Damrosch Back

Back from Europe last week, on the S. S. France came Walter Damrosch, genial, sexagenarian conductor of the New York Symphony, and forthwith there was issued an announcement of several of the Symphony Society's novelties for next season.

There will be a symphony by George Antheil, young U. S. composer born in Trenton, N. J., now living in Paris; a work descriptive of Spanish scenes by Halfers, famed composer of Madrid; Honegger's Three Preludes for D'Annunzio's Fedra; Aaron Copeland's Music for the Theatre given this season in Manhattan by a small orchestra under Serge Koussevitsky for the League of Composers.

Conductor Damrosch told of many proud experiences, of being decorated in Spain by King Alfonso with the Medal of Isabella the Catholic, of conducting the Madrid Symphony. He said of the music situation in Spain: "The Madrid Symphony Orchestra is to be congratulated on its unusual enthusiasm which enables it to hold high the torch and keep the organization going when they are so poorly and inadequately paid. Strangely enough there are no aristocrats in Spain interested enough in music to serve as patrons or in any way to encourage musical development. The rank and file of the Spanish people are music lovers, but the aristocracy do not, as a rule, even attend the concerts. The unselfish enthusiasm of the members of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra is touching. They played for me for three rehearsals without remuneration, and the complete sale of the house, when divided among the orchestra, netted each member about $4.

"The Spanish Government gets 30% of the gross receipts; therefore, when the expenses are paid the members' reward is very meager. I met some of the best known Spanish musicians, including De Falla, who lives at Granada, within sight of the Moorish palaces and Alloniz. An interesting young school of composers is to be found in Spain."