllis Fergus (Mrs. Thatcher Hoyt) | pue BY W. J. HENDERSON. NEW YORK, March 29. THE personality once more into the spotlight through the publication by the Fred- erick A. Stokes Co. of “The Truth About Wagner,” by Philip Dutton Hurn and Waverly Lewis Root. The basis of this book is the collection of Wagner manuscripts and letters made by an English woman, the Hon. Mrs. Wils loughby Burreil, who died in 1888, Her collection has only lately become valuable—less than a year ago, in fact. “For 31 years,” the authors say, gm:md dust in Victorian jewel boxes idden away in a safe deposit vault, while other priceless manuseripts mold- ered in the bottom of clothes h-m%rs Y The authors declare that Cosima Wag ner tried to gain possession of every scrap of Wagner correspondence in Eu- rope, mainly with the purpose of sup- pressing what went toward making out & favorable case for Minna, Wagner's first, wife, and enabling Cosima to prove that she alone was the great man'’s true case by its intemperate methods. It is not written judicially, but, one might say, angrily. Cosima appears in its pages as a monster of mendacity, a ruthless schemer and self-seeker. Minna Planer is represented as a victim. The famous autobiography is held up to scorn as a deceptive and artificially constructed plece of fiction. We are shown Cosima as endeavoring to prove that she saved Wagner from his first wife, whereas the true cause of the break between him and Minna was Mathilde Wesendonck. The “lost let- ter” to this lady has turned up in the Burrell collection. There are other let- ters which go to reveal the nature of Wagner's private life and his affairs with women of various degrees, from Jessle Lausot to a serving matd. There is rich food for salacious appetites. ‘That there is an impressive amount of new Wagner material in the Bur- rell collection is beyond dispute. That it explains many things hitherto not fifecuy understood is_incontestable. at it fundamentally alters what has for many years been known about Wag- ner, Minna and may be ques- tioned. The last-named Derlonlg. who still lingers in the seclusion of Wahn- fried, has never hesitated to employ any means within her reach to frame & plausible story of her relations with Wagner. She has been a woman of tremendous energy, egotism and dictas torial power. When she desired it, she co pose as the incarnation of mod- esty and self-sacrifice. ‘Wagner'’s Love and Loves. The writer of these lines had not at his disposal in 1800 the mass of evi- dence contained in the Burrell collec- tion, but even at that time it was im- possible for him to be deceived as to the irresponsibility of Wagner as a hus- band and the devotion of the bitterly tried Minna. Whether she understood his genfus or not, she was a wife. And how many did perceive great- ness of Wagner? Did Hanslick? Di Davidson of the London Times? According to the authors of the vol- ume before us, the Burrell letters make it very clear that Wagner leaned heav- ily uj Minna when he needed her, and he needed some woman's help all the time. He left her and returned to her again and again, and she repaid his abuse with aid and comfort. The au- thors are insistent upon the point that ‘Wagner's great works were nearly all united and not after the royal influence of Cosima had entered his life. This of Wagner is thrown | % mate. - ‘The book damages its own very strong of “Der Ring des Nibelungen’ had been published 18 years before his marriage Cosima. “Gotterdammerung” was comple in score afterward and “Par- sifal,” dne of the weakest works of the master, was written under her eye, though even this had been conceived :elore her coronation as queen of his eart. Minna would have been herself a genfus if she had grasped the signifi- cance of what her husband was bestow- upon the world. She had no diffi- culty in piercing the sophistries of his letters and understanding his adulteries, which she endured with more than human patience. It was not till his passion for Mathilde Wesendonck was couched in frenetic language that Minna gave up the struggle to main- tain a semblance