Hot Gavotte. . .

The Idler version of a "hot gavotte" is about to break loose in this scene from the December 4 production, "Way of the World." Taking positions are (front couple) Carol LoCascio '50 and John Mannick '49 and (back couple) Patricia Troxell '49, Idler president, and Robert Penwarden.

In line with the motif of the play--"Congreve, modern style"--the couples are forming the 18th century gavotte pattern which immediately turns into a hash-up of the Charleston, shag genre. The music for the gavotte ties in with the musical scheme of the play, changing from the traditional patterns to 20th century harmonies and dissonance.

Musical backdrop, suggesting the satiric parallel between 1700 and 1948, was composed especially for the production by Nicholas Van Slyck 2G, director of the Harvard Chamber Music orchestra. Slyck, a student of Walter Piston, worked 14 hours a day for two weeks turning out the complete musical score which he terms "a blend of 18th century patterns with modern harmonies."

No newcomer to musical composition, Slyck has had his works performed by the Boston Civil Symphony, by his own Chamber Music Orchestra, and at Tanglewood last summer.