The customary charge against U.S. musicians in Europe is that they play with exquisite precision but no passion. Last week, on the first lap of their seven-week European tour, the 108 men of the Cleveland Orchestra, led by Budapest-born Conductor George Szell, 59, were playing to different notices. The opening concert in Antwerp (including Berlioz' Roman Carnival overture, Schumann's Fourth Symphony and Paul Creston's Dance Overture was, said a critic, the "most beautiful'' the city had ever heard. Said Gazet van Antwerpen: "One of the greatest existing orchestras. [It] absolutely lacked the cruel perfection which too often seems inevitable for American...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
