Evening Star Newspaper, August 10, 1930, Page 46

S BY HELEN FETTER. Pes HE Twilight of the Gods” has indeed fallen upon Bayreuth. The packed audiences, who have made reservations to hear this final of the famous “ring” tetrol- ogy in the performances of the festival at the shrine of Wagner | this Summer, will carry away a double meaning to that most im-| Bree.mve scene and musxc—"’rhe} ath March for Siegfried.” Wag- | ner's own son, Siegfried, named | for the legendary hero of his| father’s operas, died on the very eve of the festival. He followed his mother, Cosima, Queen of Bayreuth, within a few months to| whatever Valhalla it may have| been the fate of the Wagners to| ascend. To be sure, he leaves a sturdy young son, but until this child grows up, who is to “carry on” with the famous festivals? No snnouncement has been made as et. Both Elmendorff and Karl uck have been right-hand in-| spiration to Frau Wagner and her | son. Doubtless the community | heads of Bayreuth, who have shown by their complete co- operation with the Wagners their appreciation of the great asset that the, festivals are to their | town, win assist in organizing a| group and backing a selected | leader to perpetuate these festi- | vals. There were many who criticized the methods of Frau Wagner in particular in conducting these erformances so as to hold to the etter, rather than what many musicians felt was the spirit of ‘Wagner’s own ideas for these Bay- reuth performances. There were trequently similar but not so many criticisms of the direction of the festivals by Siegfried Wagner. However, it can never be forgot- ten that it was Siegfried Wagner who refreshed and revolutinized many traditions this year. He did 80 by bringing Arturo Toscanini, the first Latin conductor ever to lead a performance of a Wag- nerian opera in Bayreuth, this year; instituting new and very different scenery for all the operas; and working out many smaller but equally untraditional details for the comfort of the thousands of pilgrims who regis- tered to attend the festivals. The day that Siegfried Wagner succumbed to a serious break- down, which was to result in his death a few days later, saw the first of the trains bearing tourists to attend the first festival per- formance unloading at Bayreuth. Also, that day saw the “sold out” sign hung up, indicating that there were no tickets left for any of the several cycles of operas planned for July and August. R LTHOUGH the world gives spe- cial and most dazzling acclaim to the great musical geniuses— composers, prima donnas, virtuosi of piano, violin or other instru- ment—these most gifted individ- uals do not more truly serve the cause of music than do many others who never achieve the limelight because their talents may none of them be of genius proportions. Siegfried Wagner was one of these. He was gifted, with a defi- nite talent for composing. Yet, | even so, his talent was so inferior | a thing to the genius that was his father’s, he soon realized his limi- tations. It is no easy handicap to be born the son of such a man as Richard Wagner and the grand- son of Franz Liszt. Perhaps be- | cause he realized this, Richard| Wagner wished to make an archi- | who have their homes in a tiny town and who win the honors and royal distinctions accorded Wag- ner who shows such wisdom in similar selections. The municipal authorities of Bayreuth gave the great com- poser their complete assistance. The Mecca of Wagnerites had the foundation laid in May, 1872. The famous choral symphony of Bee- thoven was performed at the spe- cial ceremonies. Funds collected from individual patrons and Wagner societies made the begin- ning of the theater possible. The theater was built according to original plans of Gustav Semper, according to Wagner’s own ideas. At the second festival in 1882, “Parsifal” was given under Her- man Levi and Franz Fischer. “Parsifal” was not allowed to be performed anywhere except at Bayreuth until the copyright ex- pired. In 1896, 20 years following the great premiere of “The Ring” —the first Wagnerian festival following the completion of the theater—the same four operas of the “Ring des Niebelungen” were the only works performed. This current season, of course, “The Ring” operas, “Parsifal” and “Tannhauser,” are given several productions. And these perform- ances, it must be remembered, owe as much, in a different way, to Siegfried Wagner as they do to his father. For music is the most mute of all the muses unless the instrument or instruments may be provided to make the notes pen- ned upon the manuscript paper audible. * % k¥ '‘HERE are many fascinating references to these Bayreuth festivals available to the inter- ested reader. The late Leopold Auer and the famous prima don- na, Emma Eames, both have such allusions with colorful anecdotes in their autobiographies—to men- tion only a couple. One of the most interesting and unusual of them all, however, is made in the musical sketch-book, with auto- biography incidental, written by the great dean of American critics, the late Henry T. Finck in “My Adventures in the Golden Age of Music.” He tells of his very first visit to the Wagnerian shrine when he was a very young, extremely enthusiastic, and ex- ceedingly poor young man. Fol- lowing a vivid and entertaining exposition of his trip across, Mr. Finck says: “How I ever reached that out- of-the-way Bavarian town, Bay- reuth, buried in the Franconian mountains, I don't remember. But there I was one day, several weeks ahead of the public per- formances. The rehearsals were in full blast. Why should I not attend these, too? Alas, I found