Evening Star Newspaper, November 14, 1936, Page 12

_ these is “Thais.” COMING EVENTS IN THE CONCERT FIELD ARE ; THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1936. Great Artists Engaged For Townsend Series 'Capital Musicales for This Season to Be Given on Mondays, With Imposing Array of Talent From Various Fields. By Alice Eversman. Mrs. Lawrence Townsend's morning musicales at the May~ er Hotel begin, the latter part of December, Washington will e the oppertunity to hear several famous artists for the first time. to Mrs. Townsend, for her courage in The local music public has a long-standing indebtedness presenting newcomers in the artistic field, and her good judgment has been verified by their subsequent world~ wide fame. nized in their own countries as artists of the first water, would not have found it so easy to duplicate their European successes in America if Mrs. Townsend had not understood the wvalue of their talents and opened the door to American careers by including them in her series. For many years these interesting and colorful recitals have been given on Wednesday mornings, but because of the fact that the inauguration will be on Wednesday, January 20, and that other Wednesdays of this month | are not available at the hotel, the | day has been changed to Monday. The series will begin on Monday, December 28, and continue for seven weeks, when each program will be given by two world-famous artists. * "The hour of 11:15 in the morning does not conflict with the other concert series in the city. TA'T the first concert, two singers, Enid Szantho, contralto of the Budapest and Vienna operas, and John Charles Thomas, well-known baritone who was urged to go to Europe for a career by Mrs. Town- send, will be heard. Mme. Szantho was heard here privately last Winter, but her appearance in December will eonstitute her public debut in Wash- ington. The young contralto came to America last season for the first time, Lo sing once with the New York Phil- harmonic Orchestra. So instan- taneous was her success that she re- eeived many demands for concert and radio dates, and consequently ex- tended her original one-week visit to four months. George Enesco, violinist, composer, pianist and conductor, whose Wash- ington debut was made under Mrs. Townsend’s auspices in 1023, is scheduled to appear on January 4| with Felix Salmund, cellist. Each artist will give solos on their respec- tive instruments—the violin and cello —after which Mr. Enesco will accom- pany Mr. Salmund on the piano in the | first performance in America of his| gonata for cello and piano, written | * pspecially for Mr. Salmund. ‘Two young singers from the Metro- politan, Hilda Burke, soprano, and Charles Kullman, tenor, will be pre- sented on January 11, in solos and duets from operas in which they sung | together last Winter at the opera in New York. TH!B winter will be the third time V% that the lovely operatic soprano, Helen Jepson, will be heard at these musicales when, on January 18, she will give the program with the Metro- politan bass-baritone, Ezio Pinza. Migs Jepson, whose - beautiful voice Beought her quick fame, is not content with this success. She has been studying constantly to perfect herself under the guidance of Mary Garden, whose equal has never been found in the portrayal of certain roles. Among Miss Jepson has studied the role with Miss Garden, and sang it in Chicago with such -gremendous success that a repeti- Many MUSICIANS TECORs @y —— tion was demanded. The program will end with & duet from “Don Giovanni,” the opera in which Mr. Pinzo gained his greatest fame. On January - 25, one of those astonishing young artists that Mrs. Townsend has been so skillful in bringing forward, will make her ‘Washington debut at the same concert that will introduce Rudolph Serkin, the amazing pianist whom Toscanini brought to America, to the local | sudience. Ginette Neveu, 16-year-old French violinist, won the International Violin Contest in Warsaw in 1935 over 209 competitors. A Scandie navian tour last February brought her eulogies from the press. Mr. Serkin broadcast with the Philhar« monic Orchestra on February 23 last, and immediately requests to hear him in concert poured in from all over the country. His appearance here will be part of & coast-to-coast tour. THE next concert, on February 1, will bring two of the really great singers of the day, Gertrude Wetter~ gren, Bwedish mezzosoprano, and the Danish tenor, Lauritz Melchior, both of the Metropolitan Opera. Mme. Wettergren was introduced to the Metropolitan by Kirsten Plagstad, with whom she has sung many times in opera in Norway and Sweden. Her singing of the role of Brangane in “Tristan and Isolde” is known over the world and, in addition to her success in this role in New York last Winter, she caused a veritable sen- sation with her portrayal of “Carmen,” following close upon the appearance of Rosa Ponselle in the same part. Mr. Melchior, who is now consid- ered the world’s greatest Tristan, sang his one hundredth performance | of that role last Winter at the Met- ropolitan. 