Evening star., 1963-01-13
BY IRVING LOWENS
Star Music Critic

BY IRVING LOWENS
Star Music Critic
The long drought Of New
York newspapers has had
some unexpected repercus-
sions in the musical world.
Among those most seriously
affected by lack of news
paper coverage are the am
bilious young singers and in-
strumentalists who are heard
in debut recitals in the big
city's concert halls.
These outlanders, not in
frequently quite talented, are
the victims of a system which
forces them to get favorable
New York notices if they are
to go up in the profession. AS
a consequence, hundreds Of
them scrimp and save and
finally manage to get to
Gotham.
Once there, a hall is hired
and they reveal themselves to
the metropolitan music crit
ics-the rest of the audience
really doesn't matter. Every
once in a blue moon, some
body is discovered" but no
obdy really hopes to hit the
jackpot. What is sought is a
sentence, a phrase, or even
an adjective which can be
quoted to prove" that they
made good in New York.
Debut Recitals
Even before the newspapers
shut down, the situation was
alarming. There were so
many debut recitals taking
place that the chances for
coverage, despite a long
standing newspaper policy
that recognized the realities
of the situation and gave
debut recitalists priority, were
very slim indeed. Many gam
bled and lost-in silence.
But now the silence is alb
solute, and the hopefuls come
and go, and nobody even
knows about it.
This situation was brought
to mind, thanks to a letter
which reached us two weeks
ago. The writer was Richard
Morris-you probably do not
remember his n anne unless
you happened to be in the
audience when he played at
the Corcoran Gallery last
Sunday.
Meager Notice
From New York. Mr.. Nor
ris wrote in a letter dated
January Q:
"You have most likely not
heard of me. unless, perhaps,
you have noticed that l am
to appear in recital at the
Corcoran Gallery this Sum
day, January 6. Much of the
information about my past
that ] am a native Hoosier.
a graduate Of indiana Uni
Versity, a student of Sidney
Foster there, and that I am
the head of the piano faculty
at the University of Missouri
can be obtained from the
brochures which I enclose.
Not that all this means so
much!
Il am in New York where
I am giving my debut this
Friday in Town Hall. But as
is widely known. the news
paper strike is not settled,
and there seems to be the
least of possibilities that it
will be settled before my con-
cert - all Of which would
sum up TO the fact that my
financial and professional in
vestment here will find in
deed meager and diminishing
returns certainly, / am one
among many due to little
and irregular notice. and no
reviews.
My program at the Cor
coran will be the same as is
on the New York flyer. The
Sonatina Of Mr.. Kaufman
CWalter Kaufman. former
conductor Of the Winnipeg
Symphony, now on the fac
ulty at Indiana University l
feel sure. as he does, is the
first performance In Wash
ineton as II is In New York,
unless you are otherwise in
formed.
THUS. even though I may
be entirely out Of line in
writing this letter TO you, I
would like 10 say that ! would
appreciate more than I could
ever impart the coyerage by
The Evening Star Of my con-
cert at the Corcoran. And /
sincerely hope that / am not
offending you in doing so.