The Washington times., 1936-07-27

Another record size audience,
bursting with enthusiasm, greeted
Antonio Brico, guest conductor
of the washington Summer Con-
certS Orchestra at the Water
Gate last night. Marie Budde,
young soprano, made her Wash
ington debut last night at the
Water Gate to the accompanl-
ment of a great showing OF ap-
proval from her auditors.
With every seat taken, with
the possible exception of a few
of the one dollar chairs, the Wash
ington Summer Concerts Orches-
ira launched forth into the Sec
ond week of the Symphonies on
the Potomac" Every indication
augurs for a most successful
season. Even the weather man,
so far, has given his hearty sup
port. But the local airport sent
up five planes to climb with full
throttle directly over the Water
Gate: each time this happened,
the orchestra was playing.
Having eliminated last years
echoes by placing the orchestra
platform near the audience, haV-
ing installed amplification OF the
highest fidelity with four 18-inch
dynamic speakers with accompany
ing "tweeterS" to take care of the
full range of sound, having
stopped the thunderous roar OF
the wind in the mikes, the we'll
nigh perfect setting had to be dis
turbed by those roaring monsters
of the air. And after the airport
authorities had promised that no
plane would cruise over the site.
Miss Brico opened her first
program with the overture to
"Coriolanus" beethoven, which
proved to be a melodic and rhyth-
mic opening number. Her reading
of the Beethoven "Eroica" Sym
phony was given with considerable
liberties as to the time, but then
that is the prerogatiVe of a con-
ductor. Some there are that at
tempt to deliver a work as near as
possible in the time indicated by
the composer, others fashion their
own phrasing as they see fit.
In some respects the latter type
of interpretations may be more
dramatic, or if carried TO extremes,
it may become tiresome. Miss
Brico made her variations N
subtle manner, so that the average
listener was not aware OF such.
Probably her most tactful time
change was in the trio section Of
the third movement when she
slowed the time in order that the
horn passages might be rendered
more clearly.
The final movement of the SYM
phony was delivered in a joyous
abandon that awoke a great e
spouse from the audience. The
balance of tonal color was beauti,
full and the power Of the orchestra
was all that could be expected
without sacrificing tonal quality.
In presenting Miss Marie Budde,
soprano, Miss Brico held the Or
cheStra in a carefully restrained
accompaniment, but the singer
stood too far from the micro
phone, with the result that those
of the audience that depended
upon hearing through the loud
speakers, heard more orchestra
than voice.
Miss Budde has a sweet and
flexible voice, with good control.
Her tones are warm and pure with
no waver in pitch or intensity.
However, if she had stood nearer
the microphone, her tones would
have been well balanced with
those of the orchestra.
Following the prolonged funeral
march in the second movement
of the Beethoven symphony, the
second part of the program might
have been frightened up with
concluding work that contained
little more elemental rhythm
and melodic lines than the Death