The world of the conductor; Among the lesser lights

The world of the conductor a series of programs in which leading conductors of today speak about symphonic music in the 20th century. The world of the conductor is produced and recorded at station w h y y in Philadelphia under a grant from the National Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters. In the history of the performing arts it is the performer himself who is largely responsible for developing public taste only through the efforts of recreation as the spectrum of taste and knowledge and large and refined. We therefore have reason to be grateful to those musicians who are willing to gamble and to bring us compositions which might otherwise langar for ever on dusty library shelves. Certainly not every little blade work is an undisputed masterpiece. And

yet in the excitement of discovery there often come to light. Admirable compositions which not only provide a pleasant and often needed respite from a steady diet of the famous 50 but also aid greatly in giving historical and creative perspective to public taste and critical discernment. This is James Keeler inviting you to join us for this broadcast in the series the world of the conductor which has as its subtitle among the lesser lights. We'll be speaking with two conductors who particularly through their recordings have brought to light interesting and often exciting music. Through his recordings of two symphonies by Franz Baer about Igor Marquet the Chinese brought to light this little known 19th century Swedish composer who was a contemporary of Schubert and Berlioz a curious figure both in his music and personal life exhibits and eclecticism in his music on the one hand and on the other a strong individuality which sets him apart from his more famous contemporaries.

We spoke to Igor my Cambridge about the eclectic nature of the symphonies and he replied Yes because it's a question of e-book discovered by a pure case when I was in stock. And I thought that all that this and that it is so interesting and what happened to him in his life you see he was then he went to Vienna and he thowt to be and then here had a lot of advantages in his life as a composer he was completely forgot that a real strong person that it kind of. Tendency to for the unexpected detail

and I think that sometimes his music gives the impression to be composed by a drunk man and there is something so strange in the way he use for instance that the percussion is completely unusual and the nuances opposition can be compared only to bellow yours but they are very strange and unusual and I think that the general atmosphere of his symphony is quite personal. But the real reason for which I start to conduct it is that in Scandinavia there was absolutely no composer in that time. So it was interesting to get such a stranger and a striking personality and these symphonies in Europe became. Real success now they are played as men.

And I think that it was interesting to hear them recorded for this reason because also for the music history it is more than a curiosity. Like France about the 20th century French composer Al Bell who sell exhibits a strongly personal quality in his music. And yet despite all the elements which would seem to indicate otherwise his music is rarely performed in the concert hall today. We spoke to Eric's Leinsdorf about out there who sell and he warmly characterized his feelings toward the French composer. One of my most beloved French composers a bit of a puzzle to me why he is not yet in the repertory like that either because I think the divisions that are there ARE DONE THE GREAT deal.

There are many pieces of yourself which could take their place just alongside one of them being the sweet in Father than there are at least two symphonies which I think Ike's storm not really good. And there's of course the sweets from the ballet. Most of it also has a distinction all its own and this rhythmic drive of which you speak. Of course I think it was a list to be made it is a little bit more difficult to perform than either the C or R bell which played themselves I mean even you would know in Philadelphia about this but even medium orchestra I mean an ox which is not suppose you can make can make rival come off but not all set. Really I think does need a first rate band class to have its full glory cannot be done by anything second as second rate which is not the case. I was very interested to hear you say that this was almost stylistically it's

was selling very it seems little else I have always felt this that he stands apart really in the in the modern French school from me or from what I found. If anything I think he is a little closer to him than to any French comparison. Some of the some of the gentlemen of the orchestra who did not recall having played the F battle Sal mentioned afterward through reading it the first time this is a bit like in the NE so spots and it's something to it. We spoke to Erich Leinsdorf next about the 19th century German composer painter Cornelius and specifically commented on the interest of his comic opera The Barber of Baghdad which Mr. Leinsdorf has recorded. I'm very happy to know that the work finds the tension of the radio stations playing classical music because I do think that while I don't think there's much hope of seeing it on our

