Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-08
|Rubinstein's
Film Concerto
Choice Raped
By Alice Eversmon

ed OF Artur RublnStelnS recently
ANNOUNCED intention of presenting
Leith Stevens Concerto in q
Minor" on his concert programs.
The concerto was written expressly
for the film Might Song" currently
on the screen here, and played by
Rubinstein with the New York
philharmonic Symphony conducted
by Eugene Ormandy. The point OF
severest attack is the choice Of q
work by a man who composed it as
an assignment while overlooking the
many fine American composers
none of whom have received such
recognition from Rubinstein.
1t is said that the pianist &C
claims it "a work of art" although
few who have heard it will agree
with him. In order to have it of
recital length Mr.. Stevens was
asked to amplify it, which he has
proceeded to do. The one parallel
that comes to mind is Addinsell's
Warsaw Concerto" which was writ
ten as incidental music for the
English film, Dangerous Noon
light" shown here under the title
Suicide Squadron" or Warsaw
Concerto" Percy Granger played
| 1t with the National Symphony two
Years ago.
Concert Public Changing.
While it is plainly evident that
native composers are not receiving
the support of artists of Rubin
STEMS renown, the fault does not
lie wholly with the artists. The
case of the American composer has,
like everything else, two sides to it.
The least considered side is that Of
the general public. AS the concert
situation is going today, the con-
cert public is changing. Drawn into
what was once a select crowd OF
music lovers, are the movie fans
who, at present, expect the same
thrill from hearing pianist or sin
ger in recital as they had in hear
ing him on the sound track of a
film. They see, too, this glamorous
personality in real life. 1t is not
the program he will play that at
tracts them.
At the same time, bit by bit, the
appreciation of the finer music Isl
being spread. even through the
medium of the less-worthy works.
A personal experience had to do
with two young men sent to dol
some home repairing. The younger
became completely bemused on see
ing a piano in the corner of the
room. rs that a grand piano?" he
asked. and when given an aftirma-
tive answer, inquired. DO you know
the Polonaise and the Mazurka?"
Realizing that he had just seen "A
Song to Remember" and probably
heard Chopins music for the first
time played by an artist, gratuitous
instruction was given him immedi-
ately regarding Polonaises and Ma
zurkas and piano playing in gen.
eral. But the point was that he
had become conscious of great
music for the first time and liked
it.
Melody VS.. Trend.
Granted that this is an extreme
case, the fact remains that large
part of the general public does not
know and does not care for what
ever trends music has at present.
1t wants to hear music it can grasp
not what seems to the uneducated
ear a tumble of strange sounds. The
composer, on the contrary, is con-
cerned with following the trend. 1t
has become more of disparage-
ment to say that work has touches
of Brahms or Beethoven influence
than to say 1t has Stravinsky,
Schoenberg or Shostakovitch like
ness.
The modern composer, and es-
pecially the American, eschews mel
ody. although COPELAND tells us in one
OF his books that all modern music
has melody But the contemporary
idiom and melody at any time in
musical history cannot be thor
oughly understood or liked by a
public still shy of its newness. Their
merits are judged more fully by
another generation. The most diff
ficult of all musical efforts is to
write a perfect melody. Yet in all
ages and through the centuries the
works of great melodist have been
the most appealing and the most
enduring.
Modernism in Small Doses.
Could the American composer
write from the depth Of his soul
and with the freedom of style OF
the older masters, he would exercise
the same appeal as they. AS it is,
contemporary music can be taken
only in small doses by those who
are not interested in its technical
details. That means the average
listener who comes to a recital for
enjoyment and spiritual benefit.
Were concert audiences limited to
those who could tell you learnedly
Just how a work is constructed and
what it's good and bad points are
according to the rules of compost
tion the attendance would be small
The pioneering that is being done
by artists like. Rubinstein when he
plays a film concerto on his pro-
gram is not to be gainsaid. 1t has
it's value. Another year and the
appeal of the concerto will be ex-
hausted and the public ready for
something else. Having gained its
confidence and interest, the artist
can play what he likes. But in the
meantime, the American composer
could assemble his own public If
he would make a few concessions.
These need only be in the line of
beauty and melody The old mas.
tiers did not despise these elements,
why should the contemporary COM
poser.