1t is not easy to persuade this great artist to leave his New York public for concert appearances, as his work at the opera makes heavy demands on him, but Mrs. Townsend has finally obtained his consent to a Washington debut at her Monday musicales. The final program, on February 8, will be given by Lotte Lehmann, the lovely German lieder singer, and Cas- par Cassado, the Spanish cellist and composer. This is Mme. Lehmann’s fourth engagement with Mrs. Town= send, and it will be her second ap- pearance in Washington this season, 8s she will also sing with the Na- tional Symphony on December 16. Mr. Cassado is the favorite pupil of Pablo Casals, who has long reigned supreme as the greatest of cellists, Mr. Cassado has also won outstand- ing recognition as a composer, as well 85 being considered the logical suc- cessor of Casals in the cello field. In the more intimate surroundings of the Mayflower ball room these re- nowned artists will bring their spe- cialized gifts in programs of extraor- dinary interest and merit. With such 2 list of famous names, the musical season will be rounded out to the gratification of those who long for the National Capital to set a standard. In Local Music Circles ULIUS EICHBERG, composer of . the first American light opera, and such writers of musical comedy as De Koven, Herbert, Julian Edwards, Jerome Kern and . Bigmund Romberg will be discussed at Dr. Barnes' seventh lecture-recital 1n the “Milestones in American Music” series at the Women's City Club Fri- day at § pm. The Howard Women's Club of this ecity will present Todd Dun- can, “The Magnificent Porgy,” in recital Tuesday at the Armstrong - JHigh School. Jack Minovich, violinist: Alfred Yurdin, pianist, and Anthony Bove, harpist, will give & program tomorrow evening at 9:30 o'clock at the Roose- yelt Hotel. 1In observance of the 150th anniver- sary of the birth of Carl Maria von ‘Weber, Anita Schade will give a talk at the music hour of the Y. W. C. A, corner Seventeenth and K streets morthwest, tomorrow at 5 p.m. Assist- ing artists will be Mme, Louise Cou- tinho, pianist, and Dorothy Sherman Pierson, soprano, accompanied by Mar- Jjorie Gilreath. The public is cordially invited. The fitth in & series of lecture re- eitals on various subjects being given st Trinity College this season will be presented next Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock by the Evelyn Davis Concert Group of Dancers. Bdwin Hughes, New York pianist, “will give the second of his series of Jectures on “The Technique of Inter- pretation at the Piano” on Monday " evening at the Washington College of Musie. The monthly meeting of the Piano morning at 10:45 o'clock. Betty Baum, planist, will be the special guest. Se- Jecting officers for the coming ‘was postponed last month and will take place at this meeting. The pub- Lo is invited. A concert will be given by the mem- Bers of the Chevy Chase Baptist Church choirs, under the direction of Thomas N. Leef, Monday at 8:30 " pm. at the Chevy Chase Baptist the Winter by its organist, Lewis Corning Atwater. The public is cor- dially invited. The first recital to- morrow afternoon will be in appre- ciation of Mrs. Bernard R. Green, through whom the fine Skinner organ of the church was given. Robert Frederick Freund presented Beatrice Holland, contralto, assisted by Myrtle Alcorn, pianisé, in recital Sunday afternoon, November 8, &t his studio on Sixteenth street. Mrs. Holland was accompanied by Edns Lee Freund. Katherine Butler, 13-year-old pi- anist, will be presented in recital to- morrow afternoon by Robert Ruck- man at his studios, 1230 Sixteenth street. The program will include com- positions of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Newland. The Cantata Choir of Concordia Church, Twentieth