The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 51, No. 9, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 6, 1963 Page: 15 of 16
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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6, 1963
THE THRESHER
Fifteen
■SEEN IN PASSING
Progress And The Pushers: Houston Symphony
By FRYAR CALHOUN
Weekly concerts by tho Houston Symphony Orchestra
probably provide the single most important contact of Rice
students with the cultural life of the city. The following
article, the first in a series devoted to Houston culture, is
written by a senior history major and member of Hanszen
College, who characterizes himself as "a casual observer
of the Houston Symphony with an interest in music from the
listener's viewpoint and some acquaintance with other
orchestras."—Ed.
The Houston Symphony Orchestra, recently em-
barked on its fiftieth concert season, is an object
of concern for two types of local citizens: the
music lover and the "Houston pusher." While the
orchestra has undoubtedly profited—especially
financially—from the attention o. the latter group,
this same attention has at times obstructed the
criticism so necessary to its artistic growth.
THIS OBSTRUCTION can best be seen in the
blaze of publVity heralding the otche itra's Golden
Annivets iry. The heralds range from critics in
Houston rewipapers to Time Magazine, and all
pay homayc to the remarkable improvement of
the ensemble since 1955—a demonstrable fact—
and to its 'rgh rank in the music world—a more
questionable proposition.
Time keyed its recent article on the emergence
of the Houston Orchestra as the best in the South-
west and, "most important, better than Dallas."
Local critics have on occasion evaluated the group's
stature in considerably more glowing terms.
THOSE WHO are more concerned with the
orchestra as the major local vehicle of serious
music than for its value to the Chamber of Com-
merce have been a little taken aback by the
immoderation of some of its supporters. If the
ensemble is the best in the Southwest, that's not
really saying very much.
Regular patrons can expect weekly concerts
which provide a rather standard—though in-
creasingly imaginative—program performed usual-
ly adequately, sometimes badly, and all-too-
infrequently excellently. There has been improve-
ment, but no miracle, at the Music'Hall.
THE MUSIC LOVER can thank the "Houston
pusher" for providing the financial support and
publicity which have made possible what growth
the orchestra has achieved. Unfortunately the
orchestra's backers have recently displayed an
alarming tendency to sit back in satisfied con-
templation of their handiwork.
If Houstonians want only an abbreviated series
of pedestrian concerts at which self-styled local
gentry can make occasional social appearances,
their work is finishe'd. But if the city wants an
orchestra of real national stature much remains
to be done.
THE CENTRAL point in the orchesti'a's dilemma
is that Houstonians are paying for exactly what
they are getting. Major American orchestras em-
ploy at least two full-time conductors and music
directors and pay their musicians monthly
salaries far exceeding Houston pay scales for
concert seasons nearly twice as long.
The combining factors of low wages and extreme-
ly short seasons make it nearly impossible for
Houston to attract solid, established musicians.
Rather, the local orchestra's personnel consists
largely of decidedly weak or inexperienced music-
ians with a sprinkling of sound and experienced
artists.
THE PLAYERS cannot subsist solely on their
salaries; they must hold other part-time jobs
during the season or in the off-season—or both.
And the conductor-in-chief, Sir John Barbirolli,
splits his: time between Houston and the - Halle
Orchestra in Manchester, England.
Although the pi'incipals in each division of the
orchestra are in most cases quite sound, certain
sectional weaknesses in the group are apparent—
at times painfully so—in concert. The strings,
with the exception of the basses, are adequate;
and Concertmaster Raphael Fliegel is always
equal to the tasks set for him.
THE 'WINDS are distinguished by good
principals in the oboe and clarinet sections but
are undermanned. Tympanist David Wuliger is
a fine and colorful performer*, but the horns are
passable at best. And the rest of the brass is
often glaringly weak.
The general quality and experience of the
orchestra usually limit its most effective perform-
ances to works by Mozart, Beethoven, and—
sometimes—Brahms:; ventures into more modern
music usually impress the listener more with the
courage of the undertaking than with the virtuosity
of the rendition.
DESPITE THE adulation so generously bestow-
ed upon the conductor, it seems to this observer
that Sir John's directorship has: not been flawless.