operatic stages. I think the music deserves to be heard. Listening to it I have as I guess we I want to do try to associate it with well we say what does it sound like when you heard this before I may not. And I think a Berlioz is not the only one I can pin it down to that there are Casterley and melodically there they seem to be strong ten years of barely. Well I also find that there are some VBR in it I should like to suggest that some of the gallantry of a bar especially some of the orchestra figures accompanying some of the tennis outbursts in the first act. I should I should suggest that especially a certain kind of repeated figuration Tara Tara Tara Tara is very much used by by I think Cordell us on a bad day but I don't we still find it if you think of the time I was overt you were in the famous vowel in pageant idea. Yeah this is it typical figure of the

Galant period romantic phrase I had all week and I found a good bit of it in Cornelius. The Apostle in Cornelius is that of course he is harmonic is how much is use of harmony is very strongly influenced by Wagner by the by Gary in school it is a good change of the. Wagnerian flavor and yet the the subject matter then going into the into the ornamentation of the muezzins at the opening here second act of course is something which never is even remotely like natty and then comes this delightful tree up which isn't like organized like a canon between them. What's the name of the Yama faithful bystander Astara and how far the county. And this again has no more Wagner in it than if you know this

goes back again to the comic opera to the opera before almost this account. A comp on amount of boost. This could be 8 or later Rossini if you please all host. So there is a certain mixture of effort in just and yet the workers are in original flavor all its own. I know I thought it one moment and one of the lines there was a diminished passage that reminded me for some reason of Tristan I show up in TWINE even the word toy that he gets then oh yes that is quite a bit of this Wagnerian chromaticism of the typical style Yes definitely but not universally not all of the work. And there are many many aspects of Jesus sort of all I can tell of the 19th century you know over 12 avenues and beliefs and that is certain. Certainly if you get the perspective of much that has happened in the 19th

century and in this music and I'm very very sorry that the opera is unlikely to be seen on a stage because then magically for stage purposes it is not its strong work. But musically I think it is a gem and a delight. Well this is one of the I suppose certainly one of the reasons we have to be thankful to recordings because of having it available as this we concentrate on the music I muse I don't think that this is really one opera bit where the recording takes a definite place of some other manifestation because I doubt very much if I produce it specially. Today where the production costs are very high and you have to perform the acts a certain number of times I doubt very much that it will be produced in this country. So we're speaking of Wagner and we find economists that his own libretto. Yes and his facility and handling German and all the

languages must go where the barber recites his various qualifications. Yes. For example it's a marvelous A tour de force and only very very well done and the only thing where Cornelius was obviously not the same master as Wagner was was to really have a plot that will be dramatically interesting because this is dramatically dramatically the work is weak because it is funny when you read it. It's funny when you hear it and when you see it on stage it does not have this dramatic tension which you must have in order to make a stage work come off. But as a musical score I find it's a pair but I was very very happy when I was asked to conduct the recordings. It is not that well-known back even in Europe it is nearly forgotten. I know. When I was a student. In general but I grew up. It was in the

repertoire of the opera. And you would be given all three four times every Yeah. But I remember distinctly as an indifferent performance it was sort of part of the repertory. It is a work also which is some book learning to be part of adopted and somewhat shocked to be given the lonely sea through acts. But yet I must say the delights of the music make up for possible weaknesses. We've been speaking with Erich Leinsdorf about the music of Peter Cornelius and other oversell and earlier with Igor Markovitch about the works of Franz beveled in this program subtitled among the lesser lights in the series the world of the conductor. The end. Of. The world of the conductor is produced and recorded at station W.H.

y y in Philadelphia under a grant from the National Educational Television and Radio center and is being distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is James Keeler inviting you to join us next week when our guests will be Eric's Leinsdorf and lamppost to come ski. This will be the first in a group of programs subtitled Mozart the Universal Composer. With. The. Yang. Was unwilling at the end. This is the end E.B. Radio Network.