Evening star., 1938-11-27
Philadelphia
Orchestra
Tuesday
Ormandy to Direct
Program of
An.Wagner

The second concert Of the season
by the Philadelphia Symphony Or
chestra will be given in Constitution
Hall Tuesday night at 8:45 o'clock
under the direction of Eugene Or
mandy. The program will be de-
voted entirely to the works of Wag-
ner. for which the Philadelphia Or
chestra is justly famous.
Although Wagner was commits
stoned to write the "Grosser Fest
marsch," for the city of Philadel-
phia, in 1876. for the celebration of
the Centennial Exposition, the work
added no luster to his name and
the program at Constitution Hall
will be selected entirely from his
operate works.
The majority of music lovers pre-
fer the music of Wagner in con-
cert form, despite the consuming
ambition of Wagner's life to write
music absolutely integrated with
stage action. After witnessing Wag-
ner in the operate form, many lis
teners are disillusioned by improb-
able scenery, childish histrionics.
unconvincing and sometimes gro
tesquely inadequate characteristics.
have come to the conclusion that it
is better to allow the Imagination to
supply the characters and the action
of the drama while listening to the
music.
Selections from the Nibelungen
Ring, "Das Rheingold," Die Wal
kure." "Siegfried," and Die Gotter-
dammerung." will be heard on the
program. From "Das Rheingold, "
Mr.. Ormandy has selected the In
vocation of Alberich" and the En-
trance of the Gods in Walhalla"::
and from Die Walkure," the Ride
of the Valkyries':: the scene of
"Brunnhilde's Pleading" with Wo-
tan and the music of "Wotan's Fare
we'll and the Magic Fire Scene"
at the close of the opera.
There are three selections also
from "Siegfried"-the Forest Muir
murs" from the second scene of Act
II. "Siegfried's Ascent Of the Noun
tain to Meet Brunnhilde" and the
herioc love duet that follows Sieg-
frieds wooing. From "Gotterdam-
merung' are three of its greatest
scenes" "Siegfried's Rhine Journey"
from the second episode: the Flu
neral March" and the music of the
closing scene with "Brunnhilde's
Immolation
Hard and sound as nut" is the
way Alfred Reginald Allen, manager.
describes Eugene Ormandy, musical
director of the Philadelphia Orches-
ira. Conductors are 'notoriously
healthy. Think Of the way they
work. Three hours of rehearsal is
resistance exercise of the finest kind.
Not even rover puts as much
into it,
Ormandy is an erect, muscular
figure. light on his feet, and with
shoulders like a boxer. His arm
muscles are firm and supple, the re-
suit Of daily workouts" on the
conductors stand that last anywhere
from one to five hours. He COM
pletely wears out four dress suits
facings in a single season, Allen
reveals, so vigorously does the Phila-
delphian work while conducting
His clothes are literally wringing
wet when he comes off the stand"
A story is told by Ormandy of
conducting rehearsal for a radio
program. Il was on the stand. and
the control man, unseen by me,
came out to look at the score. I
happened to give down beat with
my arm just as he bent over my
score-and hit him on the head with
my closed hand. 1t literally stunned
him, and he was out for several
seconds"
The famous maestro says he works
16 to 18 hours every day.