On the U.S. conducting circuit, a lot of batons are being passed. In addition to Dimitri Mitropoulos, who is leaving the New York Philharmonic to be replaced by Leonard Bernstein (TIME, Nov. 25), four top conductors are resigning.
¶ The Cincinnati Symphony's Thor Johnson, 44, quit after eleven years to join the music department at Northwestern University. A strong plugger for new music, Conductor Johnson led world premières of works by internationally known moderns—Paul Hindemith, Roy Harris, Henry Cowell—fought to get a hearing for a host of younger men. But some Cincinnati concertgoers thought Johnson was shutting the door on what he called "the old guys." His replacement in Cincinnati: German-born Max Rudolf, 56, for more than a decade conductor and artistic administrator of the Metropolitan Opera. Although he has worked in opera houses most of his life. Conductor Rudolf insists: "I never liked opera. I thought it was good training, but at my age you should settle in the field you most want, and my field is symphony."
¶ Vladimir Golschmann, 64, fifth permanent conductor of the St. Louis Symphony in 76 years, announced that he would step down at the end of his 27th season to allow himself more time for guest-conducting and free himself of "all the [managerial] problems of an orchestra." He has been particularly bothered in recent years, he says, by the nationwide dearth of first-rate instrumentalists: "I used to have ten qualified applicants for every opening, but now I have to hunt for players." At St. Louis, Paris-born (of Russian parents) Conductor Golschmann tried to program at least one 20th century work every concert, built an orchestra with a fine musical reputation, a healthy budget and a handsome list of about 4,000 subscribers. To take his place, the orchestra is importing youthful (31) Belgian Conductor Edouard van Remoortel, since 1951 associated with the National Orchestra of Belgium. Conductor van Remoortel is a strenuous admirer of the U.S. musical scene: "Americans don't realize what they have—Bernstein, Schippers, Menotti—they have them all."
¶ The Baltimore Symphony's Massimo Freccia, 51, announced that he will resign next spring "to conduct major orchestras of Europe." A lucid, effective musician, Italian-born Conductor Freccia struggled valiantly for five years in Baltimore with a series of budgetary crises, leaves the orchestra still in shaky financial state. Freccia's replacement: not yet chosen.