and G streets northwest, will sing “Sleepers, Wake,” by Bach, tomorrow evening at 8 p.m. ‘The soloists are Cathreen Carrico, s0- prano; Howard Bursley, tenor, and Howard Samsel, bass. Donald Thomas, accompanied by Martha 'Quinny, sang at the an- nusl meeting for the election of of- ficers of the Chiropractors’ Associa- tion of Washington at the Thomas Circle Club Tuesday evening and at the banquet celebrating the twenty- eighth anniversary of the founding of the local chapter of the Woodmen of the World on Priday evening, ac- companied by John Donald. Mary Russell Williams of Arling- ton, Va., sang the role of Gilda when the opera department of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester presented scenes from Ver- di's “Rigoletto” on the evenings of November 9 and 10. CAROW, PIANIST, ON LOCAL PROGRAM Gm CAROW, the young Washing- ton pianist, who kept Fritz Kreis- ler's walting audience in their Consti- tution Hall seats not so long ago, will Pianists and Singer, Soloists of the' Week Symphony Today Gives Noted Work Chilean Pianist Who Won Popularity Here to Return. WITH the assistance of Blance . Renard, Chilean pianist, as so- loist, Hans Kindler and the National Symphony Orchestra Sunday bring ‘Washington & first performance of & notible work by Richard Strauss— his “Burleske,” for piano and orches- tra. The concert, which is at 4 p.m. in Constitution Hall, will be given en- tirely to the works of this living mas- ter of music and of Richard Wagner. Tomorrow's appearance will be Mme. Renard’s second with the Na- tional Symphony Orchestra—a return engagement, which speaks for the suc- cess of her debut here two years ago. She is a celebrated artist from Chile, who has concertized throughout her native country and South America, as well as in the United States. The program will be played as fol- lows: “Tod and Verklarung” (“Death and Trans- “Buticske” tor plano and orchestra ce Erocession of omage to Hans “Die Walkure' Prom, DI rrom Finan snd foeide Vorspiel and Liebestod. Under Dr. Kindler's baton the or- chestra opened its out of town season with & concert Tuesday night in Bal timore, The Symphony played s program, festuring the Brahms “Symphony No. 4,” before s large au- Lyric Theater. The or- chestra has season to seven concerts this year, and st the next concert, November 34, Jascha Heifets, violinist, will be sololst. The orchestrs leaves the Capital again next week, this time for 8 concert vawuwm Maryland QUARTET PROGRAM IS ALL-BEETHOVEN & meeting st the residence of of| AT Mrs, Joueit Shouse in George- conductor, delssohn’s “Concertodn G Minor” for ;| piano and orchestra, as well as Schu- .. Philip Baxter and W. C. Fielder, ten- " ors; Adon Phillips and Thomas N, ' nounees its annual series of half-hour bert’s ‘Unfinished Symphony.” Other * organ recitals, to be given on Sundsy | mark. afternoons st 8 o'clock throughout ‘ u town the Washington Chamber Music Society announced its Winter program for the fourth series of candle-light concerts, which will be given at the Phillips Memorial Gallery. The first concert, on Monday, No- Martini-Jepson Recital Offers Operatic Gems the concert stage, radio and the screen, whose latest cinema production, Nmo MARTINI, brilliant young Italian tenor of the Metropolitan Opera, “The Gay Desperado,” recently became current on local screens, will | make his first and only personal appearance of the season in Wash- ington at Constitution Hall Sunday afternoon, November 22, at 4 o'clock in joint recital with Helen Jepson, Metropolitan Opera soprano and herself a luminary of the concert stage and radio. ‘The joint recital will mark the open- ing attraction of the second Sunday afternoon concert series presented by Dorothy Hodgkin Dorsey. A superbly operatic program has been selected for the first local ap- pearance together of the two artists. Miss Jepson will sing a song called “A Valentine,” based on a poem by Elissa Landi, the screen star, with music bj Abram Chasins, which the has dedicated to Miss Jepson and which she is singing next Sunday for the first time. R. MARTINT will open the pro- gram with three Italian songs— “Tre Giorni Son Che Nins” (Pergo- lesi), “Gis il Sole del Gange” (Scar- the “Gavotte,” “Radamisto,” 3 an old English song. “Manon,” and Vocal Group To Present Folk Songs Classical Music Also to Be Offered by Kedroff Quartet. the Kedroff Quartet comes to Washington Tuesday, November 24, the singers