Word: munched
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Everywhere the Americans settle in provincial Thailand, a miniature boom inevitably ensues. Bars, nightclubs, tailor shops and bowling alleys sprout. Udorn boasts the slick new Udorn Hotel; across the street G.l.s munch cheese burgers and chicken-in-the-basket in the Silhouette Restaurant before pushing off for the Playboy and Mona Lisa bars. Korat offers pleasures ranging from a town square filled with fortunetellers to miniature golf...
...Introduction and Allegro for strings, which opened the program, is typically eupbonious and harmless Elgar, but lacking the distinction of his masterly character studies. Considering the short spans and redundancy of the thematic material, the excitement and coherence which Munch created was especially impressive...
...Munch also found the concert an irresistible opportunity for resuscitating Symphony Hall's gilded plumbingvia the Symphony No.3 of Saint-Saens, the so-called Organ Symphony. Politely termed "eclectic" in content, the symphony's overall level of subtlety and sophistication is best revealed by the descending C-major scale, played ff by the organ, which brings the work to an appropriate close. The listener is always guaranteed a few nervous thrills; but Friday's performance offered far more. Munch focused the overextended first movement into several overwhelming climaxes, emphasized its contrasts, and even created, amazingly, a genuine air of tragedy...
...real triumph of the afternoon came with the Fantaisies Symphoniques, the Sixth Symphony, of the late Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu. It is unsurprising that the performance appeared beyond reproach, for the symphony was composed for Munch himself, with his conducting talents explicitly in mind. Munch united all the conflicting episods (ranging from ominous ostinate passages to hymnlike chords) into a thoroughly convincing whole. This was a difficult achievement, for the work is diffuse in form and ambiguous in meaning. It is suggested that Martinu was here meditating about his imminent death...
Orchestral playing throughout the concert was of rare spirit and accomplishment. The Elgar, however, made clear that these aren't the Cleveland Orchestra strings in precision or tone. Munch's gestures were both beautiful and highly effective, though almost casual and spontaneous. It is a great pleasure to find dignity, grace, and conviction once again on the podium at Symphony Hall...