that no one was admitted to them. I sneaked around the curved corridors and applied my ears to keyholes. I heard ravish- ing new harmonies and tone- colors that thrilled me to the marrow. But an attendant dis- covered me and ordered me out. ‘Nobody allowed in her,’ he said. “I replied that I did not see why these precious sounds should go to waste, and added that I had paid 900 marks to hear the per- formance, so I surely ought to be favored. He took off his hat, bowed politely, and said: ‘I am extremely sorry, sir, but I have strict orders to make no excep- tions.” “Yes, dear reader, I had paid 900 golden marks, or $225 in American monei, for tickets! That was nearly half of what my tect of his son. Accordingly Sieg- fried was educated at Carlsruhe University and the Polytechnic | Institute of Berlin. However, | even a small stream of water must | follow its course, just as the ocean | does its obeisance to the laws of | nature. When his father died in 1883, Siegfried immediately stop- | ped all other studies and studied | music under Engelbert Humper- | dinck. He wrote some operas and | they were fairly successful. It is| significant, however, that the, udgment that is infallible—that | nown as “the test of time’— swept aside these sincere but temperate efforts. It was as the ardian of these festivals which onor his father’s genius that Biegfried Wagner found the great- | est and most satisfactory outlet | for his service to the Muse that he so earnestly worshipped. Of course his efforts met with some criticism from certain quarters. But this is true of every one who | tries to do something that is of | such wide interest that it attracts| the notice of many people; espe- cially people of such impetuous temperaments as musicians. Cer-| tain it is that, although his/| mother lived to the spectaculnr‘ age of 93, it was Siegfried who, ever since his father’s death, en-| couraged the Wagner societies| that had been formed from one end of the world to the other and | other groups in contributing to| the cause of making these festi-| vals an institution of world-wide | interest. Siegfried it was who | bridged that intangible gulf of | hatred and mistrust which hung| the possibility of German festivals | in abeyance from 1914-1924, and | laced these events on such a asis again that it was possible | this year to have them “sold out” for the entire season. To such a loyal disciple of the cause of music belong the heav- Jest and everlasting laurels. * ® * % AYREUTH, where, in the Villa| Wahnfried centered the home | life of Richard Wagner and his second wife, Cosima, daughter of Franz Liszt, was also the home town of Jean Paul Friedrich| Richter. It was indeed the logical place for the erection of the Wag- ner Festspielhaus. One does not wonder that, intimate friend shough he was to Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, Wagner turned down the royal offer of that monarch to establish the Wagnerian Thea- ter in Munich. The one in that city now is said to be a replica of the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. ‘Wagner disliked the distractions of a capital. He found what he ‘wanted as the setting for his thea- ter in the secluded, humble little town of Bayreuth, a short dis- tance northeast of Nuremburg, uncle had lent me and I hadn't the faintest idea what would be- come of me when the rest was spent. Iought to have been satis- fied surely with hearing two per- formances each of ‘Rheingold,’ | ‘Walkuere,’ ‘Siegfried,’ and ‘Goet- terdaemmerung’; but in my reck- less enthusiasm I had bought three ‘Patronatscheine,’ covering all 12 of the performances! * * * “The next morning I was stand- ing in front of the opera house when I saw Wagner himself ap- proaching, arm in arm, with Wilhelmj, the Fritz Kreisler of his day, who had consented to be concertmaster in the ‘Niebelun- gen’ orchestra. “‘Why not ask the meister him- self for permission to attend the rehearsals?’ I said to myself. A moment later I was before the two great men, took off my straw hat and told Wagner that I had come all the way from America to write up the festival for the New York World and the Atlantic Monthly. And that I would be very happy if I could attend the rehearsals. A cloud passed across his face. ‘The newspapers have treated me shamefully,’ he said. ‘I need no critics here.’ “‘But I am not a critic,’ I pro- tested, ‘only a young man of 22 who has come simply to describe the new w-~rks.’ “That placated him. ‘Very well, he said. ‘Have you a Patronat: schein?’ ‘Three’ I answered. had made up my mind,’ he sald, ‘to admit no one to the rehearsals, not even Liszt. But he has gone in and I have admitted a few others, so you might as well come, “He then asked me for my card and told me I would get in if I gave my name to the doorkeeper. I did so, and had the time of my life watching the great master superintending every detail of the performance. He had a special little bridge, by means of which he could pass from the stage to the auditorium and back any mo- ment. He would sit near us look- ing and listening, his face ex- pressing a hundred successive emotions. Then he would rush onto the stage to show a singer how to pose or to phrase. The next moment he would look down into the orchestral abyss and beg the players: ‘Not quite so loud, please. Remember the singers come first.’ “It was a wonderful experience | for me thus to be in the very workshop of the greatest operatic | genius the world has ever known. This Bayreuth festival was surely | the beginning of the Golden Age of Music. “The next morning as I entered the theater Wagner saw me, came and shook hands, and asked me capital of the district of upper Franconia. It is not many men if I had got in. I thanked him profusely. How could he thus re- THE SUNDAY Standard Numbers Chosen For Audition Candidates How well can aspiring sopranos sing one verse of “The Last Rose of Summer”; contraltos, dramatic and mezzo-sopranos sing Kierulf's “Last Night”; tenors sing “How So Fair,” from “Martha,” and bassos sing “Drink 'w Me Only With Thine Eyes" These are questions candidates from the District of Columbia must determine to the satisfaction of the local commit- tee in charge of the fourth national radio audition before they are admitted to the 1930 preliminary contests. The announcement that the audition preliminaries would be held Thursday, September 25, and the last day for re- ceipt of applications would be Septem- ber 15, was made by Dr. Albert W. Harned, chairman of the local commit- tee of the Atwater Kent Foundation, to- day. This announcement also carried the unique requirements for the singers. “We are determined that the question | of how well the candidates for the au- dition can sing shall be definitely shown in a standard song,” Dr, Harned an- nounces. “Each candidate—and _they | must be between 18 and 25 years of age, | of course—may come to the elimination | tests that begin Thursday, September 25, | with one song of their own choosing. | But each candidate also must be pre-| {pared to sing a standard song. The, | committee has considered this matter 1 very carefully, and we have selected { “The Last Rose of Summer” for the {soprano’s, Kjerulf's “Last Night" for | { dramatic and mezzo-sopranos and con- | traltos, the last phrase of 36 measures from “How So Fair” from “Martha” for | tenors, and “Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes” for baritones and | Only one verse of the soprano, contralto, basso and baritone standard songs will be required. Dramatic and mezzo-so- pranos may sing the Kjerulf selection in a key not lower than G.” Dr. Harned states that his committee already has received a number of appli- cations from prospective singers, and expects to have the largest turnout of candidates this year that has appeared | in a national radio audition. “We have made up our minds we will find another national champion,” Dr. Harned states. “The success of Miss Hazel Arth, who won the national com- petition in 1928, should spur our young singers to greater efforts, Miss Arth, as the entire country knows, won the coveted position of contralto with Father PFinn's famous ‘Medievalists,’ who sing in the coast-to-coast broadcast of the Catholic hour every Sunday. And she has had other honors in con- cert in New York and elsewhere. Her companion winner of 1928, Donald Novis, tenor, of Pasadena, Calif., has also made a spectacular success in sing- ing_in motion pictures. “We selected a standard song to have the candidates sing because we want to know what their ideas of music are and what actual foundation they have for a career as a vocalist. If each sings the same song, we can make COmPArisons on a definite basis. This requirement, of course, will not preclude each candi- date presenting a song of his or her own choosing.” The preliminaries will be held at the WRC studio September 25, beginning at 2:30 o'clock. As many days will be occupied in the preliminaries as are necessary to give each candidate a fair hearing. The last day for the reception of applications is September 15. All applications should be filed and re- quests for information addressed to Dr. Albert W. Harned, 1317 New York ave- nue, or Station WRC, National Press Building. ‘The awards offered singers aggregate $25,000 in cagh and 10 musical scholar- ships. The individual awards are $5,000 each (one boy and one girl) and two years' tuition for the winner of the first place; second place, $3,000 each; third place, $2,000 each; fourth pla $1,500 each, and fifth place, $1,000 each. The last four pair each receive one year's tuition in addition to the cash award, the tuition being with the pupil's own cheice of an American conservatory or a teacher of recognized standing. Aroldo 'Lindi. Tenor, Comes To U. S. From La Scala MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM C. HAM- MER, general manager and di- rector, respectively, of the Philadelphia Grand Opera Co., who have just re- turned from a three-month tour of Europe, announce that several new singers will be brousm to Philadelphia for the season 1930-31. ‘The first one to be announced is Aroldo Lindi, dramatic tenor, from La Scala, Milano. Signor Lindi’s first ap- pearance with the company will be in the role of Radames, when “Aida” opens the season at the Academy of Music October 16. Mr. Lindi comes to Phila- delphia after great success throughout Europe, having been for two seasons at Garden, London; twé seasons in the Lyceo Opera, Barcelona; two seasons in the San Carlo Opera, Naples, and also uest appearances in Lisbon; Royal pe! adrid; Royal Opera, Stock- holm; Royal Opera, Cairo; opera in Rome, Parma, Genoa, Florence, Venice and Zurich, his most recent triumph being his appearance in “Aida,” which was presented at the National Opera in Paris, with Mme. Rethberg in the title role, in June of this year. Mr. Lindi will make several appearances with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Co, this year. *Martha" Will Be Sung Toniyl\t at Atlantic City VON FLOTOW'S delightful opera, “Martha,” will be given in English by the Steel Pler Grand Opera Co. this evening in the ball room of the Steel Pler at Atlantic City. ‘The principals are Melvena Passmore, coloratura soprano, Chicago Civic