His Works Are In Demand
WHEN the Montreal Little Symphony began the second half of
its season at the Hermitage, Côte des Neiges, on Jan. 25, concert-goers had the opportunity of hearing the first Montreal performance of young, dark Oskar Morawetz' "Serenade for Strings," conducted by George Schick. Last week his "Carnival" Overture was played by the T.S.O. at the subscription concerts. Morawetz compositions are now in demand for radio and concert programs; happily, they will be heard more and more.
Based on Czech tunes, "Carnival" has been one of the most widely played of new Canadian orchestral works in recent years (12 public performances to last week). Leading orchestras in both Montreal and Toronto have featured it, under Jean Beaudet, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Alexander Brott, Ettore Mazzoleni, Paul Scherman
and other conductors. It has been heard over the C.B.C.'s national networks and
over short-wave to Europe and South America. Besides the T.S.O.'s performances,
the Overture will be played this season by the Montreal Women's Symphony under Ethel Stark and in Australia under Dr. Bernard Heinze. It was included in the C.B.C.'s third Album of Canadian Music, which was prepared for use in Canadian embassies as foreign publicity of this nation's culture.
The "Carnival" has been characterized as light-hearted and festive. Last week the T.S.O. certainly played it with lots of zest. But the persistence of that feature in performance, while a welcome one in the energetic climax; probably clouded some
of the earlier subtleties and color and expressional contrasts that Mr. Morawetz calls for and which were more in evidence when the Toronto orchestra played it last fall. (S.N., Nov. 27).
Czech-born Oskar Morawetz came to Canada in 1940 to continue his career in
music. He is now on the staff of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto.
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