The Washington times., 1938-07-11
$4,000 THRILLED
BY SYMP HONY
AT WATER CATE.
Vast Setting Proves
Far Too Small
By WILLIAM NEWMAN

cording to the police estimate,
heard the National symphony S
first concert at the Watergate
last night.
That many, at least, found
places in the amphitheater, on
the Memorial Bridge and Po-
tomac Avenue where they over
look the site. and on the dis
tant steps and balconies OF the
Lincoln Memorial.
CROWD GATHERS EARLY
1t is certain. too, that many
were turned away. Those seek
ing free or unreServed seats ar
rived two hours and more be-
fore the time announced for the
beginning of the concert. Be
fore the program ended even
the costlier seats were occupied.
Washington, it seems. already
has outgrown the most beauti-
full and. by association. the
most impressive setting for
summer music that the world
has ever known, and this just
at the moment when the site
has been made permanent.
For the new acoustic shell,
built for the city by the Works
Progress Administration. has
been designed to serve always.
FORMALLY TURNED OVER
1t was formally turned over
to the Department of the In
terror as custodian by Mrs. Ellen
S. Woodward of the Federal
Music Project and received by
Mr.. John Herrick, one of the
Departments Assistant Com.
miSsionerS.
Two answers to the problem
presented by inadequate space
are possible. Washington must
move its floating acoustic shell
to point where larger audiences
can be accommodated, or the
National Symphony must play
more than two concerts a week.
Judging by last nights enthuSi-
asm Washington would vote for
the latter solution-if, like other
American cities, its people could
vote.
The night was perfect. The
summer skies were kind. The
blue Virginia hills loomed
softly. The citys noises were
Shut away.
! SPLENDID AMPLIFICATION
The music, thanks to the
wonders of modern science,
came clearly to ears of the
multitude; for the National
Parks architects and the Bureau
Of Standards have done an eX-
pert job in matters of resonance
and ampliflcation.
Hans Kinder is one of the few
conductors who can adopt a
style of address for the open air
that enlarges his art without
changing its salient character.
istics in any important particu-
lar. He knows how to drama
tie his message for the multi
tude and what to omit from his
expressive vocabulary as being
too subtle for the size of his
audience and of the picture of
which he is the center.
BEGAN WITH BEETHOVEN
He began with the exciting
"Egmont" overture of Beethoven,
expanding its tragic mes
sage, heightening its vivid con-
traStS. He followed with a ver-
sion of the well worn Dvorak
symphony, Prom the New
World" that restored its orr
ginal freshness and elevated its
rather plaintive romance to
epic dimensions.
No work has suffered more at
the hands of the popular ar.
ranger, unless it be Rachmani-
noff'S c sharp minor prelude,
the final degradation OF a
masterpiece being a setting for
male chorus. But DR.. Kinder
made us forget the sins against
genius of the commercial
minded Mr.. Fischer. Even the
abused slow which,
happily, was not too slow-be-
came a moving and changing
stream of melody.
SHOUTS OF APPROVAL
AS for the exciting Scherzo, it
brought forth shouts of approval
as did the gorgeous sonorities Of
the finale. This was great music
making and set the mood of the
evening.
Thereafter he turned to more
popular material, offering the
Strauss waltz. Artists Life"
with the authentic trick of
VienneSe rhythm, and adding
his own well made version of
MouSSorgsky's Chant Russo"
and of the same masters Cor
onation Scene" from the opera
Boris Godunoff."
The next concert in the series
will be played Wednesday eve
ming. The soloist will be Dor.
othy Kemp Roosevelt, pianist, of
Detroit, billed to play the
Strauss "Burieske," a rarely
heard concerto. The Frescobaldi
Toccata, Mozart's A major sym
phony. Respighi's brilliant
pines of Rome" and some
briefer orchestral works which
the conductor will announce
COMPRISE the nropram