Evening star., 1948-11-21
OpenRehearsal
Would Interest
Public in Music
By Alice Eversmon

Tomorrow DR.. Serge kouSSevitzky
will break a tradition Of the Boston
Symphony Orchestra by permitting
a rehearsal to be heard by q radio
audience. The innovation will con-
tinue throughout the season and
guest conductors will conform to
the new ruling. It is said that these
rehearsals will be entirely unre-
hearsed and that the orchestra will
be stopped and instructed In the
same manner as was the custom
when no one was allowed to be pres
ent. When Dr. Koussevitzky finally
agreed to put aside the prohibition
which he had sternly enforced, he
said that perhaps 1t would be Of ed
ucational service to other conductors
and to musicians.
This season marks the 25th ami.
versary of DR.. Koussevitzky as con-
ductor of the Boston Symphony. At
its conclusion he will retire 50 that
when the orchestra plays here in
January it will, presumably, be the
last time the famous director will
visit Washington as its head. The
TACT that his tenure will be concluded
this year, rounding out an impress
sive and widely beneficial career.
may have caused him to let down
the barriers he has guarded so jeal-
ously and for so long. Although the
broadcast tomorrow at / pm. will
be for a half hour only, it will
be time enough to gain an insight
into his rehearsal methods.
Why Not a General Custom?
I have often wondered why the
opening of the final rehearsal to the
public was not a general custom OF
orchestras. 1t would be Of particular
value as regards the National SYM
phony. Naturally, some restrictions
would have to prevail or too many
would be satisfied with free hear
ing to the detriment of the sale OF
concert tickets. It would, however.
be most helpful for students and
musicians who plan for career and
who are the least conscientious
about attending the orchestra's con-
certs anyway.
Opening the dress rehearsal to
students was the practice for many
years in Europe. At the famed
Gewandhaus, in Leipzig, conserva.
tory pupils could attend the SYM
phony as also students from the
university and other schools. The
fee for the general public was 80
cents. As the rehearsal was held Ia
the middle of the morning, only
those free at that time could attend.
The regular concerts were sold on
a subscription basis and formed
part of the social events Of ths
season.
Emotional Displays Unlikely.
While curiosity would attract
many in the hope of seeing the
conductor in his most vituperativs
mood, more would come with the
desire to learn. BY the time the
last rehearsal is reached, the
conductor has had all his tempera.
mental outbursts and unless some.
thing thoroughly exasperating hap
pens, it should move with com.
parative tranquility. Financial con"
siderations might prohibit the
National Symphony from charging .
small fee for the dress rehearsal.
but if this could be circumvented.
the resulting good would be ines.
timable.
What has not been thoroughly
recognized in this respect N the
educational duty belonging to every
orchestra "in residences" In . city
such as Washington. A plan to
make the symphony really belong
to the people by concerts designed
for educational emphasis would not
be aniss. OF course, this would
mean programs with some sort Of
continuity and that is not always
of interest to the conductor or the
orchestra members who have played
the same works over and over again.
But it would be Of great interest,"
to others and might boost box ofncs
sales because an opportunity for
further learning would be welcome.
Certainly, in addition to the stu
dent concerts, admission to the last
rehearsal of an advanced program
would be of great value. Also, many
people living in the suburbs, who
have difficulty coming to the con.
certs, housewives and young peo-
pie, and those who patronize the
morning movies, would have an
opportunity to hear the symphony.
The Metropolitan Memorial Meth
odist Church will hold its second
pre- Christmas musical vesper serv-
ice today at 5 pm. Louis Potter
will direct the choir, Annabeue