Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-25
NEWS OF MUSIC
BY DAY THORPE

said Howard MitcheL, con-
ductor of the National SYM
phony Orchestra. was ac-
curate. and I suppose as
complete as possible in that
you presented both sides of
the proposition. The most
important thing about the
National Symphony going into
pairs of concerts, it seems to
me Is this: Due to the fact that
very few people-and I repeat.
very few people are attending
oil the subscription concerts
played by the National SYM
phony tmost go to either one
series of 10 or the other series
Of l0)--the new plan will offer
the public concerts which in
total will prove to be the most
outstanding subscription series
offered by any orchestra in
the world.
Negotiations with the vari-
Gus organizations which we
hope will join us in this new
plan are, as yet. not complete,
so neither I nor anyone else
can give you exact details to-
day. Since, unfortunately, this
news broke prematurely, l
don't suppose the names Of
these organizations are exact
" a secret any more. I do.
however, think one point needs
stressing as an answer to one
criticism Of our proposed plan.
Without mentioning names.
since everybody already knows
who they are. want to point
out that no major symphony
orchestra nor leading opera
company has ever shown itself
disposed to be dictated to by
our symphony, since we don't
own Constitution Hall. and
therefore it is subject to rental
by any responsible party max
ing application to the OAR.
I am more than a little dumb
founded by the charge of
monopoly leveled against us by
q few. I feel certain that no
member Of our board of direc-
tors has been guilty of holding
a gun in the back of any Of
these organizations, nor has
any attempt been made to
coerce them in any way. We
have merely made q PROPOSE
ton to them, convinced that
our plan is the best thing that
could happen for the music
loving public of Washington.
and that it will prove to be
both artistically and econom-
ically sound for all concerned.
So it goes without saying. the
visiting orchestras, etc. can
either accept our proposition
or come to Washington under
any other auspices they choose.
Some Plans Still Insure
also. while I think our re-
organization is the solution OF
all The greatest problems now
facing all the orchestras play
ing in Washington. ! admit the
validity Of one criticism
that the number of different
subscription concerts will be
fewer. Just how many fewer,
! can't say now because I
don't know.
First, let me point out that
the number of changed SYM
phony programs proposed by
our new plan will not only
compare favorably with the
number of changed programs
now being given by orchestras
in cities which are comparable
In size to washington, but a
little study viii show that We
will still be playing more
changed programs than many
OF these orchestras. Now, Mr..
Thorpe, noticed you went to
the trouble to add up all the
orchestra concerts played by
the three leading organizations
playing in Washington this
year, and they totaled 81. OBJ
viously the new plan will cut
down the number of these
changed programs, since our
plan is to present them in pairs,
Just as the other two orches-
tras do in their home cities.
The first printed report in
dicated we would present Is
changed programs. If our
plans come to fruition, the
changed programs should
mum Der approximately 20.
Now, consider, that in Phila-
delphia and Boston, the num-
Der of changed programs
played in those cities on their
subscription series which are
played in pairs, number % and
"a respectively. My question is
therefore, should Washingto-
mans be asked to support 81
changed programs when our
city population is approx
mately one half that of Phila-
delphia and Boston? The an
swer is: They shouldn't be-
and again I say, the fact is.
very few. are attending all 81
concerts.
Now at the end of your
story about the orchestra, you
had a few caustic comments
Of your own. Pretty far down
in the column, and I hope no
body read them, but tell me
again what you are doubtful
about, for / think have some
answers for you"
The Critic Speaks
Irecapitulated some observa-
tons / had made earlier:
THE objections were pri-
marily that 1t is the tendency
of the orchestra to solve its