Symphony Traffic

In Manhattan, the symphony season reached its winter peak, and Carnegie Hall resounded with fine music night after night. The resident New York Philharmonic-Symphony and the NBC Symphony gave their usual concerts. In addition, four major visiting orchestras came packing in within six days to fly their flags in the musical capital of the U.S.

The 91-man Pittsburgh Symphony led the parade. Under the baton of William Steinberg, and with Violinist Isaac Stern as soloist, the up & coming Pittsburgh gave a high-spirited performance featuring Gustav Mahler's First Symphony and Modernist Bela Bartok's Violin Concerto. Listeners and critics were especially impressed by the orchestra's brilliance and enthusiasm.

The 104-member Chicago Symphony came next, for its first visit in 13 years. Its conductor, Rafael Kubelik, was in an awkward spot, since the Chicago is not renewing his contract (the Metropolitan Opera's Fritz Reiner will succeed him). But he picked an ambitious program, including Beethoven's Eroica and Modernist Bohuslav Martinu's Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano and Kettledrums, and led his musicians in some expansive, grand-manner interpretations.

Next night, the brilliant 110-piece Philadelphia Orchestra was on the stage. Eugene Ormandy led Sibelius' Seventh Symphony, and Violinist Nathan Milstein was the soloist in Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Their Manhattan concert was routine for the Philadelphians, who will play Carnegie Hall ten times this season.

Finally came the virtuoso Boston Symphony with 103 members. Conductor Charles Munch built his program around a rugged performance of Beethoven's Fourth. It was the Boston's ninth Manhattan visit of the season.

Noteworthy facts about the big week:

1) There were no program duplications. Beethoven was the composer most played (three symphonies and a concerto), Wagner and Bartok next.

2) At every concert, at least 95% of the house was filled.

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