Evening star., 1957-12-15
NEWS or MUSIC
Nv DAY THORPE

has recently been cited again
as champion OF contemporary.
music. Everybody is de-
lighted. for we all like TO
honor the vertical artist. but
most Of US insist on enjoy
ing only the work Of the
horizontal one. 1t Is an un-
happy circumstance. and one
that Is often deplored but
almost never denied.
Todays public wants to 90
70 contemporary plays. read
books just of the press. hang
pictures before the paint is
dry. The contemporary COM
poser Is tolerated. applauded.
helped. criticized. patronized.
but all too seldom enjoyed.
But We should remember this
Is true only when we classify
music in two completely
arbitrary compartments -
classic" and popular" more
colorfully nominated "long-
hair" and short hair"
Drama. poetry. the novel. or
the motion picture do not
have this horrid distinction
thrust upon them. and It is
clear that there is q great
deal Of contemporary music
that enjoys q large audience
when we get In the realm Of
the Broadway show, the hit
tune. or the hill-billy reli-
gious ballad.
In former days the con-
eert-going public felt at
home only with contemporary
music. Just as today the play
going public wants, above
all. something new on the
stage. and tolerates revivals,
II at all. only with . certain
SNUG condescension. It Is
notable how seldom the
classic composers. however
pressed by the immanence Of
O concert or q church serv-
ice. relied upon music Of an
epoch gone by. or even upon
their own earlier pieces.
Music in Bach's day. in
Mozart's. and even In Robert
Schumann's day, to be sale
able. generally speaking. had
TO be new.
Familiar Music II Bait
Today the situation Is diff
ferent, and I suggest the
something new that has been
added is money.
Early orehestras were far
from democratic in appeal.
but were unusually the per-
QuiSites Of courts. The pro-
fessional performing musi-
clan. as distinct from the
composer who plays. was be-
ginning to appear only in
Beethoven's time. Beethoven
piano sonatas. for example.
were seldom II ever played in
public concerts by professional
musicians during the life
time OF the composer. and
even years later We learn
from Schumann's letters that
"the public" as he under
stood it was what We would
now call the connoisseur.
A time went on the notion
that music was an important
part Of life led to the belief
that everybody should have
music made available
to him. Music Il the most
expensive Of all the arts. and
while single artists and small
ensembles could satisfactorily
be underwritten by philan-
thropy. whether that Of the
state or of individuals, the
two most costly Of musical
productions. opera and the
symphony. were only partially
subsidized. The public is
still supposed to pay It's
share.
Now as this expensive lux
ury. the orchestra. came
more and more TO seek out
every possible individual with
ears to hear and q dollar to
spend. in order TO augment
It's always insufficient sub
sidy. 1t began to limit its
product so that what 1t had
10 sell would at least have the
appeel Of familiarity. Leon
ard Bernstein, the new con-
ductor of the New York Phil
harmonic. speaks Of the
nifty" pieces that make up
the repertoire of the modern
symphony orchestra. and the
modern American opera
house has an even more
limited repertoire. although
the music available to either
organization is almost limit
less. Familiarity. more than
any other single factor. Is
what sells a heterogeneous
audience. A hundred thou
sand people in Washington
this month will hear Handel's
Messiah" in one form or
another. The same COM
poser's Israel in Egypt" I
daresay. would not attract
5000. yet as a work Of art 1t
is In no single aspect inferior.
The Shift Is Painful
Now see in what q ridic-
ulous position the symphony
orchestra is placed when IL
comes to the question OF
contemporary" music. It
has spent years in acquiring
q mass following. the tastes
of which are limited TO a
small segment OF musical ex-
preston characteristic largely
OF the 19th century. Sud-
denly IL becomes advisable TO
present the modern long
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