Staccato

Soprano Ada Sari, famed in Europe, made her U. S. debut in a Manhattan concert last week, won a considerable ovation for an undistinguished performance.

From Europe came Oscar Fried, German conductor, to give two performances as guest with the New York Symphony. Said he of Stravinsky's OEdipus Rex: "The most significant and important composition of recent years." (See col. 2.)

The Columbia Phonograph Company offered a reward. As sponsor of the Schubert Centennial it wants returned Schubert's Gastein Symphony, written by him during a visit to Gastein, Austria, in 1826, given for safe-keeping that same year to the Society of the Friends of Music of Vienna and lost. The reward: $1,000.

Over the radio the National Broadcasting Company honored Franz Drdla, composer of such lush violin music as Souvenir, Serenade, Vision, Madrigal. Drdla is 60 now, eking out a meager living in Vienna by making tenpenny tunes.

In the U. S. appreciation of opera (both aesthetic and financial) is often regarded as the prerogative of the largest cities--of Manhattan and Chicago, particularly. Last week San Antonio, Tex., had a turn, received the Chicago Civic Company with two capacity houses on the same day, paid some $50,000 for the privilege, $5,000 of which, as clear profit, was returned to the guarantors.

Conductor-Prince Joachim Albrecht of Prussia, second cousin of Wilhelm, thwarted in his eager attempts to perform for charity (TIME, March 12), turned professional last week. On the scheme of following the Romans while in Rome, he announced that he would conduct now only for a fee and one comparable to that received by Arturo Toscanini (i. e., approximately $2,500 a concert). His services are to be on the market in Manhattan for eight days at which time he will start on a sightseeing tour--to Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, perhaps Canada.