Opera Co.; Mae Mackle, contra Philadel- phia Civic Opera Co.; d Hensen, tenor, American Opera Co.: Leo de Hierapolis, baritone, Philadelphia Grand Opera Co., and Francis Tyler, basso. Next Sunday evenln, “Mignon,” by Ambroise Thomas, will be presented, with Elda Vettorl, soprano, Metropolitan Opera Co.; Melvena Passmore, color: tura soprano, Chicago Civic Opera Co. Judson House, tenor, Philadelphia Civic Opera Co.; Henri Scott, formerly prin- cipal baritone, Metropolitan Opera Co., and Rhys-Rees Morgan, distinguished Welsh tenor, in the principal roles, ‘The SBunday afterncon operatic con- certs will be given as usual every Sun- day in the Steel Pler ball room at 3:30 by the opera principals. St. Alban's Quartet Sings At Pennsylvania Resort ST. ALBAN'S QUARTET, composed of Beatrice S. Goodwin, director and soprano soloist; Marle Koonts, con- tralto; Granville Leef, tenor, and F. C. Schaefer, bass, made & week end trip to Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., for the pur- pose of giving a concert at the Parish House Hall for the benefit of the ll- rary. ‘They were unusually well received by a large audience composed chiefly of musical people from Baltimore, Phila- delphia and Washington. 3 ‘This quartet is rapidly taking its place among the finest organizations of its e member the American youth among all the thousands of per- sons and things he had to at- tend to? * ¢ ¢ “Life in Bayreuth was a unique affair during the festival. The town of 20,000 souls was quite un- prepared to take care of such an invasion of musicians and lis- teners. Most of us had to seek rooms in private houses and fight for our meals at Angermann's. La Scala, Milano; two seasons at Covent | His tables were occulpled long before mealtime, while outside were world-famed singers and Ehyen and compoli'l sitting on egs and boxes, glfd to get a sandwich and a glass of beer.” STAR, WASHINGTON CONTRALTO WITH GERMAN COMPANY ik £ D. & AUGUST 10, 1930—PART FOUR. Cantata Choir Clo Rehearsals Thursday Night THI soloist at the German service at Concordia Lutheran Church this morning will be Robert J. Volland, ten- or, who will sing “Saget es, Danket Ihm,” from the “Lobgesang” of Men- delssohn, and “O Wie Schoen ist Deine Welt,” by Franz Schubert. At the Eng- lish service at 11:15 Beulah L. Brown, soprano, guest soloist, will sing “Fear Not Ye, O Israel,” by Dudley Buck. Next - Thursday evening will be the last rehearsal of the cantata choir for the Summer. Rehearsals will be re- sumed early in September. the hot weather, the attendance at these rehearsals has been remarkably good during the Summer months. Service Band Dates THE U. 5. ARMY BAND. ACTIVXTIES of the Army Band for the week starting tomorrow will in- | clude: | Monday — Montrose Park, Thirtieth {and R streets, concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday—Walter Reed Hospital, con- | cert at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday—Sylvan Theater, concert at 7:30 p.m, ‘Thursday—Concert at Army War Col- lege at 7 p.m. Friday—Concert at east steps, Capitol, at 7:30 pm. In addition to the regular popular and classical numbers, several solos will * be featured at the different concerts MARIE VON ESSEN KENT. MISTAKEN for & German singer and acclaimed as “one of the finest voices in Germany,” Marie von Essen Kent of Detroit has returned to her native land with a contract as a lead- ing contralto of the German Grand Opera Co. She arrived recently on the 8. 8. Dresden. The story of her engagement unique. J. J. Vincent, managing di- rector of the company, had come all the way from New York to Germany to engage artists and conductors. He had heard innumerable contraltos, none of whom proved entirely satisfactory. He went to hear “Goetterdaemmerung” in Dresden. The role of Waltraute, usuaily entrusted to a messo-soprano, ‘was beiny that ‘night by a g:unz contri voice rather deeper then a mezzo and higher than the customary contralto pitch. Her name on his pro- gram was German, of course. He was 50 impressed that he went backstage and spoke to her in German. “You can talk American to me,” she sald. “I u;ma from Detroit.” He engaged her at_on Mme. von Essen is better known to is | the American public as Mary Kent, con- cert and operatic singer. She was born in Detroit, was educated and studied music there, and gained her first expe- rience by singing in church choirs. Later she went to New York and had her first operatic experience when she was engaged by Antonio Scotti, bari- tone of the Metropolitan, to join the touring opera company which bore his name. She remained with the company an entire season, then was enrolled among the artists of Fortune Gallo's San Carlo Opera Co. A season With this troupe left her convinced that her particular metier was German opera; and she went abroad for study and ex- perience. She had sung in nearly every opera house in Germany, including all the important cities, when Mr. Vincent heard her in Dresden. She will go to Detroit for a visit to| her family and plans to return to New York in the Fall for a concert tour before joining the German Grand Opera Co. in January. ‘When the company comes to Wash- ington next Winter this young Ameri- can contralto will be heard for the first time in the Capital of her owh country. WHEN MUSSOLINI HELPED A TENOR ANX 10 fore that a leading singer with many opera companies both abroad and in this country, came to Washington last Fall to make his home and establish a studio. ‘The tenor is Armando Iannuzzi, who when very young wen a scholarship to study at the conservatory in Milan that prepared students for appearances at the