Baton Passing

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.

P: 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 premieres 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."

P: 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."

P: 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.

P: The Dallas Symphony's Walter Hendl, 40, closed out an eight-year career by informing its board that "the orchestra is sufficiently institutionalized to profit by a change of personalities, and I must profit by a change of scene.'' When he arrived in Dallas after a brief fling at writing show tunes (music for Dark of the Moon) and four years as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, New Jersey-born Conductor Hendl was one of the youngest permanent conductors of a major U.S. symphony. He shook up Dallas musical life by programing new works, quickly earned a reputation as a topflight musician. But he was bored with the business side of his orchestra, let its deficit inch up, and last year enraged many a music lover by failing to turn up for a scheduled concert in Fort Worth (he was napping at home). Conductor Hendl will continue to lead the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra (which he successfully conducted as a sideline for four years), will probably guest-conduct the rest of the time. A leading contender for his Dallas post: Jose Iturbi, 62.

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