Page 41 - To Dragma October 1929

OCTOBER, 1929 39

mammoth stage and sing in the most unusual harmonies ever produced.
Yet, when I think of the "Ring," I am tempted to give "Die Meister-
singers" a back seat. The opening scene of the "Ring" with its beautiful
maidens swimming about in the bottom of the Rhine, and the fire scene
in the "Valkyrie" and the "cry" thrill me at their thoughts. Wagner
wanted his music and story to be so closely interwoven that one could not
be complete without the other. To produce this effect, he adopted the
method of using motives to announce what was to happen on the stage. I t
is perfectly magnificent the way he weaves these together to make thrilling
harmonies.

Mozart, now, really cannot be compared with Wagner because they
wrote in entirely different style. We could not have had Wagner, though,
if Mozart had not produced his—so on goes the cycle. "Don Giovanni"
tonight was delightful, light and airy with only a tinge of sadness at its
end. The music kept up the spirit of the story quite as successfully as
in Wagner. I did not know until today that the Munich opera is the
stepping stone of singers to the Metropolitan. Singers have been known
to pay dearly for the privilege of singing here for their reputation's sake.
Thus, the artists we have heard have been the best of Europe with an oc-
casional one from Chicago and Metropolitan. We fell in love with Ohms.
She will be in the Metropolitan next winter. I am very anxious to know
how America will accept her. However, being accepted here is almost
the same because the entire audience seems foreign—almost similar to
the American Express office!

Of course, because I am here studying music, I am chattering un-
mercifully about that alone. The art teacher side crops out quite fre-
quently, however. Especially did it in the "Old Pinokothek," where one
sees the marvelous collection of Rubens, and in the "Glass Palast," the
review of modern German art. The latter contains some very remarkable
things and makes one continuously conscious of the new trend of things
in art as well as in all else.

We have been very much impressed with the kindness of the German
people. They are most kind and thoughtful in most instances. We are
extremely lucky to have in our Pension, a bath tub—and access to this at
any time. That is a real thrill to a traveler in these countries. Of course
now in the States, we would laugh at the idea. I ' l l admit that the German
men are not at all times courteous. Maybe we expect too much because
our American men have spoiled us. Nevertheless it will be one big
American thrill to get back to a land where a man will allow me to pro-
ceed him into a door, not attempt to run me down on a bicycle, and last,
but not least, tip his hat when he addresses me.

I am sorry to have missed our Convention. I was in New York just
a few days previous to the meeting days and was not able to plan to
take in both festivities. I know you all had a glorious time and have a
heart full of dear A O n spirit and love to carry back to us unfortunate
sisters who could not go.

_ Speaking of things I will be glad to do in the States, I would give a
stein of Munich's best beer for a toasted cheese sandwich and a cheery
"Coke."