Evening star., 1947-02-16

technical aspects OF the mu-
sic. The orchestra of 20 years ago
made little effort to please every
body.
Today the story is different. Let's
60 to Constitution Hall where the
National Symphony, now in the
midst of its 1947 sustaining fund
campaign, is playing. The audience
includes highbrows. lowbrows, bee
tlebrows, hundreds of students and
salesladies, Government clerks and
cab drivers.
The performance is the "Hit Pa
rade," with light, popular music.
When played by an orchestra that
can also feature Bach, 1t shows YER
satility and desire to appeal to
all types of musically inclined peo-
pie.
This is but one performance. The
others during the week may answer
the demands for choral accompani-
ment, ballet numbers, grand opera
and student concerts. Nevertheless,
the Symphony is up to it.
Consider what happened during
the week beginning January 26.
That night Howard Mitchell con-
Quoted the orchestra in symphonic
program at Constitution Hall. On
Monday the musical group gave a
concert at Armstrong High School
again with Mr.. Mitchell welding
the baton. Tuesday the Symphony
went to Baltimore and played under
Georges Enesco. The next day Mr..
Enesco conducted the group in Con-
stitution Hall. Thursday, the "Hit
Parade" also went on there, with
Morton Gould conducting. Sunday
DR.. Hans Kinder, the Symphony's
permanent conductor, led his n1usi-
clans in q regular concert.
There we have it-versatility.
There were high school concerts,
deep symphonic pieces, the Hit
Parade" and changes in conductors.
It went on during the next week,
also, what with the ballet and the
regular variety schedule.
Discussing the f1exibility of the
National Symphony and its mem
bers, Concertmaster Jan Tomasow
said: "We are about ready for any
thing musical at any time. It is
nothing unusual to play anything
from johnny Comes Marching
Home to Prokof1eff's Classical
"He is right, very right" Mr..
Mitchell added. "In modern SYM
phony orchestra there shouldn't be
any difficulty playing any kind of
music as long as the conductor
knows his business. 1t is the Or
chestra which must be qualified"
George Gaul, violinist in the
National Symphony and also its
personnel manager, is mainly con-
cerned with details, but his COM
ments explain the transition.
"It has come about comparatively
recently, say in the last 20 years, u
he remarked. when about that
time I played with the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra which helped
to organize, no symphonic orchestra
went in for any kind of versatility.
But today it is expected and we
like it. So does the public"
Members of the Orchestra
Like Little Boogie
The fair for variety, however, is
not restricted to the orchestra, for
the musicians themselves are sub
ject to it. Symphony may be their
first love, but they're not averse to
boogie, and it comes out at the
oldest times.
One day in Newark, N. j., for
instance, out of the general bedlam
of the typical warmup, emerged the
cacophony peculiar to jam session.
Here were some young players let
ting off steam.
Suddenly the house manager ap-
peared, tearing at his abundant
hair in the traditional fashion
of fustered musical functionaries.
please, gentlemen, please" he pro-
tested, "the audience is here. The
house is filling " ="
Appropriately ,abashed, the musi-
clans deity swung into Poet and
Peasant and everything was
smoothed over.
1--WE can play everything ever
written with notes." Mr.. Tomasow
commented of his fellows. land
we play some without. One day YER
satility saved US in an emergency.
1t was at Water Gate concert
Lanny Ross, the soloist, had the
crowd ecstatic. There were encores
There was even one coming fol
which no scores were provided. The
singer opened his mouth. The mu-
sicians looked askance. Something
had to happen.
An inspired musician suddenly
sounded the first chord of Mr.. Ross
chosen number. The next second
the whole aggregation of 100 musi-
clans was in complete accord as
they picked up the theme. Every
thing ended on a happy note.