Herewith is information for musically-minded persons planning a summer in Europe—some places and dates worth considering:
England.
London, where from April 28 to July 4 opera will be given at Covent Garden. Soprano Rosa Ponselle and Tenor Beniamino Gigli are among the artists engaged.
Oxford, where special programs will be given from May 4 to 10.
Germany.
Berlin. Special operas, concerts and dramas from May 25 to June 16. The New York Philharmonic Symphony will play in that period under Arturo Toscanini.
Bonn, Beethoven's birthplace. A chamber music festival from May 25 to 29.
Karlsruhe. The Fourth German Handel Festival from May 30-June 1.
Bayreuth. The year's most important festival beginning July 22, ending Aug. 19. Tannhauser will be given July 22, Aug. 1, 5, 9, 20 and Tristan und Isolde July 23, Aug. 6, 10, all to be conducted by Arturo Toscanini;* Parsifal July 25, Aug. 2, 7, 13, 21, under Karl Muck; the first Ring cycle July 25, 27, 29, 31 under Karl Elmendorff; the second Ring cycle Aug. 14, 15, 17, 19 under Siegfried Wagner.
Munich. At the Prince-Regent Theatre special Wagner performances from July 21 to Aug. 25, followed by a week of Hans Pfitzner and Richard Strauss operas. At the Residence Theatre a Mozart festival from July 22 to Aug. 24.
Nuremberg. In July and August Wagner's Meistersinger given in its original setting.
Austria.
Vienna. In June, two festival weeks of opera, concerts, drama.
Also this year from May 6-Sept. 28 will be given the Passion Play performances in Oberammergau. Those planning to attend are warned of a new village ordinance: that none will be admitted to the theatre who have not arrived in town the day before and planned to stay until the morning after, thus contributing two nights' lodging fees. Motorists will find a good new road from Munich. A new Christus, Alois Lang, will succeed Cousin Anton.
Metropolitan Tour
Last week at Manhattan's Metropolitan Opera House there was an air of finality to the way the curtain fell on the grim ending of Carmen. The claque (house-paid clappers) and a handful of enthusiasts flocked to the front, shouted bravos at Mezzo-Soprano Ina Bourskaya and Tenor Antonin Trantoul. The big asbestos curtain hushed all that and the Metropolitan's regular season was ended. Supplementary Holy Week performances were scheduled to follow. But uppermost were plans for the annual spring tour. This year's route and repertoire:
Baltimore—A'ida, April 21; Louise, April 22; L'Elisire d'Amore, April 25; La Juive, April 26.
Washington—La Boheme, April 23; Andrea Chenier, April 24; La Traviata, April 25.
Richmond—La Traviata, April 28; A'ida, April 29; Tales of Hoffmann, April 30, matinee; L'Elisire d'Amore, April 30, evening.
Atlanta—Louise, May i; II Trovatore, May 2; La Boheme, May 3, matinee; Cavalleria and Pagliacci, May 3, evening.
Cleveland—La Gioconda, May 5; Louise, May 6; Cavalleria and Pagliacci, May 7; La Boheme, May 8; Carmen, May 9, matinee; Sadko, May 9, evening; La Traviata, May 10, matinee; Il Trovatore, May 10, evening.
Rochester—Louise, May 12; Girl of the Golden West, May 13.