Evening star., 1955-02-13


spanking new pair. Then we
got to thinking that it wasn't
very sporting for us UP north
to have a new pair when down
south they didn't have any. so
we divided the set and now we
each have one respectable
cymbal.'
We'll, that was that. I was
able to send a plane to the
south Of New Zealand and bor-
row the mate. and after all we
played the "Meistersinger"
overture with the requisite
connubiality of cymbals."
Instrumental Ensemble
Saturday will see the debut
Of a newly formed chamber
music group, when the WASH
ington Instrumental Ensem-
BILE gives its first public con-
cert at the Corcoran Gallery.
Ray Montoni, violist, and
Robert Paris. pianist and COM
poser, are the organizers.
Works by Piston. Hindemith
and Schubert make up the
opening program, while on the
two others scheduled for this
season music by Bach. Mozart,
Robert Palmer, Roy Harris,
Bartok and Giovanni Legrenzi
will be heard. The nucleus of
the ensemble is a string quar-
tet made up of Helmut Braun
Itch, Jack Falkenstrom, Ray
Montoni and Juri Taht. The
wind ensemble includes John
Faith, Felix Kraus, Robert
Barker and Stanley Petrulis,
while the brass choir is made
up of John Steinecker. Donald
Gregory, George Foeller and
Donald Brugger.
Koussevitsky Foundation
The Music Division of the
Library of Congress contains
one of the most comprehensive
collections of music in the
world, and has a personable
and intelligent staff to help
the seeking and curious in all
matters relating to the divine
muse of st. Cecilia. Some
activities Of the Music Divi-
sion are privately endowed.
There are, of course, the sew
eral foundations that provide
chamber music concerts.
Notes, magazine nominally
for music librarians, but ac-
tually one of the most inter-
esting, publications for the
general reader now in exist
ence. is edited by members Of
the Music Division as an out
side activity for the Music
Library Association. Also, there
are many collections of manu-
scripts and memorabilia Of
which the Music Division is
custodian.
The KouSSevitsky Founda-
ton, created by the late con-
ductor in 1912, is another
project entrusted largely to the
hands of the Music Division.
Its purpose is to commission
works by American and for
Elm composers.
When the Music Division
presented the Persichetti piano
quintet for the first time last
week. it printed a list of all
Koussevitsky Foundation COM
missions to date. The roster
shows an amazingly high per
cent of works that have estab-
lished themselves in the stand
ard repertoire. The most fa-
nous are, perhaps. the Bartok
concerto for orchestra, one of
the most widely admired pieces
of contemporary orchestral mu-
sic. and Peter Grimes" the
opera by Benjamin Britten
which has been played all over
the world and which has never
known a hiatus Of a single
season since first produced in
1945.
Among other composers
commissioned by the founda-
ton are Barber. Paul Ben
Hahn, Berezowsky, Bergsma,
Bernstein, Blitzstein, Bloch,
Carter, Chavez, Chevreuille,
COPELAND, Dallapiccola, Dello
Joio. Diamond, Fine, Fitelberg,
Foss, Galindo, Earl George,
Guarnieri. Haieff, Hanson, Roy
Harris, Walter Sinclair Hart
ley "a Washingtonian) Edward
B. Hill, Honegger, Ibert, An
drew Imbrie, Kassern, Ulysses
Kay. Malipiero, Martinu, Mil
haud, Piston, Riegger. Schoen-
berg, Schuman, Stravinsky.
Randall Thompson, Virgil