famous La Scala Opera House. Fol- lowing his training Signor Iannuzzi had six years of experience with the com- pany at La Scala. He also engaged in considerable concert work, and when he came to this country sang with both the Metropolitan and San Carlo com- panies, Signor Iannuzgl counts among his most interesting of many experiences his contact with Mussolini, now premier of Italy, when both were young and comparatively unknown. Even as far back as 1914 Mussolini was recognized as an adventurous spirit and a leader of men. He was adviser of & soclety formed in the interest of musical artists of Italy. He himself was never a con- cert artist, but he was a thorough musi- cian and a gifted violinist. He was a warm sympathizer of the cause of the musical artists of Italy. ‘When Mussolini Helped Iannuzzi. It was six years later, however, when Mussolini definitely helped Armando Iannuzzi and smoothed the path for a musical project which the latter had or- anized and sponsored. In 1920 Bignor [annuzzi was asked by authorities in Geneva, Switzerland, to take the opera company which he had formed from Milan to Geneva. At that time Musso- lini was editor of a newspaper called Publica Itallana. The prefect and other Italian officials refused to grant Iannussi the necessary passports to carry his company from Italy into Switserland to keep this offered en- talian tenor, formerly of the Met- | gagement. olitan Grand Opera Co., and be- | interested in the success of his friend’s However, Mussolini, deeply project, arranged the necessary details and secured special diplomatic passports via the Swiss consulate and also ar- ranged for a special train for the artists. It was a service that the tenor never forgot and a gesture of friendliness for the artists of his country that won the lasting gratitude of all the artlsts of that company and many others who knew of the situation. Noted Otello Interpreter. Signor lannuzzl has sung in many countries at various times, North and South America and also on the conti- nent. Probably the favorite of all his roles is Otello, that most exacting of dramatic tenor roles in one of Verdi’s greatest masterpieces based upon the famous Shakespearean play. The tenor is shown above in costume for this role. | T. It is a role that is rarely sung in Amer- ica, as there are few tenors who are both vocally and dramatically fitted for its portrayal. A recent news note from abroad states that Paul Robeson, the remark- | able Negro singer, is to sing the role of the Moor in a performance to be given in London. The date is not announced. Last Spring one of the final recitals of the season was a program given by Armando Iannuzzi here. Even then, suffering from a cold that had turned into Eneumonh and having arisen from a sick bed to sing on the date set, the Italian tenor showed not only the ade- quate voice but thorough training in the traditions and a definite grasp on artistry. It would be very interesting to hear Signor Iannuzzi in one of the great tenor roles in opera, with setting and costums d in an auditorium that adequate space to gave his I show to best advantage. g during the week. | THE. U. S. NAVY BAND. "I‘HE U. 8, Navy Band, Lieut. Charles Benter, leader, will play at the | Capitol tomorrow night. Rossini's over- ture to “William Tell,” excerpts fro) | the Gilbert & Sullivan opera, *“Mikado, and solos for xylophone and cornet are | among the numbers on this program, Tuesday night, at Sylvan Theater, the program will include the “Overture woda; sections from Vic- finale from “Ariele,” Bach. ‘Wednesday night the band will play the regular midweek concert at the Navy Yard. Other concerts scheduled for this week are Tuesday and Friday at 3 pm. at the Navy Yard, and Thursday, 2 p.m,, at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, THE U. S. MARINE BAND. During the coming week the United States Marine Band will play concerts at the following places: Monday—Marine Barracks, at 8 p.m. ‘Tuesday—Chevy Chase Circle, at 7:30 pm. Wednesday—United States Capitol, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday—Sylvan Theater, ment Grounds, at 7:30 p.m. ‘These concerts will include works from Wagner, Leoncavallo. Smetana, Rossini_and Beethoven. The soloist will be Musician Winfred Kamp, cornet. THE SOLDIERS' HOME BAND. The band of the United States Sol- diers’ Home, John S. M. Zimmermann leader and Anton Pointner assistant, will give three concerts, as usual, Tues- day, Thursday and Saturday afternoons at 5:30 o'clock in the bandstand. ‘The full programs, which combine light and classical selections, will be published in daily issues of The Star. Opera Leader Is Chosen To Head Composers' Group Al C nounce the selection of Dr. Max von Schillings, guest conductor at the Staatsoper in Berlin, and recently en- gaged as the principal conductor for the third American tour of the German Grand Opera Co., as president of the Association of German Composers, to succeed Richard Strauss upon the lat- ter's retirement. Monu- Organ Recital Tomg}\t. WWARREN F. JOHNSON will give an organ recital at the Church of the Pilgrims at 7:30 o'clock this evening. He will play “Fantasia in F’ (G. B. Polleri), “Andante and Fughetta” (Hen- ry Smart) and “Scherzo” by Reginald Goss-Custard. News of the Clubs The Zonta Club met at the Raleigh Hotel Wednesday, with President Ger- trude Van Hoesen presiding. Miss Grace Landon read the national presi- dent’s—Mrs. « Olivia Johnson—annual report, as given at Seattle convention in_June. Dr. Mildred W. Dickerson, president of the American Association of Women Dentists, will be the speaker Wednes- day. She will tell of her recent trip to Denver. ‘Women’s City Club.