Downbeat for a New Era

In the five years since an airplane crash killed 106 of Atlanta's foremost cultural patrons, the city has been striving with an almost compulsive verve to rebuild civic hopes for high standing in the arts. A new rank of leaders moved up to join the survivors; in homage to the dead, the Atlanta Arts Alliance launched a drive for a $13 million cultural center (now abuilding); and the Ford Foundation gave the Atlanta Symphony $1,750,000. Last week the symphony opened its new season under the baton of a new permanent conductor, Robert Shaw. It was an auspicious start to what will undoubtedly be a decisive era of growth for both the orchestra and the city.

Musical Levitation. Shaw, 51, long regarded as America's top chorus master, conducted clean, well-balanced though somewhat earthbound readings of the overture to Wagner's Die Meistersinger and Copland's recently revised Canticle of Freedom. The evening's climax--Beethoven's formidable Ninth ("Choral") Symphony--was a feat of musical levitation. The intelligence and spirit of the interpretation, along with the sheer force and clarity of Shaw's baton, lifted the performance above its own technical flaws--some faulty string playing, moments of rhythmic dislocation--to provide music that frequently soared with an exhilarating sense of freedom and joy.

The performance proved that the Atlanta Symphony has the makings of a first-rate organization. Helped by a $765,000 budget (twice that of 1965), Shaw has already bolstered the ranks with additional musicians, instilled greater rigor and purpose into rehearsals, formed a new 60-voice chorus, and expanded the season to include chamber music, an offbeat "Connoisseur Series" and some light promenade concerts. His programs for the coming year balance Atlanta's traditionally romantic fare with more music from the baroque and classic periods as well as 20th century works ranging from Bartok to Gunther Schuller. "He's brought a lot more discipline to this group, and much more sense of music making," says Principal Cellist Donovan Schumacher. "He's going to really change things."

Salutary Shake-Up. Shaw's energetic speechmaking to civic groups has also given the Establishment a salutary shaking up (his opener at the Junior League: "I feel as if I'm in the midst of a huge, white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant harem"); and he has served notice that he hopes for even greater changes to come: more tours, participation by the orchestra in opera and ballet productions, creation of a conservatory in Atlanta.

Part of his determination derives from a desire to complete himself as a musician. Although he has made guest appearances with many orchestras, and for eleven years was one of George Szell's associate conductors of the Cleveland Orchestra, the Atlanta job gives Shaw his first chance to test himself solidly with instrumental music. To take it, he had to sacrifice a lucrative schedule of outside engagements. But he has no regrets: "I'm happiest when I'm building what is in a sense my own instrument."

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