.44 WILMETTE . LIFE December· 6, 1929 ..... ..-... ' Music · ·News and Events Scarf Is Important Item of Equipment -in Opera Production Directs Festival Smallman Choir Leads Yule Music Gives Excellent ·---------...... Performance Here ... .. .... ·. ---·- ~ ... ... .. _ ~ I "\Vhat would Milady Opera do without her scarf?, A correspondent of the music news section of a recent issue of tJ'te Christian Science Monitor asks th e question, and then points out that the scarf has played important roles ill opera. . "In all the accouterments of Opera," he says, "the doublet ami hose and medieval gowns, the swords and spears and craggy places, what plays so insinuating a part as the ~cad ? The scarf is seldom heroic. It is wholly a soft and fcm111ine thing. No uoer of noble uecds, but gentle alway:;, a melting tributary of the river_ oi ·Jl~cra_tic woes, a,.symbol of old-fash10n~d 1~I~un inity ufu·elatcd to modern rcminJsm. Graceful, Huid, it flows and sway~, a music of motion in itself." He points to Isolde's long, sh.immcring scarf, v.rhich undulates wtth ~h~ orchestra so tunidly at first, but whtch (Photo by Toloff) qmckens and is tmally flung in wide Mrs. Marian E. Cotton, supervisor Peter Christian Lutkin, dean of the stlvcr arcs across the night-blue back- of music at New Trier High scho~,J. ground. And when . the lovers are met is directing- rehear als for the annual School .of Music, Northwestern uniat la st, Isolde 's scarf falls in glisterversity, a composer himself of a numing folds, forgotten-its mom~nt ~:>ver Christmas festival to be presented bv - Its mission done. And there 1s F10ra, the glee clubs, choruses and orchestra ber of lovely Christmas carols and mounted high on a medieval para1~et, ·Jf the high school. This community motets, will lead his ·famous A Capassuining the wearisome ~uty of wavlllg program is to be presented Sunday pella choir in various programs of a scad to her departmg husband. , Christmas on the north shore and else\\'hen the tenor appears-:-in ope~~ . · ~·~.~~rnoo~, De cember 15: at. 4 o cloc~, where before and during the holidays only the tenor can win the la'dy's heart .n the h1gh school auditonum. Resithi s seaso n. Monday evening's program -the sc arf Hullers and falls, it, too, tkn ts oi the town sh ip arc invit ed t;.) which th e choir will sing under aushaving ::,erved its purpose. ~1elisandc, l his program. pices of the Evanston Art center, to 1 very creature of scarves, floats ethereto which north shore residents are inally ecstatically on wings of tulle Yitcd, will be o ne of the se occasions . thr~ugh her ccri'c melodrama of s~1a- l Tht.: eYc ning of December 15 there will dows. Mchsandc, evanescent, elusive, be another such community program !s herself a SC \'Cllfold scad of dreams. uf Christmas carol s ingi ng at the First Presbyterian church of Evanston. '~'hen thcr_ e is poor Madame Butterfly s pathetic btt of Japanese gauze, .. which ligures so tragically in the last The Chicago People's Symphony uract. Her scarf falls with Butterfly. chcstra, P. Marinus Paulsen, conduc- Mrs. Ullrich Hostess (annen 's scarf is a dashing Spanish tor, will present the third concert of its to Music Study Club shawl draped over plastic shoulders, · current season in Steven's Eighth exprcssmg with its wearer her chang- I Street theater Sunday afterndoit, DeHolding its fifth meeting of the seaing con~plexi.ty'~ l<;>ng g~mut of emo- j ~ember 15,, at 2 :4? o'clock. _So~oists will son Monday at the home of Mrs . AI · tion. ~ow 1t IS msouctant and gay, mclude Jonana Siragusa, p1amst; Anne bert H. Ullrich, 925 Lake avenue, Wilnow tense and depressed. Even Post, contralto, and ] ames Rogers mette, members of the Music Study .Micaela 's absurd little cape is almost Hansen, violinist. club enjoyed the following program: Paganint Etude Op. 5 ............. Llszt as wispy-waspy as a scarf. Tosca I The program is announced 1 as f oMiss Rose Bates wears somethmg that envelops her 111 lows : I·n nces ... .... .. .............. . .. Rameau Minuet scarf-like folds when she enters, just uvt·rtun·, "Rit:'nzi" .......... . .. Wagner Passe-tied . as Mario, her favorite tenor, finisncs l'oncer.o fur Piano and Orchestra No. 4, Minuet ·· -,;_ singing the melodious ··E lucevan .c D mi~tor, Op. 70 · · · .. · ....... Rubenstein Sarabande .\loderato assai . steUe. ·· Dinorah interlaces her· .c ele- Scher:w, Midsummernight's Dream .... Miss Mary Fabian brated dance w1th a make-believe scarf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mendelssohn Romance .. : . . ... .. : . .·. .. , ... D'Ambrosio La Gitana ... .. ..... .' ........... Kreisler of shadoY.·s. The operatic Juliet's bridal L\r·ia for Contralto and Orche~tra, Mrs. Frank Orndortf .· .My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice, veil is a scarf of gossamer. Elisabeth s · Samson and Delilah ...... Samt-Saens llallade Op. 10, No. 3 ............ Brahms Silhouettes ....................... Dvorak white headdress falls scarflike over her 'Valtz, The Beautiful Blue Danube .. Warren Waterman sorrowing shoulders. Scarves arc · · · · · · · · · · · iNTER. Missi:O'.N' · · · Strauss CapriccioMrs. .... .. ............ . .. . ... Tauslg knotted around Lakmc's dancing cos- Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Whims .. ... ... .. ... ...... . .... Schumann Mrs. Robert Grenelle tume as she sings in the Bell Song. D major, Op. 35 ........ Tschaikowsky Homing ... ....... .. ....... .... Del Rlego Allegro moderato Even "II 'I' rovatore " P1 aces a sea rf o n Conzonetta andante Trees ... . ....................... Rasbach Leonora, and its companion piece in Allegro vivacissimo Take Joy Home ......... . . . .... .. Bassett insoluble entanglements, "La Gioconda," Symphony, E Minor, Op. 95, Mrs. J. B. Spence is ,decorated w1th ·the diaphanous talis"The New World" . · · ......... Dvorak .<\lr, B-tlat ....................... Handel Scherzo, A-minor ..... . ........ .... Bach Adagio-Allegro molto man. In the very modern "Jonny Largo Miss Ethel Preston Spielt Auf," a crisp sports muffler supScherzo-molto vivace La Folia ... .......... .... .... ... Kreisler Lucille Turner plants the more wifty-wafty affair of Allegro con fuoco Rhea Shelters was the accompanist. the old regime. A more or less inMADAME ZENDT. IN RECITAL active shawl figures in Pizzctti's "Fra Marie Sidenius Zendt, widely known Sergei Grigoriev Assumes Gherardo," and l{autendenlein of "The Sunken Bell" is a translucent being soprano, who makes her home on the Russian Ballet Leadership herself, with or without the aid of north shore during the summer seaAnnouncement has been made that son, will be heard in recital Sunday tulle and chiffon. the Russian Ballet will now be under Th ~ scarf is the essence of the afternoon, December 8, in The Playoperatesque. It molds to operatic house. The program begins at 3 o'clock the leadership of Sergei Grigoriev, who emotion. It may spread itself peace- and is sponsored by Bertha Ott, Inc. for many years had been Diaghileff's stage manager. A later report in the wise, in proud and joyous mood; or hang spent, frustrated, limp in sadness. tail. Its color is often vague and un- French press states that Anna Pavlowa, It ha ~ rhythmic mobility, varied tempi, predictable, depending, as it often does, who has just returned from an Oriand its exits and entrances across the on the technique of the electricia:1. ental tour, plans to form a new comoperatic mise en scene give point with Its form is as subtle and variable, and pany in which she will absorb most of the members of the company of unobtrusive delicacy to dramatic de- as diverting, as flame. the late Diaghileff. By Rutheda L Pretzel The Winnetka Music club brou~ht a unique organization to the north shore last Monday night, in the thjrd concert of the Artist-Recital series which the club sponsors, and which took place in New Trier High school auditorium. The Smallman A Capp ella choir gave the entire p·r ogram last Monda v under the leadership of its founder, John Smallman. · A Cappella choirs are comparativ~ly rare and one is apt not to appreciate the 'remarkable quality of the Smallman group, having few groups w'ith which to compare it. It would be hard to imagine another a cappella choi'that could surpass the Smallman choirTin beauty of . tone, fluidity, and general effectiveness. Ev.ery member pays the strictest attention to the leader, and therc·fnre Mr. Smallman is able to have complete responsivene ss to every movement of his hands as he lead s. The program was a terrific one, demanding the hest Yoices and mu sical intellects. A varietv of moods during the program showed that the choir is versatile and flexible. The outstanding number was "Sing Ye to the Lord," a motet for double chorus by Jolm Sebastian Bach. Like a string orcht>stra, the choir gave it with a glorious sense of power and unity, swinging into the contrapuntal voices with fn~sh · ness and sustained strength, blending and dividing superbly, bursting into mighty harmony or carrying the lyrir with restrained delicacy. It would be impossible to commend th e choir enough for the marvelous manner in which it gave the Bach. Here was a body of singers worthy of so noble a work. There were many points of interest in the program, another high spot be!ng an encore, a Russian prayer, in 'Which the words "0 Lord, have mercy upon us" were repeated over and over, beginning with pianissimo, working up to crescendo, and then falling away into a vibrant dimenuendo. So excellently was it sung that the audjence demanded a repetition. A hymn was given . showing the full, solid tone, luscious and flowing. The organ quality was particularly noticed in a "Hosanna" encore, and in Palestrina's "Gloria in Excelsis." The voices are all perfectly matched, each artist has complete control of the breath, and each one is attending to the business of showing an ensemble of human voices to the best possible advantage. One cannot help Jistening to them with the greatest of respect and admiration. · People's Symphony Presents concert in Chicago Dec. J5 1 : · Stephen Foster Society Perpetuates Folk Songs The Stephen Foster society, named in honor of the American composer who wrote "Old Folks at Home," "Swanee River," and many other songs, has been formed recently to encourage and coordinate research, publication and performances of American folk music, announces the New York Times in last Sunday's issue. Lorraine Foster, who is related to Stephen, is the president and founder of the society. She intends to make a trip through Southern states and gather the songs of people who live there today much in the fashion they did a century ago. In honor of Mr. Foster, whose own lifelong struggle to achieve recognition had a tragic ending, the society will help talented and struggling musicians.