Evening star., 1960-06-19
BY DAY THORPE
Star Music Critic

1t is always pleasant and
heartwarming to read an
announcement of grants by
the Ford Foundation, to see
the names of a few delivers
and dreamerS who have final
ly got theirs, and to consider
that not the least remarkable
fact about the flivver is that
q symbol of American eco
nomics is making possible
many a project Of no con-
ceivable economic possibil-
tiles.
. The latest news is of IA
fellowships of from $2,500
to $500 apiece designed
primarily to assist persons
. not regularly associated with
academic institutions to un-
dertake studies of potential
significance to others inter-
ssted in the field of creative
arts" The names of two
fine musicians Immediately
strike the eye-"Antal Do
rati. former music director
of the Minneapolis Symphony
Orchestra, development for
the contemporary symphonic
repertoire of recently discov-
cred italian baroque musical
compositions" and Noah
Greenberg, musical director,
the New York Pro Musica
Antigua, development into
the contemporary musical
repertoire of works in the
medieval Coventry cycle"
Arranging and Editing
Note how in foundationeSe
the word development" is a
. synonym for arrange" or
"edit for" Mr.. Dorati. we
can presume, is interested in
arranging some beautiful old
italian harpSichord ricercari
or violin concerti for full or
chestra. Noah Greenberg,
exultant over the fantastic
success of his revival of THE
Play of Daniel" wants to
edit some of the unfamiliar
early church plays of Coven-
try, England, for modern
use. These worthy activities
are of course Developments"
but they nevertheless could
be preparations" as in
Newell Jenkins, musical di-
rector. Clarion Concerts.
preparation of 18th and 18th
century instrumental and
vocal music for contempo-
-rary performance" BY the
way, Dorati and Jenkins had
better get together and fence
off their territories.
There are other fascinating
projects - Norman Juster,
architect. Brooklyn. a book
on urban environment aimed
at increasing visual percep-
ton in young people" Forty
years ago this need would
have been met by a book
THE Rover Boys in Min
neapolis."
Provocative Suggestions
Two projects are magnifi-
cent in their simplicity and
put thoughts of designing
avarice in my head-"Walter
McQuade, architect and
architectural critic, the writ
ing of architectural criti-
cism," and John Peter.
architectural critic, an oral
history of modern architects
as a basis for insight into
contemporary architecture"
I shall apply for a grant
which I will be awarded with
the citation ID. Thorpe. mu-
sic critic. the writing Of
music criticism" or Ditto.
music critic. an oral history
of modern musicians as a
basis for insight into con-
temporary music" This last
is a lead pipe cinch-I can
just put a bottle of cognac
near at hand some evening
and talk about modern mu-
sicians from Debussy to
Blackwood for an hour or so.
There's a basis for insight for
you.
If I seem to treat these
grants with unseemly levity,
it is really not so. 1t Ger
tainly is a fine and rare
thing in this world for some
one to find himself enabled to
to do some frivolous deed
close to his heart. Who, for
example, will be able, unless
subsidized by Ford, to devote
himself for a year to proving
the truth or falsity CT the
following elusive proposition?
I'm the game of poker, as
the number of wild cards is
increased the more skillful
player enjoys a greater and