Evening star., 1928-01-25
NJ u S | C.
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM.

Never has a local audience sat so
apparently completely absorbed in the
smell both of music and It's conducting
as more than 1000 people did yesterday
afternoon when Sir Thomas Beecham
conducted the Philadelphia Symphony
Orchestra at the Washington Audito' :
rum. Applause seemed spontaneous ,h
49, nro,onrcd after each selection, ana
Of inc conclusion Of the program noLil
cir Thomas and the members Oh 'in'
orchestra received real oVatloh.
T,hc outward and visible signs thaI
,,,orl, Sir THOMAS rs unique among con-
,,,,ntore are the individual methodS uScd
y, rhvthmicallv ecsturing to ms orches-
tr. lu,;thout any baton In his hano !,
IA direct the exact degree ana i,loou W
tonc to be won from them the law
,hat hc Is one of the group WHO nnE'
an umcanny way OF s'orlns ia ,nia g.,
o,Is amount of symphohlo ilius,s aod
eilc,' VIZ tive nrocrams can be conducted
@.1~ srnn, n,cmorv. and the friendly way IN m
,..,,in, ,.hi, he kept In intimate toucn WIN
1ondino men in his orchestra. hclc
i'."s breezy informality ABOUT OH
,rhonas. attitude between numbers anu
ho ,a,,ohed Ito his orchestral at s''n,5 ,',
If the scurrying late-comefs. wno to t,ri nret
,;,, I'M considerably between III" "'''
ond second Handel NUMBERS. .,o
"'u ,!,'.ovor the vital thing was the
.;,,o newncss that he gave 10 IN,
.nn,'rnta tions of we'll known MoZart anu
,I,nnnor celectionS and the rarely hea'u u
sntt, ancient and modern WORKS tila'
~ po''t hromoht to a fascinating program.
pumors had reached the Capitn, VIE
he was AN unusual conductor Oh Mon"t -. ~. :.
Yesterday in the Symphony NO. 81 n'
/ r Major" TX. 338). the Sohotous, po"
nous first movement. the suotie ye, ~ ~
brittle quality of the andaiIe' AN. az W, az
/ thoroughly satisfying nnaie WIZ ~,
s,ioiU n.,,,aIl,, diminished pianissimo brought
l,man color to music often treaVeo
tic tinkling thin china. The oroao
noi,tinc of the almost bolSterous mci-
odics that are intcrwovcn in the pat-
tor,, NJ the "MeistcrSinger overture
in scarlet and braSsy gold spienoolS' "dS
a regal end to the concert.
Ae for the little heard numbers
1JandeI the German whom England 50
nroudly acclaimed 200 years ago ana
has never since relinquished. was tnpAI
svmnathetically presented. Ihere vas
no icstv in the overture to "Teseo' ana
an organ-like, religious anail.y, aSy, nii.,e anHe
might have pictured catheoral WIN
the bells ringing for VesperS. Ins
"Musette" from III Pastor F'ido' and
the bo,lrree from Rodrigo both were
delightful examples OF thus master ,f,,, $ 5
writings in the old dance forms. Inc
reed instruments are featured in these
numbers and to them Sir Thomas al
lotted dominance keeping the strInsS
as tapestry background. Ano' ne!
charming old dance was Gretrys ba!let
air from "Zemr ct Azor, presented
with a quaint preciseneSS.
With such sumptuous leaSt OF
music. new to the ears OF at least many
in Yesterdays audience, 1t is difficult to
unravel more than general impressions,
Paisiello's overture TO Nina la PIAZZA
per amorc" seems TO have many beau
; ties with which the hearer would get
more familiar. and Berlioz's La Chase
Royale ct rOrage." with its violent.
raging storm and hunting themes
/ intermineling into soft. slowly dis
/ solving finale. also intrigued the car,