The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-12-04
BAR LEADER IN
MOSCOW CONCERT
Orchestra Starts and Plays Per-
fectIy Without Conductor.
.FREER EXPRESSION CLAIMED

In Latest Communal Experiment Mu
sicians Get Chance to Bring Out
Their Own Ideas Instead of Follow
ing Baton of Conductor-Set Hard
Test for Themselves in First Con-
cert and Pass Through 1t Trium-
phantIy-Ctaim Many Advantages.
In Russia, where most things arc
bought and paid for at top-heavy
prices and where the profit-seeking
impulse is blooming luXuriantly after
It's period of forcible suppression, 1t is
refreshing to find one institution that
| Is running smoothly along genuinely
| cooperative lines. Such an institu-
| ton Is the leaderless orchestra which
| gives excellent concerts in the Mos
COW conservatory.
Not only does the orchestra play
without a leader; it's programs and its
| personnel are selected by common
consent. All the members of the or
ganization receive the same salary.
And the orchestra is far from being
a freak or heavily subsidized expert
| ment It's concerts are admirably rem
dered, and it stands absolutely on its
| own feet financially.
l interview ed Mr.. Zeitln, the con-
| certmeistcr and chief organizer of the
orchestra, Immediately after the per-
Torrance Of a brilliant Tschaikovsky
program. which included the PA
A. tho cunlnhOn1p
poem Francesca Ola Rimini," and the
sonorous piano concerto in B fiat
minor. The interview shared the COM
munal spirit Of the undertaking.
Several OF the musicians sat with the
concertmeister in the little room be-
hind the stage entrance and Joined in
the conversation.
Iona Cherished Idea.
Mr.. Zeitlin told me that he had long
cherished the idea Of an orchestra
that would reflect the musical ideals
of all it's members, rather than the
will and personality of single con-
ductor. 1t was only last year, how
ever, that it was possible to make
start in this direction. The sum Of
3O,OOO.O 900 rubles was scraped togeth-
err; and on this basis the first concert
was launched Thirty million rubles,
by the way, would seem to suggest a
handsome permanent endowment
fund; but at prevalent rates Of ex-
change it really represents the mar
rowest kind of a shoestring. The
-
Torrance did not expect to bear a
musical concert. 1t rather looked for
ward to being diverted by strange
and discordant braying of instru-
ments. Mr. Zeitlin and his colleagues
had set for themselves hard test in
Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony. They
passed it triumphantly and from that
time on they steadily won a more i'm
portant place in the musical life of
Moscow. Every seat in the large
conservatory auditorium had been
sold for their Tschaikovsky program
ave feel that there are distinct adj
vantages In our democratic form of
organization" said Mr. Zeltlin. For
instance, in rehearsals. every member
Of our orchestra is, free to suggest
new methods of interpreting certain
passages. We always try out these
suggestions and often get valuable
conceptions of the composers spirit
and intention in this way"
Sense Right Moment.
I asked Mr. Zeitlin how the orches-
ira was always able to start together
in perfect harmony without any ap-
parent signal.
"There is always a moment OF pro-
found stiffness when the audience ex-
poets the performance to begin,' he
replied. eve have learned to sense
this moment instinctively. don't |
think we would experience any diff
Guilty in starting together, even with |
our eyes closed"
The orchestra is planning to submit |
to an interesting test later in the fall. |
GlazounOv. one of the best known of |
the modern Russian composers, has
heard of Its work and refuses to be-
ieve that a concert can be held effec-
lively without conductor. SO 1t is
planned to give q concert OF Ola
zounov's own compositions under his
direction, and to repeat the program
any leader the following
light. After hearing the splendid
OF the orchestra in
works of Beethoven and Wagner.
4iszt and Tschaikovsky, am willing
0 venture the. prediction that Its
york will not suffer by the test
William. Henry. Chamberlain in the
Jew York Times.
,ss.q sse q -777---TT5 q - T-7T ing.
Reaoar Had $1,000 in, His Pockets.