—A boat trip has been arranged by Miss Thelma Schmitt, chairman of the junior section, as- sisted by members of this group, for tomorrow evening, on the Wilson Line. at 8:30 o'clock. the ground course in aviation, who will graduate this month are Newell Atkinson, Miss Helen M. Hawley, Miss Marie Saunders, Miss Beaufort Kelley and Mrs, Campbell C. Gray. Diplomas will be Elmenud at a dinner being planned in honor of the women pilots entering the National Air race, the Eastern division leaving Washington Airport August 22. Mrs. Lyle B. Steever is chairman of trophies, and will arrange the social program. trophy will be presented by the club to the successful contestant. Eagle Wings, non-flying sustaining members, are Mrs. Clara Wright Smith, Miss P. A. Christian, Mrs. Blanch B. Brown, Miss Florence E. Ward, Mrs. Patrick Gallagher and Mrs. Merritt O. Chance. Members of the aviation section were present at Washington Alrport to meet the women pilots, Mrs. Phoebe Omlie and Mrs. Blanche Wilcox Noyes, who flew from Chicago to invite Presi- dent Hoover to the National Air races, and accompanied them to the White House, where a floral invitation was presented to the President. The pilots then were entertained at luncheon at the club house. Mrs. Merritt O. Chance presided at the luncheon. G. E. Woods | of the Curtiss-Wright School of Bal- | timore was a guest Friday. | The Prince Georges County Federa- tion of Women’s Clubs.—Officers and committee chairmen were present at a luncheon meeting at the home of Mrs. R. 8. Allen, president, College Park, Md., to discuss programs for federation work for the coming club year. Mrs. Earl W. Chafee of Chevy Chase, vice president of the Maryland Federation of Women's Clubs, and Mrs. J. Enos Ray, Chillum, Md., director to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, were honor guests. Mrs. Chafee, former chairman of junior membership, Junior membershi furthering the worl gave a talk on and the need for in the county. Mrs. E. Woodward, second vice president and chairman of junior membership for the county, outlined a plan for a pro- gram. Mrs. Ray gave suggestions on club extension work and the use of the g‘;o[rlms as outlined by the General deration of Women'’s Clubs. Mrs. G. A. Castle, first vice president, gave s report on the meeting of the air chairmen at Upper Marlboro July 30. “The following clubs will have ex- hibits at the fair in September: Chil- lum District Study Club, Women's Club of Cottage City, Civie e of Mount Rainier, Lanham Study Club, Women's Club of Melwood District, Housekeepers’ Club of Decatur Heights, Women's Club of Oxon Hill, Seat Pleasant Wome! Club, Suitland Homemakers’ Clul Women’s Club of Brandywine, Women g{ug of Berwyn, Landover Community ub. The fine arts chairman, Mrs. Sarah J. Weingartner, who will head the music division, gave & talk on the proper Considering | t Fortune Teller” and the | ¥ BLED advices from Germany an-|issued It leaves the Seventh Street wharves | Students of the ploneer class, taking | Thankful Was the Girl Who Owned First ON the 23d of June, 1823, Miss Thank ful C. Hutchinson, a young lady of Boston, Mass., was made very happy by the gift of a piano from her uncle and guardian, James H. Bingham, Esq. It/ wasn't every girl who had a piano in| hose times. Indeed, whole towns got along without a single one of the in- struments, and in Boston the few to be found were mostly from London, some of them part of the booty taken from captured British merchantmen. But ‘Thankful's piano was an honest-to- goodness American product, the first one made by Jonas Chickering, erst- while farmer’s lad and cabinetmaker’s apprentice, Jonas had come to Boston a slip of | a lad with a few dollars in his pocket | and a notion in his head. Five years earlier he had laid eyes, for the first time in his life, on a piano. That was in New Ipswich, N, H., whither the in- strument had somehow found its way from the court of George III. The mechanism of the thing enchanted Jonas. Its possibilities for development drove him to the city, and into the em- ployment of a man named John Osporn, who was making a few Euro- pean model pianos. Presently he risked starting his own shop. There he promptly turned out Thankful's piano. It was a modest music box compared with the pianos found in the homes and boarding schools of wealthy girls nowadays. It may be seen now in the big plano factory on Tremont street, Boston, a square-bodied fellow with a thin, sweet voice and round embellished legs. ful was contented with it. When she traveled to another town Thankful rode a fat-bodied stage coach that swayed precariously on high wheels, and was drawn by sturdy horses, changed at frequent stops. Her trunk as strapped on behind, and her wide hoopskirts flower over the seat inside. She thought the beaux who talked to her quite handsome in their skin-tight trousers and curly-brimmed tall hats. Evolving the First Upright. Jonas Chickering, dreaming by night and tolling by day over improvemen to the orte, evolved first upright. The pictures show a tall of furniture with the top lined with gathered silk. There is one of that ts his | ton. Native Piano director of the New England tory of Music. One s several in Worch callection here at the Nationa: Museum. Chadwick's was called ““The Lady Ann Piano,” having once been the property of a protege of the Duke of Wellington. The sale of Chickering’s upright is recorded, in his fine hand- writing, in the book wherein he noted all his sales from the first one in 1823 until his death 30 years later. Ten years