of married life. And there has been a liberal whitewashing of this episode. The fact that Wagner in after years confessed his offense to the husband who had turned him out of his home was on record long enough before the famous “lost letter” came to light, In 1900 this writer was able to y: “He was inconstant as the wind, a rover, a faithless husband. His misdo- ings amounted to more than peccadil- loes. He was guilty of many liaisons, and the Sybaritic character of his self- indulgences increased as the years went by. It is not possible to give the details of these secrets of Wagner’s life (they were partly unknown at that time), but it must suffice to say that, while Minna was unsuited to him, through her in- abllity to understand him, she was more sinned against than sinning. She was a faithful and devoted wife, patient in adversity and modest in prosperity.” ‘The Burrell letters show that Wagne: loved her. ke “Brightest, Wisest, Meanest.” In conclusfon, it must be said that “The Truth About Wagner” is an incom- plete and not astonishingly revelatory work. The whole value of the Burreil collection will hardly be estimated cor- rectly until it is published—if, indeed, it does not prove to be an unmanageable mass from which judicious selections must be made. That selection should be the care of some one not engaged in building up special evidence, but ap- proaching the work with an unbiased mind and dealing with it in strict ob- servance of laws or scientific in- vestigation. ‘There was once & formidable genius called Francis Bacon, about whom there was shaped by one Alexander Pope an e{hl‘nmmlflc phrase describing him as “the brightest, wisest, meanest of man- kind.” People today concern themselves little about his meanness. His works have become the closet treasures of a few secluded scholars. Excavators ex- cite themselves with burrowing to learn whether it was not indeed he who wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Almost every student of literature has made the acquaintance of the phrase quoted. It may be that in some remote future age all that will be known of Wagner will be that he was the “brightest, wisest, meanest” o‘g composers. But that day is so far that it need give us no immediate anxiety. . “Dear Little Marie: T shall be home next Wednesday. lighted I am to be able to rest aga with you there. (I hope the rose-col- ored pants are ready.)” And more of this same kind in a letter to his “servant.” "w?n"a traeumte mir von Tristan's created while he and Minna were still | Ehre ‘The latter will be remembered; the former forgotten. hardly requires proof. The entire poem MUSIG DOB.! WALTEN, violoncellist, will give several groups of numbers at the Arts Club this evening. ‘The hostess for the evening will be Miss Mary A. Cryder. Mrs. Alyn Wil- liams will present a program of Negro songs and monologues. . Walten's numbers will include r, Opus 98” “Sarabande” (Corilll), (Rimsky-Korsakow), ‘Triste” (Sibelius), “Arlequin” (Popper), “Chant d’Automne” (Tschaikowsky), “Berceuse” (Renard). Beulah Beverley Chambers will ac- company Mr., Walten. ‘The vested choir of the Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G street northwest, under the direction of Adolf Torovsky, will give the cantata “The Message from the Cross,” by Willlam C. Mac- farlane, next Sunday at 8 pm. The soloists will be Beulah Brown, soprano; Nancy Williamson, contralto; Gurden Whitaker, tenor; Ambrose Durkin, bass. Good Priday, April 18, at 8 p.m., the choir will sing the cantata “The Seven Last Words,” by Theodore Dubois. The Soloists' Ensemble to Torney Simon, director, and Ervine J. Stenson, pianist and accompanist, will present a program at the Arts Club esday evening. They will sing works by Bach, Schubert, Brahms, Bantock, Hamerick and Wagner. Mr. Stenson will play works by Chopin. ‘The members of the Soloists’ Ensem- ble are: Mary Apple, Jane Davis Brad- ford, Eva Janet Bright, Rose Bright, Lillian Chenoweth, Mary Anna Donog- hue, Iva Loughlen Guy, Edna Marie Jones, Lucy Greene Lynch, Jean Ethel Munn, Stella Eames Nelson, Janet Rowan Pickett, Dorothy C. D. Quinn, Agnes Downey Rice, Ida Willis Seaton, Mary R. Turner. ‘Warren F. Johnson will give an organ recital at the Church of the Pilgr] at 7:30 o'clock this evening. He will play “Fantasie No. §,.in D Minor” (Merkel); ‘“Morceau de Concert, . 