Evening star., 1948-01-25
|Progranlr11ing
rSymphony
Difficult Task
By Hons Kinder

tanning an outline of its history
One sentence In the book struck me
forcibly. It said: 'The year in
which any series Of programs
seemed satisfactory to everybody Is
to be sought In vain in the annals
Of the orchestra"
And yet that orchestra had first
rate conductors to guide it, men OF
wide musical interests and great ex-
perience. Besides Koussevitzky
there were Muck. Monteux, Gericke
and the almost legendary Arthur
Nikisch-glamour boy of the day
who left Boston after three seasons
on account Of some misunderstand-
ing over extra concerts in the Mid
die West. All Of these conductors
made programs which were unsatis-
tory to at least q part Of the
audience.
The same was true Of Stokowski
in his Philadelphia days, and Of
Toscanini during his last years with
the Philharmonic. 7 recall how my
own managers tore their hair be-
cause my cello programs contained
works by Hindemith, Bloch, Mali
piero, Schoenberg, Harsanyi and
other moderns. No matter that the
classics and the romantics" were
also represented, or that the London
and other newspapers had already
kindly dubbed me "the Kreisler of
the cello" managers wanted only
works that were popular.
Outlining Programs q Task.
One thing often is overlooked or
not realized by the listening audi
ence. The making and composing
of programs for q season of over
100 concerts, such as the National
Symphony now plays, is a Joy in one
way, but at the same time task
of great and manifold difficulties.
So much has to be taken into &C
count If the task is approached in
what consider the right way: First,
the programs must contain a solid
percentage Of the classic MASTER
works to which the public has a
right, and which it welcomes. On
the other hand, there is also the
desire on the part of large num-
ber of listeners to hear the latest
works.
Then there are the wishes and
requests Of countless composers who
naturally want their works to have
a hearing. and the conductor S
equally natural desire to give such
hearing to the younger men-
even more than a single perform
ance If the work is found to be
first rate.
There are still further factors to
consider, besides the ever important
question of often limited rehearsal
time: The fact that a program
should have form and shape, a be-
ginning and an end, high point,
cohesion, logic, so that the public
and the performers are not asked
to make one mental salto mortale
after another, to the detriment of
all the works played. There are the
conflicting programs of visiting Or
chestras and guest conductors to
be considered, and, on tour, the
wishes of local managers and music
lovers, committees and composers,
and finally (strange to sayD the
conductors own ideas, convictions
and predictions about special
works.
Composers Delay, Too.
These and countless other con-
siderations, ARTISTIC as we'll as prac-
teal and financial, Of necessity enter
the scheme. Yet with all this in
mind and with many years Of ex-
perience back of one, ones best
efforts and intentions may time and
again go for nought.
can give you here a recent con-
tretemps affecting our programs.
For our opening concert this season
I had arranged to give the premiere
of new symphony by brilliant
young American composer. He
gladly agreed to have the score in
my hands by September l at the
latest. Came the date, but no score.
waited until the 18th, wiring and
hoping. No symphony. Our re-
hearsals were to start october 6
and wanted to study the score. On
September 20 I received an en-
thusiastic letter from the composer,
saying the symphony was going
splendidly, would be in three move
ments of which the first and second
ones were already" nearly complete
and he was positive I would have
the entire symphony by December
l at the latest; should he send me
the first movement now or would I
rather wait till all was ready?
Arrives January IL.
The program, the soloist's work,
announcements, printing, publicity,
everything had been focused on the
premiere, and now everything had
to be changed. I could cheerfully
have broiled the composer. How
ever, knowing the species well and
not wanting to cause the stillborn
death Of possible masterpiece, I
wrote him an enthusiastic letter
instead. I now hope to play this
work, which I received January IL,
as early as possible in 1s4S. 1t looks
like a splendid score.
Let me remind you that so far
we have played over 1,500 works.
I can but hope that in all this
number you have found good
average Of works that you have
enjoyed.
This afternoon we will play the
colorful introduction and cortege
from lie Cog dor" of Rimsky-
Korsakov, a very fine symphony by
a young American composer, Robert
Ward, which will have its world
premiere; the Liszt Concerto in E
Flat" for piano and orchestra, and
the always requested excerpts from
Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite"
WARREN r. JOHNSON. orsonist
CHURCH OF THE PILGRIMS
I'D & P SITS. NV. 1880 O'clock
FestaI Offertorium -----------F Fletcher
Chant Triste bonns.
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