passed by and Jonas Chickering wrestled with the problem of constructing a grand piano so that it would bear the strain and tension of the strings without .needing tuning every day. He presently built the first practicable iron plate, making such im- provements and adaptations that it was practically a new invention. Also he devised a method of overstringing the wires, and took other steps ahead which caused later plano makers to call him “the father of American pianoforte making.” Exhibited in Crystal Palace. Chickering’s first grand piano, on the whole, was & much more promising ex- ampde of its kind than were the steam railway trains that began to draw citi- zens about at that time. Funny little engines, funny little cars, much funnier than the grand pianoforte, which really was a fine instrument. Not, however, as fine as the concert grand Wwhich the American piano maker exhibited in |1851 in the Crystal Palace in London. That was the time the first “horseless carriage” was made, and created quite a stir. Jonas Chickering didn’t live ‘o many pianos after that Crystal P: show. In 1852 the factory built by him and his partner Capt. Mackay on Washington street, Boston, was burned to the ground. Then the captain, carrying a cargo of pianos to South America, was lost with his vessel and all on board. Jonas was not discour- aged; he promptly built on Tremont street the factory which was the wonder of the country at that time—people called it “Chickering’s Folly” because it was so far from everything and bigger than any building in the United States except the Capitol at Washing- . The factory has endured and flourished, but even as the firm moved in Jonas Chickering died, leaving his three sons, Thomas, Charles Francis and George, to carry on in the manu- . only earlier and cruder, in the office of rge W. Chadwick, facture of planofortes. D. C. Naval Reserve Steaming into her berth at the Wash- ington Navy Yard here a day ahead of schedule, the U. 8. destroyer Abel P. Upshur completed the second of three cruises map] out this year for the lst Battalion, United States Naval Reserves, of the District of Columbia. The 3d Fleet Division, under the command of Lieut. C. H. Willlams, was on the second voyage, which carried the local citizen sailors, as well as a contingent from Baltimore, to New England ports, where the vessel operated in war games with the Atlantic Scouting Fleet destroyers. While it was pointed out that it has been the practice in the it for the ship to return its crew here on the third Saturday of the cruise, it was added that general orders have been U the Navy Department for all of the destroyers having Naval Reserve training crews aboard to put into port on the Friday before the last day of the cruise. It was explained that this was for the Furpnue of getting the pay ac- counts of the officers and men straight- ened out so that they could be paid on the last day. However, it was indicated that there has been no trouble on this score in the local contingent, as a sys- tem has been devised whereby the ne essary information is mailed to head- quarters here, where Chief Clerk Daw- kins makes out the necessary papers, s0 that when the ship comes in all the officers and men have to do is to report to the Navy Yard paymaster. The new practice cuts the reservists out of a part of a day and night of the cruise, and makes it necessary for the vessel to head for home a day earlier than usual. The men as well as the officers, however, were given liberty on Friday night and were required to re- turn to the vessel Saturday morning, for the dual pur of receivi their pay and to be formally relieved from active duty. The vessel will remain in port all of this week. The skeleton crew of re- servists on indefinite active duty during this period will load aboard hundreds of pounds of sea stores and the vessel will be refueled preparatory to atarting on the third and last cruise next Satur- day, with the 1st Fleet Division aboard. This division is commanded by Lieut. John M. Fewell, and the other division officers are Lieuts. (Junior Grade) B. M. Coleman and J. E. Sullivan, and Ensign Edwin M. Graham. Lieut. Paul V. ‘Thompson, attached to the Volunteer Reserve, also has been authorized to take this voyage. He was formerly active with the local Fleet Reserve Bat- talion and is a veteran of the World ‘War, He will be assigned to engineer- ing duties. In addition to the local unit there will be another division of Reserves from the Baltimore, Md., Bat- talion, come to Washington to board the Upshur for this trip. Upon completion of the three train- ing cruises the vessel will remain idle until the cruises for next Summer. However, it is expected that there will be a change in the command within the next few weeks.” Lieut. Dayton, former executive officer of the ship, who as- sumed command when Lieut. Comdr. R. 5. Field was transferred as aide to the commandant of the Washington A | Navy Yard, is to be relieved by Lieut. Comdr. P. V. H. Weems, who also prob- ably will assume the duties of inspecto instructor of the local battalion. This latter assignment has been held by Comdr. Field in addition to his duties as aide to the commandant. The exact date of the change is unknown to offi- cials of the local Reserve. A number bf officers of the Reserve e method of teaching music in the home and club. The Writers' League of Washington will meet at the Mount Pleasant Public Library, Sixteenth and Lamoni streets, next Friday evening at 8 o'clock. The following program has been arranged: Short stories by Miss Balley, Mr. Mc- Fadden, Mrs. Zella Newcomb and Mrs. Marguerite Wilcox: a lecture on the work of Leonardo de Vincl, Mrs. Barron. Visitors are welcome. 