24,” prelude, theme, variations, finale (Guilmant). A group of junior students was pre- sented by the Whitecroft Piano School in a class demonstration, followed by a program of piano and violin music, Monday afternoon, at the main studio, 1235 Madison street northwest. The teachers conducting this program were | Helen Miller and Helen Williams. Those taking part were: Ernest ‘Thompson, Dolly Renaud, Ellen Jef- fers, Olive Reed, Peggy Magruder, PFrankie Renaud, Doris Patterson, Mary Whitney, Betty Jeffers, Nancy Marmer, (Copyright, 1030.) RAPHS Goldman, Frances Eastman and Marian Bond. Oba Jan Gibson, lyric so) , has Just returned from a mccusg:mnmc e g, B P anal Zone. Dur! voyage she ap- peared in several ship concerts and gave a program of dramatic readings. ‘The Nocturne Club of the Washing- ton College of Music met at the Tuesday. The program included: * Joys,” Chopin-Liszt, and the “Rhapsody in E Flat Major,” played by Winifred Chamberlain; Chopin's “Noc- turne in F Sharp Minor” and “Rhap- sody in B Minor,” Brahms, given by Helen Rohrer; two groups of mfi. sung by Eugenia Brown and Janet Oli- ver, sopranos. Brown sang “Who Is Sylvia?" Schubert; “Que ne Suis-je Ia Fougere,” a French bergerette harmonized by Weckerlin, and “Phyllis Has Such Charming Graces,” Wilson. Mrs. Oli- ver's songs were: “Love’s Phantasy,” Schnecker; “Three Idyls From Arcady,” Matthews, and “Mattinata,” Tosti. Mrs. Joseph J. McElroy, alto, sang “O Lord Most Holy,” by Cesar Frank, at the 11 o'clock ss last Sunday at Im- maculate Conception Church. Other re- cent soloists at these services have been Kathryn E. Bowers, alto; Florence M. &tnmmr , soprano, and Frederick Nolan, nor. voloes, 858 Tesult Trgen of the Gemat , &8 & Tesul of the b interest in its develo?;\gm mnu'c:u-d by Rev. Francis J. Hurney, recently ap- pointed to Immaculate Conception Church. Under the direction of Harry Wheaton Howard, well known com- poser, who has been the organist and musical director at that church for 33 years, the choir has become known as one of the best trained in this city. Mrs. Charles C. Lowe (Eva Whitford Lovette) sang two songs by Brahms and “Das Bluemchen,” by the late Dr. Lovette, as her first group at the last monthly meeting this season of German Literary Soclety, March 22. A second group of songs was entirely of Lovette selections, including “If I Could Love Thee,” “The Close of Day” and “Throne of Love.” A trio by Bohm was played by Clara Moran Bernheimer, pianist; Louise Bernheimer, violoncellist, and Elizabeth Bernheimer, violinist. Edith B. Athey, who resigned early this season from the music faculty of the public schools to engage in studio teaching and recital worl been particularly active lately with en- Janet Brown, Isabelle Slye, Fanny (Continued on Seventh Page.) EEESS \/ Rz STUDIOS OF HERMAN'S SCHOOL OF MUSIC Piano. Plang-Accordion. String, Instruments. 618_12th_St. . Nat') 4188 * INSTITUTE of MUSICAL ART, Inc. ALSO_PREPARATORY SCHOOL Piano, B. F. Gebest ‘Theory, °m-'-‘- St. N.W. ~ HANENF NF—T—T—‘ELQ SCHOOL ETHER MUSIC | Aftliated With The Washin, College of Musie Second class ing April 2. Enrollment limited. he is organist and director of music at ‘Waugh M. E, Church. He also is musi- cal director of the Town Players. He of piano and organ. 1In 1926 he was iwarded a three.year ugn scholarship :y the P.!lbofl, Institute of Music in Baltimore. (With the Caruso-like Voice) VOCAL ART, OPERA COACH Teaching Exclusively at the 1408 New Ave. North 6844 WASHINGTON WALTER T. HOLT School of Mandolin, Guitar and | Banjo, Hawaiian Guitar and Uhlil::‘ Ensemble tice with Nordiea Clubs 1801 Columbia Rd. N.W., Col. 0946 BESSIE N. WILD m""'m“"'m“"‘na' "“fi’ ome RET e JAZZ PAN IN 20 SAXOPHONE, BANJO, GUITAR ulele, Et i | PIANO PLAYING 718 11th St. N.W. e . WITT-HAMILL MUSIC CO. The .Illc”:;u.:hcu‘ Supply House ~ CELASIEY ¢