will present fine clas- sical compositions by Sokoloff, Tschal~ kowsky snd Tcherepnin, Cui and Rubinstein—of their own composers; Mozart, Abt and Johann Strauss, and alsp will feature a group of typical sirs from various Russian provinces, all harmonized by N. Kedroff, director of the quartet. In this group of folk melodies are included such varied themes as “Wed- ding Song,” from the Province of Arkhangelsk; “The Merry Bear,” from the Province of Tvor; “The Bells of Novgorod,” from the Province of ‘!lmotod. and “About Mosquitoes,” Martini will sing the “E Lucevan e Stelle” aria, from “Tosca,” while Miss Jepson will sing the “Un Bel di Ved- remo” aria from “Mme. Butterfly.” The “Traviata” duet will close the first part of the program. After intermission, Mr. Martini will offer & group of four numbers: “The Spirit Flower” (Campbell-Topton); “London Bridge” (Buzzi- Peccia); “Bolero” (M. Grever), and “Il Neige” (Bemberg). Miss Jepson's next group will include the Chasins - Landi “Valentine,” Leo Blech’s “Return From the Banquet,” Lazare Saminsky's “Lullaby” and “The Very Vivid Morn™ from “Caponsacchi” (Richard Hage- man). The duet from “La Boheme™ will close the second part of the program. Arpad Sandor will accompany Miss Jepson while Miguel Sandoval will be at the piano for Mr. Martinl. Art of Viola Is Feature In Program Mme. Maruchess to Appear Here as Interpreter. A!-Ix YOUNG MARUCHESS, fore- most viola and viola d'amore of numbers for viols d’amore. Mme. Maruchess is Dot & stranger to Washiogton, having appeared with the Priends of Music, the Coolidge Festival, the Friday Music Club at Mrs. William Holden, pianist, at upper left, will give the first concert of the Washington College of Music faculty series Wednesday evening, at the college. Below is Helen Jep- son, the charming soprano of the Metropolitan Opera, ap- pearing in_ recital with Nino Martini, Sunday, November 22, at Constitution Hall. At right are Bianca Renard, Chilean pianist, the soloist with the National Symphony ©rchestra tomorrow after- noon, at Constitution Hall, and Glenn Carow, the young pianist of the Kreisler concert Jame, who will play with the Department of Agriculture Orchestra in the Federal Au- ditorium Tuesday evening. WOMAN COMPOSER SUBJECT AT CLUB “ AN EVENING WITH THE AMER- | ICAN WOMAN COMPOSER" Women's City Club, Wednesday eve- ning at 8:45. Mary Howe will play her own compositoins, some of which will be interpreted by Evelyn Davis, danseuse, and Norman Simonson, Ione Hoffman and Elizabeth Gailbraith, singers. Other composers who will play their own works are Dorothy Radde Emery, assisted by Mrs. Joseph Robichaux, singer, and Ida Hoyt Chamberlin, who will be heard in some of her Chinese compositions. Complimentary tickets | may be obtained at the club. MR. HOLDEN PLAYS IN FACULTY SERIES WlI.LIAll HOLDEN, pianist, will play the first in the season's faculty concerts at the Washington College of Music Wednesday eve- ning at 8:45 o'clock. Mr. Holden has programmed the “Tocata in D Major,” by Bach; the “A Major Sonata,” by Schubert; a Chopin group containing the “B Minor Scherzo,” the “F Major Im- promptu” and the “E Minor Noc- turne,” closing with works by Debussy, Poulenc , and the “Suggestion Dia- bolique,” by Prokofieff. PIANO SELECTIONS . BY MISS McGRAW Hm McGRAW, who will give & piano recital at the Willard Ho- tel Wednesday evening, will play the same program that she will use for her New York recital in December, as follows: “Prelude -nl}r}mr. Fat Minor | Bact apsodie. 8t 4 r “Sonsts. A Il#.‘& 1 ‘Beathoves LT I—— ree prels 7, “Ce qu'a, vu le ! de Number~ Four” e | will be presented by Dr. Barnes at the | | | did employ a solo instrym Tomorrow’s Program Of National Symphony Strauss and Wagner Masterpieces Are to Be Interpreted, With Miss Blanca Renard as Piano Soloist. By Hans Kindler, Conductor. ICHARD STRAUSS is the logical successor of the Wagner-Lisst- Berlios new tradition in music, middle of the nineteenth cent! & tradition which evolved during the ury as the consequence of a decided break with the musical tendency then prevalent and represented by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and the entire so-called Leipzig School. resulted in the most venomous antagonism, not so much on be heinously at fauit! The | protagonists of the Schumann-Men- | delssohn-Brahms faction called their | idols’ music “pure music.” This meant originally music without a literary connection, such as ths Liszt | symphonic poems (with an underly- ing poetic idea), the Berlioz Sym- phones (with a so-called “idee-fixe”) and the Wagner music dramas had. But eventually “pure music” became in the minds of many the opposite of “impure music,” if only by impli- cation, through a kind of musical whispering campaign. However, in the end, both factions found that talent was not to be controlled by either arguments, gossip, calumny, personal enmity, or even critical con- demnation. 