Evening star., 1954-11-12
MoryIund's Gift to Queen

Moylund's Gift to Queen
Being Maryland taxpayer. feel
Governor McKeldin owes citizens Of
his State an explanation as to where
he got the $500 for q silver-and -gold
vase for the Queen Mother.
Seems to me, there are many poor
people, orphanages. and horrible roads
In our State which need attention more
than queen who has jewels and
money by the barrel.
I never knew Maryland had so much
wealth it could bestow valuable gifts
on foreign dignitaries. A warm hand
shake and smile was all that was
necessary from the Governor.
M. C. Thompson.
After reading about the $500 vase
presented to Queen Mother Elizabeth
by the Governor of Maryland couldn't
help but wonder If this isn't still part
Of the Republican "give-away" pro-
gram.
Seems to me the money could have
been well used toward strengthening out
the miserable stretch of road between
Frederick. Md, and Emmitsburg, Md.
instead Of decorating British palace.
! know this letter won't bring back
the vase, but perhaps it might help stop
such ridiculous gifts in the future.
Ida Cohen.
When read that the Governor Of
Maryland gave the Queen Mother q
vase valued at $500 my blood began to
boil.
I'd like to know where he got the
money for such valuable gift to a
foreigner?
That money could have been well
used by some orphans home or other
charitable organization here at home.
Gladys Henry.
Editors note: Queried by The Star.
Gov. McKeldin said the $500 came from
the State treasury. II guess" he said,
"it came from the contingent fund.")
Music Appreciation
The review Of the recent all-Strauss
program of the National Symphony
Orchestra by your music critic, Day
Thorpe. was disappointing to me in one
respect, particularly because I value
the musical .discernment and readable
prose Of the critic. The review said:
=. the impenetrable fog of sodden
philosophy that makes Heldenleben
and Tod und Verklarung so hard to
listen to. :" Now, whether or not
piece Of music is hard to listen to is a
question for the listener and conse-
quently Is not arguable. However, I
have reluctantly to put on the gloves
at the reference to the ideas which
form the base for Strauss music Gin
cluding the Don Quixote" variations).
Such comment as your critics is not
frequent, but it is persistent, and the
time Is overdue for its refutation. /
suppose such critics are thinking Of
Kant and Hegel and the other suety
metaphysicians. On the contrary, any
philosophy one can find in Strauss is
founded on Nietzsche, who phrased his
thought with the epigrammatic clarity
Of a Frenchman or Gas in 'Thus Spake
ZarathuStra") in rhapsodic poetry akin
to music. The general ideas and the
matte material of Strauss are not
murky; they are relatively simple,
clear Except in "Zarathustra") and
they constantly recur Indeed, "Ein
Heldenleben" is itself a synopsis-as
Strauss. final tone-poem-of the pro-
grammatic ideas, musical themes, and
to some extent the harmonic machin-
cry Of his larger orchestral works. The
business was, of course, obfuscated at
times by the Till Eulenspiegel in the
composer himself, but the programs are
now so clear as actually to be almost
handicap to abstract beauty in the
music which, as in all the arts, must
take it out of time.
To specify: Strauss works usually
represent singular individual on
day of battle, with description of events
before and after the battle The protag-
onist may be an introspective venerist
Oon Juan, i.e., chaser, who may
even have modern counterparts).
shining knight Gas in "Heldenleben')
rogue c'Till''), or an unhinged biblio-
phile c'Don Quixote"). The same Is
true of the man in Death and Trans
figuration" and the MarSchallin in der
Rosenkavalier," with her gallantry, her
acceptance and affirmation of life.
Almost more than any composer,
Richard Strauss is classic in the wide
meaning. He deals with the subjects of
earth: Death, love, humor. cowardice,
bravery, passion, foolhardiness. sar-
donic japery-and always death. saun-
tering patiently at the gate. The Greeks
with the pity and terror which runs
through their art, would have under
stood him. The Renaissance man or
the Elizabethans, say Francis Bacon or
Sir Philip Sidney. would find nothing
alien in music rejecting the fantasy,
tragedy, jest and valor of their elective
diet. Nor, modernly, such observers as
Joseph Conrad and Ernest Hemingway.
I agree heartily with your critic as to
the excellence of the performance by
the National Symphony that night.
They were like a football team which is
"up" for the big game. They were good
and you knew that they knew they were
good. That is fun and, to a non-mu-
sician like myself, made it sound like
Q contest, for they tell me that to be
able to handle this fellows music you
have to be good.