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WINNETKA TALK January 28, 1928 Music News and Events NEW OPERA BUILDING WILL BE "MONUMENTAL" New Structure on Wacker Drive. Also Designed to Be Profitable With opera house, theater, and all indoor facilities and conveniences pro- vided for, there will be, in the 21-story main building of the proposed new Civic Opera structure, 500,000 square feet of rentable space, it was an- 'nounced this week. The 21-story tower will provide an additional 162,000 square feet, or a total of 662,000 square feet of rentable space, with light and air on all sides and served by 26 high speed elevators: ten "local" elevators, eight "express" elevators and eight "tower" service elevators. The estimated cost of land and build- ing--officially, the Twenty, Wacker Drive Building, occupying the block bounded by Wacker Drive, Madison and Washington streets and the Chi- cago river--is upwards of $20,000,000. The financing details are not yet completed and will be announced later. Preparation of the site for the new structure will begin at once. Construc- tion will foilow immediately, and will be, of course, in respect to materials, workmanship, and all accessories, in accordance with the best architectural and engineering standards. . Tone of Soft Gray The exterior of the building will probably be faced with limestone for three stories and the remainder with brick and terra cotta. The general tone of it will be a soft gray, with conserva- tive employment of color. Architecturally, the note of opera as expressed in. the "monumental" design of the lower portion of the building, is echoed at the top, with harmonious expression of the "practical" in the in- tervening stories. The imperative reasons for combin- ing the "monumental" with the "prac- tical" in this building were indicated nearly a year ago by Samuel Insull, as president of the Chicago Civic Opera company. In his annual address to the guarantors of the Chicago Civic Opera company near the close of the 1926-27 season, he spoke of the hopes of the opera management for a new operatic home, and said: "It cannot be purely a "monumental" building. It must be commercial, and not only self-supporting but profitable. The undertaking is not worth the ef- fort, in a community where opera has to be supported by private subscrip- tion, unless we can have a building that will be profitable--a revenue-producing building that will contribute some por- tion, and eventually, we hope, the whole of the expense now borne by those who practically subscribe to our guarantee fund." Makes Financing Easier It is not to be expected that com- pletion and occupancy of the building will immediately dispense with the necessity of a guarantee fund for maintenance of the Civic Opera. But the financing of opera should be made somewhat easier when the building is finished and tenanted. Eventually, as indicated by Mr. Insull, it is believed the revenues from the building will serve, in effect, as an endowment, pro- viding a home for opera free of charge, covering the inevitable annual deficit in the operation of the operatic sea- son, and establishing a great civic Foundation with income enough to pro- mote artistic education in music and collateral features of opera. ; Development of plans for this enter prise is a story in itself. Actual work Noted Woman Pianist Next Symphony Soloist Gitta Gradova, brilliant pianist, will be the artist with the Little Symphony Orchestra of Chicago at its "concert to be given in New Trier auditorium Monday evening, February 6. Miss Gradova is a native of Chi- cago 'and has secured all her mu- sical training in this country. She is hailed by critics as one of the foremost pianists of the era. She will be remembered by north shore music lovers for her performance in Winnetka a few years ago when she dedicated the piano in the Jane Kuppenheimer Memorial hall of the Skokie school. She is the third of a group of distinguished musicians who are appearing with the orhestra in this season's programs under sponsor- ship of the New Trier Orchestral association. Miss Gradova was re-engaged this season by the New York Phil- harmonic and will also appear with the Chicago Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Philadelphia orchestra, and numerous other or- chestral bodies. Milan Lusk to Present Concerts on West Coast Milan Lusk, of Wilmette, interna- tionally known violinist, will be heard in concerts on the Pacific coast this spring, according to an announcement just made by his manager, Clarence E. Cramer. Reports show a continually greater demand for the services of this noted artist from all parts of the coun- try, the best proof of his ever-increas- ing popularity. He will give a recital in Tulsa, Okla., March 18, followed by numerous appearances before prom- inent colleges in Kansas and Colorado. On March 29, he will play a recital in Portland, Ore., on the famous Artist Series which has included this season such celebrities as Werrenrath, Ric- cardo Martin, Middleton, Homer and others. This program will go on the air through the medium of the broad- casting chain of radio stations on the Pacific coast. on it began at the drawing board back in 1925 when it became certain that the Auditorium would soon have to be abandoned. Many different sites which seemed to have possibilities were intensively stu- died. The Wacker Drive site was fin- ally