'TRAUSS, starting as a “Brahmsi- aner,” already at a comparatively early age broke away and became & “Zukunftsmusiker” (musician of the future), following in the paths which Liszt had opened up. It was at a psychological moment, when the Brahms followers had announced that | the music of the future was on its| 1ast legs, that “Don Juan” “Tod und | Verklarung” and “Till Eulenspiegel” appeared as very living proof to the contrary. Music full of vitality and | ideas. Prom the point of view of melody and harmony a decided and | fresh inspiration was, together with a superb—yes, sumptuous—instrumenta- tion, Strauss’ great contribution to | the music of the late nineteenth and i early twentieth centuries. | Of the three works which I have | mentioned above, “Tod und Verkla- rung” is in a way the most poetic. It describes vividly in tones the suffering | and struggle of a dying man who | achieves victory in death when the| soul becomes liperated from the body. | It is based on a poem by Alexander Ritter. 1t seems strange to us now, when | we consider this music of a contem- porary composer as comparatively | simple, that it should have created the turmoil which was its share at| the first hearings. Today we have accepted the work not only as one of Strauss’ finest, but also as one of the master creations of all musical literature. | A RARELY played work by Strauss, { and one which, as far as I can find out, has not had a performance in its original version in Washington, is the “Burlesque” for piano and or- | chestra. | The role of a solo instrument found | its apogee in the concerto form in works by Liszt, Tschaikowsky, Saint- | Saens, etc., where the performer could | give free rein to his fantasy as well | | as to his technique. Later on, Brahms created a different medium for a so- loist; one might say, a more musical one, inasmuch as then a solo part became more closely allied to the orchestral background, which in the works by the previous masters had remained of less importance. In the| Brahms works the orchestra occa- | sionally has even more to say than the solo instrument, with the result | that they are sometimes. and rightly, | regarded as symphonies. However, | with these two versions of the solo role, the medium of the concerted per- former had become nearly complete. The only other way still possible was for the performer to become a sub-| ordinate part of the creation, and this is what Strauss and, later on, other composers have done whenever they ent. I need but remind of the cello roles in Strauss’ “Don Quixote” and Bloch’s “Schelomo,” and the piano part in “Nights in & Garden” by de Falla (to name but a few), in all of which the | solo instrument is more like a strain | in a tapestry and fulfills a so-called | obbligato role. | The “Burlesque” by Strauss reminds | one nearly of chamber music in its closely-knit interweaving of all the different instruments, including the | tympani. This undoubtedly is one of the reasons why the work has not become more prominently known. It also has much of the spirit of | the symphonic poem “Till Eulenspie- gel,” in its humor and nearly Flemish quality of vigor and peasant virility, and is very difficult from a technical point of view. Naturally the virtu- oso performer prefers to shine in a work in which he is the “whole show,” which is “more grateful” from the ordinary point of view. All the more credit to Miss Renard for taking a part in the “Burlesque,” and thereby acquainting the Washington public with a rarely heard work. OP WAGNER we will play the so- called “Finale” of the “Meister- sipger.” consisting of the introduction to the third act and the “Dance of the Apprentices,” which leads into the “Bntrance of the Mastersingers” themselves, and the final apotheosis, the “Homage” to Hans Sachs, which is the very last part of this perennially young work. Then he will play the “Love Song,” which Siegmund sings to Sieglinde in the