Evening star., 1955-03-13
Culture Pile Advocates
Miqht Run Test Project
By Day Thorpe

could you ask In tne way OF
culture?
Now If you have music.
drama, fine arts and COM
munications TO put In this
building, that's something else
again. But plans for the meat
of the nut have been as in
conspicuous as the shouting
for the building has been
vociferous. And in the Thomp-
son bill who make up the
proposed advisory board?
Their names are listed in four
and a half pages and include
the Amateur Athletic Union,
the Sports Fishing Institute,
the United Service Organiza-
= tions, the National Social We'll
fare Assembly, the American
Legion Auxiliary. the Marine
Corps Reserve Officers Asso-
citation, the Marine Corps
League. the Catholic War Vet
Grams of the United States, the
Jewish War Veterans of the
United States of America, the
American Federation of Labor,
the Congress of Industrial Or
ganiZationS, the American
Farm Bureau Federation, the
National All Club Foundation,
the American Home Economics
Association and the United
States Chamber of Commerce.
The connection between
these groups and the fine arts
seems remote, but it may be
only out of sight. To put the
proposition to the test, the
members of Congress who are
so concerned with Washington
culture might lease tcondem-
nation would probably be un-
necessary the National Thea
ter for seven or eight years,
remodel it slightly, and start
giving operas and making mass
communications. Their opera
house would be bigger than "a
out of 25 in Europe, and hardly
less suitable than the best. If
the plan were a great success,
there could be little objection
to a more elaborate head
quarters.
Or, better yet, why not get
in touch with the people Rep
reSentative Adam c. Powell, jr.,
of New York speaks of. II can
state positively" said Mr..
Powell February %, that a
group associated with the arts
for many years and spear
headed by one of the biggest
investment corporations will
completely finance the project
without / cent of expense to
the United States" All the
group wants is a site. Why
not give it. together with
bronze medal of congressional
appreciation?
v
Complaint for Mr.. ormondy
Those who say it doesn't
matter what Tchaikovsky SYM
phony you play, reckon with
out George Huber, who wrote
us this week:
l gotta complain to some
body, and you're" handiest.
About the Philadelphia play
ing Tchaikovsky's 4th instead
of 9th as advertised.
I'm not arguing about the
relative merits of the two SYM
phonies; both are fine ones,
both are standard works, and
I at least can hear either time
and again without growing
tired of them.
I can afford only about four
or five concerts a year at 81
with guest), so have to pick
and choose. So ever since it
was announced, I had planned
to hear the Philadelphia
Ormandy play Tchaikovsky's
9Th. I bought good seats in
the exact location / wanted,
and was prepared for a thor
oughly fine evening.
Because I get to so few con-
certs. I perhaps prepare for
them more thoroughly than
the average concertgoer. I get
as familiar as possible with
the music to be played. In
this case I even purchase a
record of the Philadelphia
Ormandy 9Th and played it
many times. I got to know
their version so well I could
have stepped up there and
filled in for Ormandy. I was
able to play the principal
themes on the harmonica the
only instrument I OWN, and
hummed practically the whole
symphony to my guest while
enroute to Constitution Hall.
So it was quite shock when
they banged away with the
4th. And all this without an
apology OF an explanation.
With the music of the 9Th
running through my head, it
was agony to listen to the 4th.
and it was all I could do to
keep from getting up and
stomping out of the place. The
4th is a fine work but has an
entirely different pattern from
the 9Th. Had I been prepared
for the 4th it would have been
okay. but I was prepared for
the 9Th.
It's like expecting a drink
of smooth scotch. and instead
getting a slug Of gin.
Well. I got it off my chest
anyway.
GEORGE HUBER.
pAA~ ~H -x-x~