Those who have, by this time, learned to expect the unexpected from Dr. Koussovitsky, will be justified by this week's symphony program. The range is all that could be desired by the most broad-minded of listeners and the performance considering the orchestra's eight rehearsals and four concerts in this one week, is little short of a miracle.
The first unusual feature in the program is the variation from the traditional rendition of "Egmont" in the readings of Mr. Hale interspersed between Mme. Averino's singing and the purely orchestral passages.
This is followed by Mr. Thompson's 2nd Symphony written in Switzerland a short time ago. The composer has said of this symphony: "I have been sparing in my use of percussion punctuation in an attempt to make the music itself intrinsically rhythmic." In this he has amply succeeded. He has been so involved in this technical feat, however, that by the time the third movement is reached, the music strikingly resembles a popular tune. This is a fact not in the least derogatory to the symphony but it is likely to shorten its life when it becomes more generally known.
Read more in News
ANOTHER ASPECT