first act of “Walkure,” music full of the spirit of tenderness and youth and Springtime enchantment and “Prelude and Love Death” of “Tristan and Isolde.” ‘Wagner himself wrote to Mathilde ‘Weszendonck, the woman who was his — Concert Schedule ‘Tomorrow. National Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Hans Kindler, conductor; so- loist, Bianca Renard, pianist, Constitution Hall, 4 p.m. Jack Minovich, violinist; Alfred Yurdin, pianist; Anthony Bove, harpist. Roosevelt Hotel, 9:30 p.m. Katherine Butler, piano recital, 1230 Sixteenth street northwest. Monday. Lecture, “Technique of Inter- pretation at the Piano,” Edwin Hughes, Washington College of Music. Marine Band and Symphony Orchestra, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Department of Agriculture Or- chestra, Dr. Walter Bauer, con- ductor, soloist; Glenn Carow, pianist. Federal Auditorium, 8:30 pm. ‘Todd Duncan, vocal recital. Armstrong High School, 8:15 p.m. Marine Band and Symphony Orchestra. Shut-Ins Dream Hour, 3 pm. Soldiers’ Home Band Orchestra. 5:30 pm. ‘Wednesday. William Holden, piano recital, Washington College of Music, 8:45 pm. Helen McGraw, piano recital, Willard Hotel. Marine Band and Symphony Orchestra, Marine Barracks, § pm. Lecture, “Evening With the American Woman Composer,” Dr. Barnes, assisted by Mary Howe. Dorothy Radde Emery, Ida Hoyt Chamberlin, composers. Women's City Club, 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Lecture, “Form in Music,” Rob- ert Barrow, 1230 Sixteenth street northwest. Soldiers’ Home Band Orchestra, 5:30 p.m. Friday. Lecture, “Milestones in Amer- jcan Music,” Dr. Edwin Barnes. Women's City Club, § pm. Saturday. Soldiers’ Home Band Orchestra, 5:30 pm. scendent consummation of their pas~ sionate desire, eternal union in une measured realms, nor bound nor bar- rier, indivisible!” Later he wrote again, and with the disarming candor of genius: “Tristan is and remains a marvel to me. I am more and more unable to understand how I could pro- duce such a work.” We who are privileged to study and interpret and hear this marvelous music can but echo that the mystery is still unsolved. Scholarship Offered. LENA DE SAYN, violinist and au- thorized exponent of Leopold Auer and Otakar Scvcik art of violin playing, recently heard in a violin recital in Washington. is giving two part-scholarships to advanced students who wish to pursue music as & pro- fession, and also offers & one-part scholarship to a beginner. Miss de Sayn is originator of a system of teaching. adapted at the Sister’s College of the Catholic Uni= versity of America. Those interested in the part-scholar- ships offered are requested to apply for an audition in writing to Miss de Sayn, 1026 Fifteenth street. - g Lecture by Mr. Barrow. OBERT BARROW, organist and choirmaster of Washington Ca- thedral, will present his second lecture on “Porm in Music” Thursday eve- ning. The sonata form will be dise cussed. For illustrative purposes Rob- ert Ruckman will play movements | from three Beethoven sonatas. Ade mission will be by card only, obtain able at the studios, 1230 Sixteenth street northwest. Pianists’ Club Recesses. 1DR. KATHARINE McREYNOLDS | MORRISON, founder and di« | rector of the Washington Pianists' Club, announces a recess for the cure | rent season to all connected with this | organization, whose object is the en- couragement of advanced piano study. The club's festivals of pianoforte music for the past 13 years, with audiences of more than 1,000 at each | of the four evenings of these occa- sions in recent years, are recognized | as a valuable educational feature in the community’s musical life. Violinist Receives Award. NEZ LAURITANO, brilliant violine 1st, who made her Washington vanni . Martinelli, according to ane nouncement from Beren-Brook Artists, has just beenr awarded a second recital by the Board of Directors of the Naumburg Poundation. This re cital will take place in Chicago and marks the first time in the history of this great foundation that the same artist has been awarded two recitals. Miss Lauritano was awarded a Town Hall recital in New York by the Naumburg in 1932. Warren F. Johnson, Organist Church of the Pilgrims 10 Movt o Oreen 5 z o Seniveun . ¥ | RN LS - - SR T - I DAPAE & SN"p | S THa JEW Y T f Grand Opera Dramatic Tenor Voice Specialist . Italian Method Bchool of bel canto. Dist. 1403 732 11th St. N. - concert debut last month with Gio- * ANNOUNCED*