chosen as one of the best and most practicable from every viewpoint. Logical Location Wacker Drive is the only thorough- fare in the city, at least the only one near the center of business and local points of transportation, that is wide enough for a "plaza" comparable with European plazas and squares. This is of great advantage in handling vehicu- lar traffic. Other transportation facili- ties are as good as, if not better than, could be found elsewhere. The site is flanked by two surface car lines, one in Washington street and the other in Madison_street and with the elevated railroad, and the Union and North- western railroad stations are just across the river. The advantages of the location in these respects will increase as the city's boulevard and street improve- ment plans are developed. (To Be Continued) Uptown Recitalist Claudia Muzio, world famous star of the Chicago Civic Opera company, will give the inaugural concert of the Uptown Civic Matinee series in the Aragon ballroom, Chicago, Sunday afternoon, January 29. The concert begins at 3 o'clock. Civic Orchestra in First Concert of Season Sunday The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, sponsored by the Civic Music Asso- ciation of Chicago in co-operation with the Orchestral association (Chi- cago), will give its first concert of the current season in Orchestra hall Sun- day afternoon, January 29, at 3:30 o'clock. Mrs. Dennis Gent will be the soloist. Frederick Stock is the musical di- rector of the orchestra, and Eric DelaMarter, assistant conductor. The program this Sunday will be as follows : Program (Subject to change) Overture, "Phedre" ............ Massenet Symphony,. DMinor. .......v-. Franck Lento--Allegro non troppo Allegretto Allegro non troppo Intermission Aria--"Amour, viens aider" ("Samson et Dalila") ee Ae he Saint-Saens Scherzo, from Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Opus. 61 sian finite Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Songs: "Le Temps de Lilac" ..Chausson "Dansons le Gigue" ........ Tzulc "The Look" "May Day Carol" SEL, Arr. by Deems Taylor Tone Poem, "Finlandia," Opus 26, No. 7.. SSRITR SIGS Sen A on 1 BS GRE € Sibelius Muenzer Trio to Give Chamber Concert Sunday The Muenzer Trio will give the next of its series of Chamber Music concerts in the Kenilworth Assembly hall Sunday afternoon, January 29, at 4 o'clock. The concert is given under auspices of the North Shore Chamber Music association. The program will be comprised of the following num- bers: Trio; iNo.11,:0p, = 5. . aise. Beethoven Fantasie Ireland Brahms RAVEL WINS OVATION IN VISIT TO CHICAGO Distinguished French Composer Accorded Enthusiastic Recep- tion by Music Lovers by R. L. P. The distinguished French composer, Maurice Ravel, in his first tour of America, received an ovation last week in Orchestra hall, Chicago, where he was guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony orchestra, in the absence of Frederick Stock, who went to Philadelphia. It was quite appar- ent, however, that M. Ravel won the tremendous applause he received be- cause he is one of the greatest living composers, and not because of his temporary conducting job, which was far from being spectacular. Four of his own compositions were played, "Le Tombeau de Couperin"; orchestral fragments from "Daphnis et Chloe"; three poems for voice and orchestra from "Sheherazade," which were sung by Lisa Roma; and the Choreographic poem, "The Waltz." His arrangement of Debussy's "Sara- bande and Dance" was also pro- grammed. Has Great Poise M. Ravel is a slight man of about medium height, with a finely chiseled face, grey hair, and he seemed to be entirely at ease, acknowledging the tribute paid him with a genial smile. If he is aloof and unapproachable, as we have been told, he successfully made us unaware of it. The man is decidedly a personality. M. Ravel was born in Cibourne, France, in 1875. He received his training in music at the Paris Con- servatoire, which he entered when about fifteen years of age as a mem- ber of Anthiome's preparatory piano class. A year or two later he entered the piano class directed by Charles de Beriot, studying with him for four years. In harmony he was a pupil of Hector Pessard, Andre Gedalge and later of Faure. He probably absorbed much of his ironical humor and spirit of non-conformity from Chabrier and Eric Satie, with whom he became ac- quainted while at the Conservatoire. Many Notable Works His Rhapsodie Espagnole received its first Chicago performance in 1909. Among his other works performed here are his "Mother Goose" pieces; Valses Nobles et Sentimentales; Al- bharado del Gracioso : Introduction and Allegro fore harp, string orchestra, flute and clarinet, and Tzigane, for violin and orchestra. A number of his delightful piano compositions are already known to the pubic. Evanston Leader Heads Matinee Ticket Sales Much of the phenomenal success of the Uptown Civic matinee seat sales may be attributed to Mrs. J. E. Lukey, 2207 Sherman avenue, Evanston. She has entire charge of the seat sales for the Women's division. ARTIST-RECITAL SOLOIST Giovanni Martinelli, famous tenor of the Metropolitan and Ravinia Opera companies, will present the concert at the next Artist-Recital to be given under auspices of the Win- netka Music club. This concert is scheduled for Wednesday evening, March 7, and will be given in the New Trier auditorium.