Evening star., 1934-01-07

The program will be:
Overture, "Iphigenia IN AultS". .. .Oluck
tWagner endtng)
Ballet music. 'Rosamunde" =. Schubert
Allegro, andante. andantipo.
Death and TRANSPORTATION"
CSymphonic POEM Richard Strauss
Intermission.
Ring" "a four minute round) .Lazar
Waltz, wine, Women and Song"
Johann Strauss
From "Sigurd Jorsalfar". .......... .Grieg
Intermezzo CBorghilds Dream.
March OF Homage.
Overture, "Iphigenia in Aulis" .Gluck
Wagner endingl
1t may seem strange to us that the
overture Of "Iphigenia IN Aulls," by
GIuck, which opens the concert OF today,
was at one time regarded as revolution
ary in the extreme. Who today has
heard any OF the compositions by Pic
cini? mot PucciniD Yet he was
Glucks classic" rival and as success
ful III his day as his near r-namesake
was in the twentieth century!
Italian opera Of the shallowest kind
held sway over musical Europe during
the latter part Of the eighteenth CEN
tury. Then Gluck came along with
ideas OF truth and beauty and dramatic
intensity, founded on the art OF the
earlier MonteVerdi which were IN COM
plete contrast with the ear-tickling pro-
penSities of the men who were the fash
ion OF the day. Naturally, they rebelled
and tried to defend their easy and en-
trenched security against this assault.
The Academic de Musique in Paris,
their stronghold. wanted to keep him
out and tried i'll underhanded ways TO
hurt his cause.
The world likes to remember evil
to the lasting honor Of that pitiable
queen, Marie Antoinette, that she used
all OF her royal influence 10 obtain Tor
Gluck the success he deserved, and sue
ceeded in doing So
The fight was a fierce one! Opposite
camps came to not only verbal. but
physical clashes during the perform
ances Of GluekS works in Paris. One
| of the reasons Of this antagonism was
that the text of "Iphigenia" was by Ra-
cine, the grandeSt and most classic OF
all French dramatiStS, but not a IA
yorite at the time.
| "Iphigenia" is pervaded by the tragic
atmosphere of Racines masterpiece.
/ One hears the inexorable voice OF the
oracle, ard the ensuing striking pas
| sage in stern unison forces the ruling
thought of the drama upon US NO
/ wonder these new and unheard of
/ effects were used by his eaSy-golng an
/ tagoniSts as proof that he did not have
! any creative genius.
/ Passion and hate invariably blind
/ their votarieS. especially II those yo-
taries have their own axe to grind !!
But in the end, Gluck triumphed, and
I it is small wonder that Wagner conSid-
cred him the creator who brought opera
back to that classic grandeur without
which it Is at best a hybrid OF art. The
concert ending Of the overture IS by
Wagner. himself.
Ballet music. "Rosamunde." Schubert
(Allegro-Andante-
In complete contrast TO this overture
is the joyous bright music from Schu-
| bert's ballet of "RoSamunde,' which
demands no elucidation whatsoever
For some incomprehensible reason the
first two parts Of this composition are
mostly omitted Today We will play II
in its entirety.
Death and TRANSPORTATION,
Richard Strauss
Symphonic POEM
It is well TO remember that history
repeats itself as in the case of Richarc
Strauss, who was equally attacked A
years ago as Gluck was in his day. HI
took up the art form known as tn
symphonic poem" (Which described
an idea in toneS. where List left /
of. and. Of course. it remains de
batable question whether in his late
works. from q purely esthettc point o