Evening star., 1960-03-13
NEWS OF MUSIC
BY DAY THORPE
Star Music Critic

IlOC Tile dCIudI program OI n
recital on concert is subject
to any laws or conventions,
like the order of courses in a
dinner. or whether what is
sung or played, and the or
der in which the numbers are
presented, are matters of
pure whimsy. My first
thought was We'll, yes and
no." but a little rumination
made me wonder why the
typical public program, un-
questionably quite Stereo-
typed, has become what it is.
Originality in any repeated
endeavor is a rare virture,
not only because Of the
power of inertia.
It is also dangerous. since,
If the basis ingredients you
give an audience is what the
audience expects. the battle
for acceptance is already half
won.
1t is not both odd and for
tunate that in our daily
newspapers. and particularly
on our fifteen minute news
broadcasts, the affairs Of
this great mixed up heap of
a world neatly arrange them
selves into news that is al
ways in order - a little
domestic craftsmanship, a
little foreign politics. a bit
of disaster or other act Of
God, weather, sports, and
finally an ancedote about a
child, a dog, or a taxi
driver?
So it is with the musical
program. 1t has become
tailored to be identifiable
and saleable. Public concerts
are a relatively new feature
of the art of music. Initiated
about $50 years ago. they
are, generally speaking, only
so years old as big business.
Symphony Order Of Old
When the symphony con-
cert first began to be a pub
lie function, heretofore re-
served by the nobility and
the wealthy. it was a sporadic
affair. 1t tried to make up
for its irregularity and in
frequency by what we would
consider inordinate length
perhaps three or four hours,
with a symphony. a con-
certo, an oratorio, and sew
eral concert arias. The SYM
phony was ordinarily divided
between the two halves of the
concert, with the first move
ment near the beginning and
the other three at the end.
Though such length and ar.
rangement are entirely un-
known today. the most amaz-
ing difference in the two eras
Of symphony concert life. is
that now virtually all music
played by a standard SYM
phony is venerable and ac-
cepted, with the contemporary
composition appearing seldom
and apologetically.
Until the middle Of the 18th
century the typical public
concert was entirely of new
music, as today most Broad
way shows are written for
their audiences.
Increase Of Instruments
The development Of the
symphony orchestra as a cul-
tural and civic necessity COIN
cided to a large degree with a
great increase in the expense
Of producing symphonies.
Although base ball teams
managed to maintain a max
imum Of nine players. or
chestraS grew to eighty or
ninety, even though the great
majority Of the composers
who wrote the music they
played never imagined such
mammoth hi-fi systems. To
help pay the expenses Of this
intricate and unwieldy ma
chinery, the symphony or
chestra, which had existed
primarily for the entertain
ment Of a small group of
music lovers, had to attract
two new audiences-children,
and those for whom music Is
only one Of life's incidental
attractions. How this task was
accomplished is a long and
fascinating story, but ! con-
fine myself to the single
aspect Of the program. About
fifty years ago the symphony