Word: martinu
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...Choral Society seemed beautifully trained, especially when they sang softly, but their interpretation of early music, such as Dufay's Magnificat in the Eighth Mode, was overly romantic. They were better in interesting contemporary pieces by Martinu and Harris. Elizabeth Kalkhurst was the fine soprano soloist...
Even in this comparatively minor work, Mozart exhibits his uncanny scoring ability. The instrumentation is perfectly suited to the music, and no other combination seems possible. Such is not the case with the other duo work on the program, Martinu's Three Madrigals. This is good, strong stuff, but has little instrumental logic. Of course, not all local color is eliminated, and there are several very impressive effects: the viola is often used as a percussive instrument, and the skilful utilization of mutes gives an eerie flavor to the second madrigal. But nearly always, another instrument would have been equally...
...next, for its first visit in 13 years. Its conductor, Rafael Kubelik, was in an awkward spot, since the Chicago is not renewing his contract (the Metropolitan Opera's Fritz Reiner will succeed him). But he picked an ambitious program, including Beethoven's Eroica and Modernist Bohuslav Martinu's Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano and Kettledrums, and led his musicians in some expansive, grand-manner interpretations...
...same thing for opera. The tried & true arias have long been popular favorites on such TV variety programs as Your Show of Shows and Toast of the Town. The NBC network pioneered in producing such TV-sized operas as Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and Martinu's The Marriage. In Manhattan, independent station WPIX has been telecasting Opera Cameos for the past three years, complete with a sponsor (Progresso Brand Quality Foods) and a ready-made audience of opera lovers...
Best of all, from NBC's viewpoint is the growing number of network stations which choose to carry the opera series-26 for Martinu's Marriage last week. Adler and Chotzinoff are men with a mission these days. Says Chotzinoff: "Television is the only hope of opera in America...