Evening star., 1934-03-25
Today's Symphony Program
By DIR. HANS KINDLER
Conductor National Symphony orchestra)

r. VERY composition on this
* afternoons program was Sc
lected by popular vote in
~ poll held by the orchestra'S
management during the past
two months. The music was chosen
by Washington's audiences from bal
lots included in the orchestras
programs during the latter part of
the season. The works which re-
ceived the greatest number of votes
are on today's program. which will
be as follows:
Overture
"Iphigenia in Aulis" s".......... .Gluck
"Scheherazade" 90. .Rimsky- -Horsakov
Intermission.
Excerpts from 'Nutcracker Suite"
Tchaikovsky
bO16IO . .1IoNN1
I naturally, am delighted with the
response in the voting for todayS
program. Some of the most remark
able surprises have come about in this
voting contest For instance, quite
close to the "Nutcracker Suite" came
the Pines Of Rome; the following
works were high in popular favor:
Schubert's Unfinished Symphony"
the "Pathetique," the FTanck ID Mi
nor" the Beethoven &C Minor No. s."
Strauss Death and TRANSPORTATION"
and Wagner's "Vorspiel and Liebe-
stod" from Tristan und Isolde"
The reason that We did not def
nitely put a Strauss waltz on the
program was because Of the fact that
the number of votes was rather even
" divided between Wine, Women
and Song" Artists Life" and the
Beautiful Blue Danube" But maybe
We will still be able to do something
about this.
Mosolov's "Iron Foundry" had a
high number OF votes. as well as such
works as Weinberger'S Polka and
Fugue" from "Schwanda," the "Con-
cert Prelude and Fugue," by Bach, in
C minor; Ride of the Valkyries,"
Grieg's peer Gynt" suite and my own
Dutch Tunes" for which I want to
thank those who favored me with
their requests.
Overture
'Iphigenia in Aulis". .Gluck
1 am particularly delighted with
the number of votes given to Gluck's
superb overture to "Iphigenia," that
austere and oracular work of classic
grandeur which aroused Wagner's en-
thusiasm to such degree that he
gave it the concert ending which IS
in use today.
1t may be of interest to know that
Toscanini opened his second concert
of this season with this work, and.
in consequence, I am delighted that
our performance now has as its re-
suit the demand for its repetition.
Suite Symphonique-
~Scheherazade" .Rimsky- -Koraskov
"The "Scheherazade" was, in a
way. to be expected amongst the
chosen works. In fact, to my pleas
ant surprise. I find that it is ahead
even of "Bolero"; however, only by
few votes! 1t is the kind of a work
every conductor loves to play. Any
how must say quite frankly that if
I had had a voting contest amongst
my friends only, they could not very
well, from a purely conductorlal
standpoint, have given me better
opportunity than the outcome of this
contest is giving me!
There is little more to be said, as
I have already. in previous articles,
commented on the brilliance and pic
turesoue romanticiSm of Rimsky-Kor-
sakovs inspiration in this particular
work as well as on his superb crafts
manship, both of which are invaluable
assets in a composition descriptive OF
some of the most colorful episodes OF
the Arabian Nights"
Excerpts from the "Nutcracker Suite"
(Tchaikovsky)
From the 'Nutcracker Suite" We
have selected several excerpts, namely:
Marche, Danse de Ia Fee Dragee,
Danse Russo, Danse Arabe and Danse
des Mirlitons. Should time allow us,
we may have a little surprise for our
friends in this last concert. which
will end with
Bolero .....:''''''''' 0a'ei
We have played this three times in
all, but it seems that the demand is
still strong enough in Washington to
oblige US to put it once more on one
of our programs. I have conducted
it only a half dozen times in my
life. To have it really "come of" in
all its nearly neurotic passion and
brilliance, is a desperately difficult
task. Some of the passages are In
registers so awkward for the particu-
lar instrument, such as, for instance,
bassoon and trombone, that anything
may happen! I mean with this, Of
course, only the large symphonic
version of the work.
Even in performances by the finest
orchestras in the world I have heard
several times breaks which resulted
in near disasters. The slightest
obstacle may upset the finest player
in this work, in which there is no
possibility of support by other instru-
ments, as the main themes, during the
first eight variations, are always for
one of the wind instruments, always
difficult to control.
Naturally, I hope that eventually
our contests will go in an ever-chang-
ing direction, that We will include in
our request programs works by
Bach and Mozart and Beethoven and
Brahms and Franck.
I think that the choice of works
for our final Sunday concert Is at
once a tribute to the washington pub
lies taste and to the orchestra's ac-
complishmeuts. without ~exaggera-!