In Washington

Since the War, Ignace Jan Paderewski had consistently refused to play the piano at Washington, D. C., and had approached (professionally) no nearer the Capital than Hagerstown, Md. (TIME, Nov. 30). A most sensitive individual, M. Paderewski was revolted by the thought of charming dollars out of the pockets of statesmen whom he had known officially during his historic term as Prime Minister of Poland. Thus when Mrs. Coolidge entered her box at Poli's Theatre with Mmes. Dawes, Hoover, Longworth and Mr. John Coolidge, it was to hear him play for charity (American Legion Endowment Fund for Disabled Soldiers). Mrs. Dwight F. Davis had gone South, but gave her box to Princess Bibesco and Mmes. David A. Reed, Truxton Beale, Frederick Keep. All boxes, all seats were filled. And the fingers of the master wrought valiantly. Mme. Paderewski, ex-Commander Drain and Assistant Secretary of War MacNider assisted, later, at the camera.

Samaroff

It was an unusual newspaper story. Under the usual headlines it began abruptly:

"The New York Evening Post has pleasure today in announcing the engagement of Mme. Olga Samaroff as its music critic.

"Mme. Samaroff's connection with the Post, which begins next Friday, Jan. 1, is a departure in American journalism.

"It is the first time in the history of musical criticism in the United States that a concert artist of Mme. Samaroff's rank and distinction has undertaken such work. As a rule, a successful concert career precludes the possibility of such an undertaking; and but for an accident Mme. Samaroff's many concert engagements would have taken her as far as the Pacific Coast during the next few months."

To have been the wife of Leopold Stokowski* from 1911 to 1923 would have filled life with sufficient eventfulness for most mortals, for few men have been more lionized than the peerless conductor of Philadelphia's orchestra. But for Mme. Samaroff, the shock of exciting events began before her birth. A dozen European races mingled to produce her, and she was born in San Antonio, Tex. Thence her path has been paved with incidents, even to the prospect of pronouncing upon her divorced husband's orchestral reading as he leads an orchestra to which her present employer, Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis, and his son-in-law, Edward W. Bok, have been the chief lay contributors.

But incident in the life of this lady of acknowledged charm has on many an occasion risen to the rank of highest artistic achievement. In 1921, for example, she played all of Beethoven's 32 sonatas in a series of eight concerts, a feat which she alone of women has performed. As an artist she had perfect training, having studied under Jedliczka, Reimann, Boise; at her debut in 1905 all the critics guessed safely with the Boston Herald: "Here is a woman with emotions and with a soul ... a brilliant future"; as a performer she has never had the ecstatic devotion of multitudes, but has always found amply appreciative audiences in half the cities of the U. S. And, without doubt, she is intellectually the peer of any virtuoso.

The accident resulting in Mme. Samaroff's new engagement was a fall which tore a ligament in her left shoulder. A long series of concert engagements, including a White House musicale on Feb. 4, was canceled.

In Chicago

One act and two acts make three acts. Last week the world premiere of A Light from St. Agnes (one act) and the 1001st performance of Il Pagliacci (two acts) added up to an afternoon of melodramatic opera which has rarely been equaled.

Arias, songs, melodies, tunes were not to be found in this world premiere; they belong to the age of Caruso. To II Pagliacci were left the Lombardy folk-dances of simple peasants and villagers; A Light from St. Agnes offered a bunnyhug done by small town riff raff.

The libretto for A Light from St. Agnes was taken from a play written and acted by Minnie Maddern Fiske. The theatrical lady placed the scene near her birthplace, in a tough Louisiana town. Toinette (heroine) is the unsavory mistress of Michel, drunken leader of drunks. The curtain rises upon a chapel lit by a rose window and the interior of a hovel. Within the chapel rests the body of Agnes Devereaux, saintly lady. The village priest tells Toinette that Agnes Devereaux has made her the especial object of her benevolence, and Toinette is about to soften into sullen goodness when Michel enters. This brutal lover suggests stealing the cross from dead Agnes' breast. To prevent such blasphemy, Toinette rings the convent bell. Michel stops her and she cries out, "I'm done for." Contrast this with the ending of Il Pagliacci, "La comedia e finita!"

Using two saxophones in the orchestration, developing at times a rhythm "allegro a la fox trot," the composer, W. Franke Harling, has created an English opera of powerful originality. The matter is unpleasant, but the art, the intriguing harmonies, are often sublime. Certainly he has created dinner-talk for a season.

Rosa Raisa, whose majestic height has never been more beautiful than this winter, sang Toinette. It was a vulgar part, but Raisa was severely criticized for making it unnecessarily revolting. She seemed to lose the sympathy of her audience--for her, a new sensation.

At the end of the performance there was an historic riot. Composer Harling was mobbed in the lobby. Journalists asserted that at least 200 men kissed and hugged him--for him, ex-director of music at West Point, a new sensation.

*Also named Anton Stanislaw.