Evening star., 1957-12-31
NEWS or MUSIC
BY IRVING LOWENS
Contributing Critic

National Symphony Orchestra, Paul
Paray. guest conductor. In Constitu.
ton Hall Program: Symphony No. 4
IN Y minor, Opus o.. Brahms; La
Dss;sfs Dsss Eavs sEe.sDs. Asr9Son 1Ss q En-. ps Dam
nation Of Faust" Berlioz.
The National Symphony Or
chestra. currently enjoying its
most successful season thus far
from both artistic and finan-
cial viewpoints. was heard last
night in Constitution Hall
under the baton of Paul Paray,
distinguished French conduc-
tor Of the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra.
AS was to be expected. there
was nothing on the program
that could remotely be called a
novelty. and that is as it should
be when a visiting conductor
directs an orchestra with which
he is not particularly familiar.
There is no time for adequate
rehearsal Of strange pieces.
Both orchestra and director
should rather be called upon
for something SO well known
to them that all attention can
be focused on Interpretation
and none on technical prob
lens. The excitement in such
a situation comes from the
fresh insight that a new intel
ligence brings to bear on some
thing which perhaps had been
allowed to lose its freshness.
And that was exactly what
happened last night with the
Brahms Fourth, which received
a reading more vibrantly alive
than any this reviewer has
heard in quite some time. 1t is
fashionable these days to Jump
on Brahms, to denounce him as
overstuffed. long-winded and
whatnot. We tend to forget
that while these things may be
true, he was also a great ge-
Mus.
Everything about the z minor
Symphony went to demonstrate
that yesterday. 1t was full of
fire and tender warmth. its
texture was of the most delicate
transparence, its eloQuence was
breathtaking. and the conduc-
tor received a well-deserved
ovation.
1t takes an occasional guest
appearance by a fine conductor
to reveal just how magnificent
an instrument Howard Mitchell
has really fashioned in his
years here in Washington. IN
der Paray, the orchestra is per-
hapS a shade less brilliant. per-
haps shade more subtle. but
there was never the slightest
question of its senSitivity 10
the demands OF its leader or its
virtuoSo calibre.
II the orchestra sounded
especially luStrous and alert,
one Of the reasons may have
been Paray's rearrangement Of
the seating. We are so used
to hearing the celli come from
the front of DIR. Mitchell and
the percussion from the right,
that it was quite q revelation
to be subjected to them from
different portions of the stage
II only for the fact that this
sort Of thing forcibly reminds
US how little even the highest
| n can capture the actual per-
AOl lLAdli(Cs cuCAi NtAdAAkC "a
occasionally welcome.
The second half Of the pro-
gram was all-French. and
curiouSly enough. it turned out
TO be not nearly so satisfying
as the Brahms. DebuSsy and
Berlioz were in excellent voice,
but somewhat on the light side {;
Ravel. for some reason, sounded
downright superficial and tin
selly. II is a rare occasion
these days when Brahms out
shines the scintillating men of
France. especially under the
baton of one OF the Gallo i'm
mortals-a member OF the
Institut and a commander in
the Legion of Honor, as is
Paray. But so II was.
Meanwhile, DR.. Mitchell will