Admittedly, he is working with the double handicap
of generally weak personnel and divided attention,
but he has failed in some cases to make maximum
use of his material.
For example, the seating arrangement of the
orchestra, with the brass perched high atop tower-
ing risers, tends to accentuate the sound of the
weakest sections. Many a listener has been seen
cringing in terror as the trumpeters aim their
weapons at the balcony.
SIR JOHN'S conducting technique, while un-
doubtedly live and dedicated, lacks in deftness.
Moreover, the orchestra occasionally appears
under-rehearsed; the result is a performance at
times insufficiently cohesive.
Perhaps my major criticism of Sir John is
a matter of personal taste: I find his style too
effects of his ceaseless activity on the podium are
sometimes translated into the music. For example,
an otherwise good rendition of Shostakovich's
Fifth Symphony—a highly dramatic work in itself
—was presented rather melodramatically last week.
A GENERAL assessment of the skill of this
conductor, whose career has witnessed a straRge
tombination of triumphs and failures, is beyond
my capabilities. But I must agree with the ob-
servations of The Houston Post's Hubert Roussel,
who recently questioned the merits of. Sir John's
divided career and who suggested that a full-time
director might be necessary for the welfare of the
orchestra.
This same Mr. Roussel has played a strange
role as a critic of the orchestra; indeed, he has
lai'gely been a personification of the harmful, non-
critical attitude of the "Houston pusher." His
weekly comments on the orchestra last year
bordered on apotheosis: "soaring" concerts, heights
of artistic triumph.
AT TIMES HE seemed almost to say, "If only
Brahms could have been here . . ." For this year's
opening concert, however, he assumed a strange
and welcome critical pose.
My observation—perhaps an unfair one—is that
his criticism was directed at a performance which,
while certainly undistinguished, was certainly no
worse than several last year which he praised.
Perhaps the presence of a delegation of Eastern
observers strengthened his analytic resolve.
HOPEFULL^, though, Mr. Roussel determined
to provide Houstonians with a relaistic view of
their orchestra. It is none too soon.
If, under the influence of such criticism, the
ensemble's management will take some realistic
and necessary steps to raise salaries, lengthen the
concert season, and appoint a full-time director,
the Houston Symphony Orchestra's progress of
recent years may continue; and Houston, which
prides itself on being "the nation's sixth city,"
need not limit itself to an orchestra which ranks
closer to sixteenth.
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Alum Goyen Points Out
Need For Imagination
By JEFF WINNINGHAM
Describing his stay at Rice as
"the bleakest years of my life,"
author William Goyen returned
to Rice for the first time since
1939 to speak at a Baker College
night.
The young man often sought
to escape Math 100 in the Her-
mann Park "across the boule-
vard;" he managed to graduate
Phi Betta Kappa, but he quit the
introductory course four times
and was compelled to stay at
Rice a fifth year to pass the
course and get his B.A. degree.
GOYEN SPOKE primarily as
a writer speaking to aspiring new
writers of tomorrow, but his mes-
sage was clear and the point
for everyone present: we all need
a way to "cross the boulevard"
and retain the imagination and
personality which makes us in-
dividuals.
Despite the bleakness of his
years here, Mr. Goyen Avas quick
to point out that he now had a
great deal of affection for
Rice. He urged every student to
take advantage of the possibili-
ties for personal relationship with
the faculty and other students,
for this in his opinion was the
most valuable and lasting benefit
of his education at Rice.
IN THE DISCUSSION that
followed after his talk, Goyen
described his own works in some
detail and in relation to modern
American fiction. Besides his
three novels and two volumes of
short stories, he has written
plays, television scripts, and re-
views.
Goyen graduated from the Rice
Institute in 1937 with a B.A. in
English and remained two years
more to receive his Master's de-
gree. Since then he lias won the
McMurray Award for the best
first novel by a Texan, has been
twice honored l>v Guggenheim
Fellowships, and lias published
two recent novels and two vol-
umes of distinguished short sto-
ries.
Although he presently resides
in New York City, Goyen spent
part of 1962 in Europe where his
! works have found a warm and
enthusiastic audience.
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Keilin, Eugene. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 51, No. 9, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 6, 1963, newspaper, November 6, 1963; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244898/m1/15/?rotate=90: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.