MUSIC
How pleasant if one could have said that the 1950 Edinburgh Festival started off with a bang, but how untrue. All the bangs in the opening concert by the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise took place in the latter two-thirds of the programme, which consisted entirely of French music, and which was a severe test of the durability of the historic " auld alliance " between-France and Scotland.
In fact, it started off with a performance of Bizet's Arlesienne suite, which was in no way superior to many that one has heard from our own orchestras. It would be idle to deny that this music, lovely as some of it is, has lost its first freshness, and only some- thing staggeringly good in the way of playing could have justified its place of honour. As things were, one found oneself considering externals to an undesirable extent ; noting almost with approval, for instance, the explosion of the heresy that " bubbling " is an accom- plishment of which only English horn-players know the secret.
Probably the nervous strain which goes with the responsibilty of opening such a festival as this affected the orchestra's playing adversely, for its technical quality improved very much later in the evening ; but beyond conceding that the interpretations of the phlegmatic M. Ddsormiere bore the stamp of authenticity, one is unwilling to admit that the orchestral items were outstanlingly
played. What was outstanding was the exquisite pianoforte-playing of Marguerite Long, which was a joy at all times and especially in Faure's early and exceedingly beautiful Ballade. Its subtlety and clean quality, and the undemonstrative way in which Mme. Long gave it to us, will be something to remember when everything else about this concert has gone to join the mass of one's pleasant but kmdistinguished experiences.
How dated most of the programme appeared ; not all the virtuosity of Roussel's suite in F nor of Ravel's La Valse prevents them sounding old-fashioned, and only the extraordinary hypnotic quality of the slow movement of the latter's pianoforte concerto saves it, too, from being dubbed a period-piece.
The first of the morning concerts, which are a delightful feature of the Edinburgh Festival, was a recital by the Loewenguth Quartet. One is so continually surprised by the depth and tragic quality of Haydn's late G minor quartet (and especially of its slow movement) that there is seldom time to reflect upon the details of any perform- ance which conveys them adequately, as this one did. With Beet- hoven's Op. 95 the case is different ; Beethoven has no legend of gay superficiality to live down, and one may compare interpreta- tions at leisure. If ever the conventional British idea of a French- man's attitude to a German's thought was carried into practice it was in this performance, where all the accustomed Sturm und Drang gave way to a brilliance and clarity which we habitually regard as Gallic. I doubt if it was convincing, but it was certainly refresh- ing. The concert ended with performance of Priaulx Rainier's quartet, which to me remains a problem even after the Amadeus recording has made it reasonably familiar. Of its technical efficiency, of the exciting nature of its " tricks," of the relish and competence with which it was played, there is no doubt. But of its significance as music I personally am a good deal less sure. I like to think of it as a pointer to .future possibilities.
On Monday the Glyndebourne Company cpened their season with Ariadne auf Naxos in something like the form in which Strauss and Hofmannsthal first conceived it ; to call it " eagerly-awaited " would be a tribute to the vast advance publicity which it received, much of which seemed to savour of special pleading in favour of something whose presence at the Festival needed explaining. On the whole, the opera was notably well mounted and played, but nothing about the performance could alter one's notion that it is a pastiche. In other words, the philosophical conception which is supposed to underlie the opera-cum-harlequinade and to give it artistic unity simply did not register. We were given an evening's entertainment which contained something for everyone, and each member of the audience reacted in favour of those parts which suited his taste. For my part, I enjoyed most of the lighter side ; Ilse Hollweg's effortless mastery of the incredible coloratura part of Zerbinetta is unforgettable, and she was backed up by very able singing and acting from her four admirers, of whom Bruce Dargavel was notably effective. Miles Malleson was a perpetual delight in the speaking-part of Jourdain, and was likewise well-served by his cast. On the other hand, in what we may call the " serious " part of the piece, not all the beauty and power of Hilde Zadek's voice could overcome the disadvantage at which she was placed by having to sing far up-stage all the time ; and if she found it difficult to make herself heard, the three nymphs often found it impossible.
One had many other impressions which there is no space to record, but the superb orchestral playing under Sir Thomas Beecham must be mentioned, for it made even the gluiest parts of the love- music interesting to listen to.
On the whole, one wishes that the huge amount of money, brains and hard work that have gone into this production had been
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