3 At the last meeting it was decided to postpone the close of the short story contest to the last meeting in October. The Deépartment of the Polomac Woman's _Rellef met at the Soldiers, Sallors and Marines' Club, Eleventh and L streets, Tuesday at 8 pm., with Mrs. Delia O'Brien, depart- ment president, in the chair. The Grand Army of the Republic and Woman's Rellef Co encamp- ment at Cincinnati, Ohio, August 2¢ to 30 were discussed and plans on the ar- rangements made for the participation in_the grozum Mrs. Elizabeth D. Shaw, past depart- ment president, was reported ill at the Homeopathic Hospital. Soroptimist Club.—Mrs. Ethel Knight Pollard, regional director of the Mid- western and South Atlantic district and | member of the national board of the American Federation, returned last| week from attendance at the interna-| tional Soroptimist convention in Lon- don, England. Dr. Lulu 1. Waters gave a “home- coming” %:3’ for Mrs. Pollard at her home in ley_Heights. She was as- | sisted by Miss Grace Goodpasture and | Miss Gene C. Bearmore. | ‘The club will entertain the delegates | next Thursday evening at the Congres- sional Club, when the gavel, which has been wielded during her absence by the vice 'nts, Miss Nora Huffman and Mrs. . Klein Peter. will be turned | over to Mary Catherine d@wis. resident in Washington, but not at- tached to the fleet branch, have been reporting in to the local headquarters to make arrangements for their physical examinations. These examinations are required periodically, but it was said that many Reserve officers have failed to comply with the regulations. In the case of Fleet Reserve officers it was said that as they are in close touch with the battalion at all times, their examinations are made more frequently, particularly prior to going on the an- nual cruises. 5 Difficulties in the advancement of shipkeepers in the lower ratings has been pointed out by the Navy Depart- ment. The department says that the present regulations provide that enlisted men on duty as shipkeepers -may be advanced in accordance with require- ments prescribed for the advancement of the men of the Regular Navy. How- ever, little or no difficulty is encountered in the application of this regulation to shipkeepers in the ratings below petty officer, first class, except to note that active or training duty at sea is not necescarily & requisite for advancement. ‘The department states that when the matter of petty officers, first class, going up for chief petty officer, acting ap- pointment, rating, the regular Navy clause requires at least one year’s sea service in the first-class rating, being in this respect entirely different from the requirements imposed on a first- class petty officer in any other class or category of reservist. So the depart- | ment continues, applying the Navy rule, | sueh a shipkeeper is eligible for ad- | vancement only if and when he has | served a full year on a cruising vessel, such as_the Fox or Wilamette or an | Eagle. Immediately it is impossible for s lhl?k!!pll' who is a petty officer, first class, to qualify under the present regulations on any of the followin, assignments: On a non-cruising vesse! such as the Illinois or Wheeling, on a 50-foot motor boat, which the depart- ment comments the fondest stretch of imagination cannot place in the sea- going class; ashore at district head- quarters or in an armory, ashore at an aviation station. Even if the first-class petty officer in these latter instances were to arrange | to take a 15-day training cruise during the year he still could not qualify, the department adds, as the regulation stipulates one year's sea service. On the other hand, the bureau re- ports that it has many cases to decide in which men in various pay grades recommended for advancement have changed their status from that of ship- keeper to that of being attached to a | fleet division or aviation division, or vice versa, during the 12 months’ period immediately preceding examination. It was asserted that if the candidate is actually a shipkeeper at the time he is put up for adancement the regular Navy set of rules apply. If he has been a shipkeeper, but is actually in a fleet or aviation status at the time he is put up for advancement, another set of rules, those for the Naval Reserve, ‘l)?.pl{.lug:?fglon is said to result in reconcile disc between the two systems. . Mrs. Charles Widle, director of Child Welfare, Women's Christian Tem- perance Union of District of Columbia, arranged a meeting with Mrs. W. A. Winkelhaus, director of Americaniza- tion, W. C. T. U, District of Columbia, at the Gosfel Misson auditorium, John Marshal place and C street, last Sun- day evening. Mrs. N. M. Pollock, pres- ident of District of Columbia Union, pr;ided. d rs. Winkelhaus and Mrs. Windle ex- plnh;ed briefly the work of l-llchndc;e)l!r:- ment. Mrs. Harvey Prentice, president of Gospel Mission Union, l!lrlud by the following members of her union, Mrs. Jones, Gunther, Blount, Hutchison, Gib- son and Mrs. Lampell, presented a sketch entitled “The M Flowers.” Mrs, A. M. Peterson sang. Miss Marietta Callahan gave humorous axine Cardwell gave her prize- winning prohibition oration. Musical Studios of Washington Positively Taught Any Person SAXOPHON E, BANJO, Trumpet, Ukulele, Ete. ni d for’ Booklet Orebest Christensen School of Popular Music I8 11th §t. N.W. - District 1278 BESSIE N. WILD WALTER T. HOL School of Mandolin, Guitar and Banjo, Hawaiian Guitar and Ukulele — 1801 Columbia Rd. N. ‘Nordies Ciubs e Col. 0946 W.,