Evening star., 1945-01-21
Music
Notes
Orchestra Plays
Three Concerts
This Week

Two programs of orchestral music
without soloists and featuring the
flrst performance in this city of
three compositions of importance
are scheduled by the National SYM
phony for this afternoon and for the
all-subscription Wednesday night
concert in Constitution Hall. The
novelties on this afternoons pro-
gram at pm. will be Aaron
Copland's ''The Fanfare for the
Common Man and Prokofieff's
witty Lieutenant Xiii" Beethoven's
symphony No. 7" and DR.. Kindler's
transcription of Handel's suite, THE
Faithful Shepherd" will complete
the program.
Copland's opus is one of a series
OF preludes for brass and percussion
instruments written by several
American composers at the sugges-
tlon OF Eugene Goossens, conductor
OF the Cincinnati Orchestra. From
the incidental music Prokofieff was
commissioned to write for the mov-
ing picture, Lieutenant Xiii" pro-
duced i'll 1888 by the Russian film
corporation, Belgoskino, the COM
poser has arranged the orchestral
suite which was played in America
for the first time by the Boston SYM
phony in 1887. The story of the
film is taken from an anecdot about
Car Nicholas I, who misread the
name OF an officer in a report, his
courtiers inventing an officer of that
name so as not to embarrass their
Gar by pointing out his mistake.
The history of the imaginary lieu
tenant from birth to death is por-
trayed in the film and the clever
music Prokof1eff has written.
Charles Jones Overture for Or
chestra" will be given its local
premiere on Wednesday evening
with the composer present to hear
the performance. Mr.. Jones, born
in Canada of American parents, is
graduate of the Juilliard School of
Music and a former student of
Wagenaar, COPELAND and Milhaud in
composition. At present he Is a
member of the faculty of Mills Col
lege in California. The overture was
first performed last year by Werner
Jansen and his symphony. Kalinni-
kov's Symphony No. l." first played
here by the National Symphony six
years ago, will be the major offering
of the program which will be COM
pleted by Bach's Suite in B Minor"
and Enesco's "Roumanian Rhap-
sody No. q"
"I5-30 Series Inauenrated
The first of the $3.50" concerts
by the National Symphony, the
popular series sponsored by young
people, will be given on Thursday
night, $50 o'clock in Constitution
Hall. The inauguration of the series
will be marked by the return of
oscar Levant, pianist, as soloist who
has selected Grieg's Concerto in
A Minor" for his appearance. Dr.
Kinder, who will conduct, has pro-
grammed for the orchestra Mozart's
"Haffner" symphony, Brahms "Aca-
demic Festival Overture" the over
ture to Wagners 'Rienzi'' and the
orchestral arrangement of Sum-
mertime," from Gershwin's opera
''Porgy and Bess" as a tribute to
Mr.. Levant, who is an outstanding
Gershwin interpreter.
Mr.. Levant's versatility is prodige-
Gus. In addition to being a pianist
of the calibre to have earned him
solo engagements with nearly all
leading symphony orchestras in this
country, he is composer and movie
actor, his latest in this connection
is the film, Rhapsody in Blue" yet
to be released. To many he Is best
known as one of the original ex-
perts on the radio program, I'm
formation Please" while his latest
book, "A Smattering of Ignorance"
was best-seller. Although Levant
has withdrawn from Information
Please" he is making many guest
appearances on the air