Evening star., 1934-11-11
Composer Writes of Scene
When First Work Is Given
Roy Harris, Who Wrote Trio" Played Here
Recently. Describes the Thrills of First
Performance of a Symp hony.

but the second movement will calm
them and they will be ready for the
contrasting force of the last move
ment
The second movement will certain
ly be played well. The orchestra
played it best in rehearsal. They
played it with the same beauty of
tone which they give to standard
works. 1t would be much simpler If
one could write only slow movements.
But then life is not always contem-
platve There is aCtion-much stri-
dent action-in America. And the
composer is an American, surrounded
by Americans. His music is supposed
to mean something to these people.
1t should say something to which
they inStinctively respond. What
long road to travel. One must have
achieved fine working knowledge of
all the elements of music before ever
hearing his work produced in the
living tone. 1t is a strange game
which one must play to the end 1t
reminds him of mountain climbing
Each hump seems to be the top, but
the next slope
His symphony is supposed to mean
something to Americans 1t is sup
posed to awaken and liberate them,
crystalize in concentrated form their
strongest emotions. But first it must
be intelligible to all the musicians
Every part must make sense by itself
and with all the other parts. That
he knows the resources and pitfalls
of every instrument is taken for grant
ed. He is expected not TO repeat
what some composer has already sue
cessfully expressed. Such an achieve
ment, no matter how well it is done
could only bring in its wake a sense
of creative impotence.
unless American composers create
vital new music Americans will feel in
ferior in their own concert halls. He
must avoid all the too often repeated
tricks of the Berlioz. List, Wagner,
Strauss and the RimSky- -korSakoW,
DebusSy, StravinSky schools of Or
chestration. People, especially the
critics. might mistake the manner Tor
the substance. He must develop an
ORCHESTRAL SJSlc SlOWlllS OuI VI iiio
own material. But it cannot be done
through experiment. This orchestra
and this audience make no place for
experiment. They must have satisfy
ing results. He must perfect his or
chestral style, step by step, through
the study of scores, records, radio and
concert hall concerts. Perhaps that
is blessing in disguise. But there
must be no bungling, such as Wag-
ner's early use of the drums or
Dvorak's trumpet episode, Wagner
must have been miserable to have put
his hands over his ears and run out
of the theater when his first orches-
tral work was being performed.
We'll, here they are in the middle
of the last movement already. 1t will
soon be all over. In few hours he
will be reading how Mr. Critic has
catalOgued him. He should not read
the critics. Their appraisals must
necessarily be superficial. They must
write something readable and prob
ably many of them have not listened
to his symphony any more than he
himself has. Next concert he must
listen carefully for balances. He must
profit from this experience. But he
has already. Every passage Of that
symphony rings in his ears and has
kept him awake at night since the
first rehearsal.
The conductor is signaling him
to acknowledge applause. The Or
cheStra is rising and also applaud
ing. Finally he goes down to shake
hands with the conductor. Well that
is part Of the game, too-audience, or
chestra and composer, all seeming ex-
cited with mutual approval. How
much of it is true? How long will
it last? Has it meant enough to JUS
tify another symphony and all that
its first performance would imply?"