The peaceful Chicago Symphony has never been notable for its interest in contemporary music. For 36 years it has played sober classics under the benign baton of white-haired Frederick Stock. But this season, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Chicago Symphony arranged something special. It commissioned a composition from each of ten famous living composers, announced a bill of world premieres that might have turned Boston's Serge Koussevitzky green with envy.
Last week the Chicago Symphony played the first U. S. work on its list of firstlings. It was a brand-new symphony by Chicago's suave, handsome John Alden Carpenter, who withdrew in...
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