Evening star., 1939-07-23

evenings Sunset Symphony, has
probably done more toward making
good music known to millions OF
people than any other one man.
Through his close Identification with
those two popular mediums, radio
and the motion pictures. Mr.. Rapee
has not only built up an enormous
personal following from coast to
coast. but at the same time has con-
trived through his expert musician
ship land showmanship) to make
the classics almost as popular as
swing and its derivatives. Hardly
had the movies achieved respecta-
bility, more than two decades ago,
than Mr.. Rapee was called in to
organize and conduct the first large
movie house symphony, for New
York's Rialto Theater.
From the Rialto he went to the
Capitol Theater in New York, where
he was musical director under S. l..
Rothafel's management. From the
Capitol, William Fox lured him to
his new theater in PHILADELPHIA.
And when UFA. flushed with the
success of its German films in the
world market, decided to build a
showhouse in Berlin, where It's
movies could be presented In the
American way, Rapee was called to
take charge Of the music. But when
Rothafel built the-for 1927-fabu-
lous Roxy Theater, Rapee was called
back to the United States to open 1t.
And when Rockefeller Center was
opened to the public in 1927, it was
almost inevitable that Rapee should
be named general musical director
and first conductor Of that vast place
called the Radio City Music Hall, a
post he still holds.
During his career with motion pic
lures Mr.. Rapee introduced many in
novations into the procedures OF the
pit bands.
In addition to his work in the
motion picture theaters Mr.. Rapee
has been general musical director
for Warner Bros. Pictures, general
musical director for the National
Broadcasting Co. and of various
commercial radio programs, guest
conductor with the Berlin Philhar-
monic Orchestra. the Budapest Phil
harmonic Orchestra, the Philadel-
phia Orchestra at Robin Hood Dell.
as well as acting as regular con-
ductor Of the Essex County SYM
phony Orchestra for the season Of
l936-1937.
The soloist on Wednesday nights
concert is a musical anomaly. Today,
one OF the few young violinists in
whom critics place great faith, 1s-
year-old Ossy Renardy had no ira
dltional right ever to embark upon a
musical career. He was born in
Vienna, the son of a waiter and a
laundress. He was taught from the
time he was years old until he
made his first public appearance, by
his next door neighbor, a young man
no one had ever heard Of named
Theodore Pashkus, and it is largely
to Pashkus' credit that there is now
IN the world new young violin
virtuoso. But Renardy threw his
lack of musical tradition to the
winds, and at age 13 made his pro-
fessional debut in a variety show in
Milan. Italy-in Milan because Vien-
nese managers would not give the
little unknown an engagement.
Rescued from that unlikely breed
ing place Of genius, he made tour
of Italy, returned to Vienna for
more study, and in the spring of 1894
made his belated Viennese debut.
This was followed by a tour of
Europe which brought forth critical
salvos wherever he appeared, and
inevitably, two years ago, he came to
this country. Late in 1887 he made
his American debut in Town Hall,
Notwithstanding to the New York
critics-he literally took by storm,
and his subsequent appearances here
have solidified his position as one of
the great young violinists. On the
recording side, he has made many
discs for the Columbia Masterworks
series, and this fall will see him the
first artist anywhere to record the
complete "a Paganini "Caprices."
The complete program for the
Wednesday Sunset Symphony fol-
lows:
Overture, Battered Bride" smetana
Les Preludes Ls1t
Concerto in D Major Paganini
Ossy Renardy
prelude and Lebestod" from Iris
tan and Isolde Wagner
Ride of the Valkyries' Wagner
18th and 9Th Hungarian