Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-05
BY IRVING LOWENs

got q welcome midsummer
present last night from WT'TG-
TV (Channel 81 in the form
Of q telecast Of Benjamin
Britten's awe-inspiring "War
Requiem" composed for the
conservation Of the new Ca
thedral at Coventry. built after
the old one had been reduced
to rubble by German bombs
druing World War II.
The performance was by the
Boston Symphony Orchestra
playing under the direction Of
its regular conductor. Erich
Leinsdorf, assisted by the Co
lumbus Boys Choir, the Chorus
Pro Musica, soprano Phillis
Curtin, tenor Nicholas Di
Virgilio, and baritone Tom
Krause.
The setting was the Music
Shed at Tanglewood, and the
concert, which took place there
on July ~, was the American
premiere Of the Britten work.
A Memorial Tribute
Mr.. Leinsdorf offered 1t in
momory of the late Serge
Koussevitzky, his great prede-
cessor as conductor of the Bos-
ton Symphony Orchestra, who
established the Berkshire Music
Center at Tanglewood, and who
was one Of the most eloquent
champions Of the contempt
rary composer in modern times.
The Britten "War Requiem"
hardly arrives in this country
unheralded. Ever since its first
performance In the Coventry
Cathedral in May Of last year,
1t has reused tremendous en-
thusiasm among its hearers.
Many critics have characterized
it as the brilliant (and still
comparatively young) English
composers greatest work: 9TH
erS have been bold enough to
proclaim 1t one Of the musical
masterpieces Of the goth cent
ury.
And in truth, even in video-
tape, Britten's deeply-felt pro-
test against war and its horrors
proved to be poignant and
moving.
Scoring Is Delicate
Despite the fact that the
score calls for a tremendous
array Of performers, the COM
poser marshalls his army in
much the same manner as does
Berlioz in his Requiem Mass
almost never does he unleash
its full, naked power. Rather,
the scoring is delicate and
transparent, and the effects
are secured through suggestion
and. understatement, not by
overwhelming the audience.
The architecture Of the WAR
Requiem" is somewhat unusual.
The larger groups-full orches-
ira, chorus with solo soprano,
Boys choir-perform the sec
tons Of the traditional Mass
for the Dead in Latin. Inter-
woven are settings of poems by
Wilfred Owen, an Englishman
who was killed during World
War I one week before the
Armistice, sung by tenor, BARI
tone, and the two men In duet
accompanied by a chamber
orchestra Of a dozen instru-
mentalists.
Britten is wonderfully sensi-
tive to the nuances of the
English language, and his vio-
lent hatred Of war and killing
is echoed in some Of his most
inspired pages. It would be
difficult to match his tenor
setting Of Owens Move him
into the sun" which concludes
the "Dies Irae" anywhere in
his own music; it would be
difficult to match his painfully
lovely Liberia me" (Which
brings the war Requiem" to
a stunning close), with its in
terspersed LET us sleep now"
anywhere in the music Of our
day.
1O-Minute Ovation
The performance, an excel
lent one. called forth q 10
minute ovation from the au-
dience, all Of which was faith
fully shown on the videotape.
Since an excellent recording
Of the war Requiem" has
been available for som e
months now. the telecast
brings UP the inevitable ques-
ton: What does the little
screen add to the music?
In this case, despite the
built-in inferior sound which
one accepts as part Of the
medium. the little screen adds
quite q bit. 1t Is a documen-
tary Of a particular perform
ance that is being shown, and
those who are interested have
a wonderful opportunity to
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