Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-11

It was the first session of Il
Workshop. a plan devised by DR..
Mitchell and the symptoms
manager, Ralph Black. last
spring to give local conducting
students. local composers and
local instrumental and voice stu
dents the opportunity to acquaint
themselves with the only musical
instrument you can't buy your
self on the easy payment plan.
ALI local universities with de-
partments Of music were invited
to select their best talent in the
three fields, while the symphony
furnished the orchestra. the hall.
and the very best Of detailed,
constructive and considerate
criticism. Yesterdays session was
devoted to conductors and solo,
lists. The composers will be heard
May 10.
Old "Euryanthe" to Fore
The piece de resistance. to use
an exactly appropriate phrase,
was Weber's "Euryanthe" over
ture. The orchestra was to fol-
low the conductor to whatever
extreme he might be tempted to
lead it, and to resist the human
impulse to gloss over his mis-
takes, to carry out an ambiguous
or half-expressed intention, to
make the crooked straight and
the rough places plain. The stu
dents each had free use Of is
minutes Of time. The overture
could be played through without
q stop; the orchestra could be
stopped at any passage for rep
etition or experimentation. The
conductor was at liberty to de-
vote his attention to any partic-
ular section Of the work he de-
sired. There was to be no prize,
no judging. no competition. This
was a workshop, not a contest
The fiattery Of unconsciou;
imitation was sometimes notice
able in the conductors. Pau
Traver has tried to appropriate
the characteristic Mitchell ges-
ture Of rising from heels to toes
inhaling to the depths Of the
thoracic cavity, eyes TOWARD
heaven, palms up. and out
stretched arms lifting a swell
ing phrase right through the
roof. Kenneth Valdes sings II
the Cathedral Choir and with
out a doubt keeps his eyes or
Paul Galloway. for his pointed
index fingers witch like strucl
chimes and his wrists rotat,
rapidly back and forth like thu
balance wheel of a watch. II
the pupil lives the master.
They Learn a Lot
Old Euryanthe was interpreted
a full half dozen ways. and. II
tell the truth. each interpreta'
ton was not always consistent
The young conductors learned {
lot-that the down-beat is les
important than the preparation
that leads UP to 1t. that vol
can't get a fortissimo from wine
players by a flick of the wrist
that you have to look at a mar
or a section If you want a re-
Spouse. that you can't mix uI
beats of two and beats Of foul
without confusion. There wert
no great conductors discovered ir
yesterdays proceedings. but there
were few without considerable
talent. just as later there were
no pianists who we're Giesekingl
or Schnabels, lacking only tn,
recognition Of a purblind public
1t is this fact that made tn,
workshop so great a success, anS
promises. If continued, that 4
will develop into one Of the mos
conspicuously worthwhile fea'
rures Of civic service that Howard
Mitchell has yet devised for tn,
National Symphony. For II tn,
students-both conductors ant
pianists-had been obviousl.
without talent, lugged in to TAX
part in a spectacular scheme o
the Symphony. 1t would hav
smacked Of the indecent to hav,
put a symphony orchestra. com
priced Of highly trained must
clans, at their service. II, on tn,
other hand, the students wer,
individuals Of OUTSTANDING
achievement they would hardl,
already have lacked a sponsor
They were in fact all simply in
terested and Woodworking stu
dents. for whom the value Of thi
work with the orchestra canno
be overestimated.
No Novelty 20 Some
After the conductors came tn