Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-08
NEWS OF MUSIC
BY DAY THORPE

war. the Authors Club in New
York published volume in
appreciation of Feodor Vladi-
mir Larrovitch, the great 18th
century Russian author Noting
that the fame Of Larrovitch
was at that time more or less
confined to scholarly circles in
the United States, since few of
his novels and mock-epic
poems had been translated
into English. the Authors Club
enterprisingly initiated the
publication of complete edi-
ton of the masters works,
emitting only a few of the
more polemical disquiSitionS on
controversies the heat of which
had entirely evaporated. and
the cause or even the existence
of which was no longer re-
membered.
The edition, unfortunately,
was never completed, for first
the war brought on paper
shortage which might have
made such a venture appear
unpatriotic, and then, after
the war, it became apparent
that the association of an au-
thorS' club and an eminent
Russian propaganda might be
little short of scandalous. Thus
Larrovitch. who in Moscow
and St. Petersburg is granted
the reverence accorded Toll
Stoy, Dostoevsky, and Turge-
new. is still in America known
more intimately by the collec-
tor than by the purchaser OF
paper-back reprints.
A Question of Awareness
The Authors Club, as far as
Is known. made no plans to
publish the musical compost
tions of Larrovitch, if indeed 1t
vas aware that their writer
was a composer who considered
his sixth symphony and par
ticularly his "Arensky" varia-
tons of greater artistic worth
than all his novels and poems.
Larrovitch is one of that
small group Of writer's of which
other eminent members are
Sidney Lanier, Gerard M. Hop
kins, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rous-
seau, and Richard Wagner.
who held music to be their
true meter, although they had
achieved their primary recog-
milton by their written words.
In his fatherland, away from
which. by the way, Larrovitch
lived almost his entire life in
voluntary exile, his work is be-
coming more and more thought
OF as that paragon of art-mu-
sic appealing intensely and
personally to the general pub
lie. a magnificent vehicle for
the virtuoso conductor, loved
and respected by the serious
lover, venerated by the
conservative. cherished by the
svant garde, and compre-
hended by music-critics.
Orchestra an impeachment
1t may be wondered at that
to Larrovitch himself and to
posterity his nine symphonies
are his greatest and most in
works the symphony
numbered 10 actually follows
the eighth, for the composer
skipped number nine, for OBJ
vious reasons, since Larro-
witch had little knowledge Of
orcheStration, and disliked to
be "fettered by Instruments"
as he puts it. Like Berlioz. how
ever. he was adept at guitar,
cymbals, and side-drum. and
customarily indicated the other
instruments of the orchestra
as lad libitum." This practice
may account for the spirit of
spontaneity and freshness that
pervades performances of all
the symphonies, particularly
the profound and moving
adagios.
Born in the village of
Tsubskaia, in the Caucasus. on
July 4. 1917 Jordan err
roneously gives the date as
April rs, new stylel Larro-
witch was not an infant
prodigy. His total deafness
was not Immediately discovered
by his parents, who seem, on
the whole, to have been simple
folk quite unappreciative of
genius. The future composer
was in his early teens when he
became aware that to him, as
to Beethoven, deafness was a
blessing, forcing him to rely
on his inner ear, and sparing
his sensitive nature no little
cacophony.
Idol Of Rimsky-KOrsakO
Joining the Russian navy
(he was to become the idol OF
Rimsky-Korsakov, who re-
all the LarroVitch