The Boston Symphony

The Boston Symphony began its concert in Sanders Theater Tuesday night with C. P. E. Bach's Concerto in D Major for Strings. This is one of the many Thoroughbass pieces that Koussevitsky has had orchestrated, and it is never a surprise to find one starting a concert. But you might well ask why it was put on this program; it was no preparation for Irving Fine's new Toccata Concentrate which followed.

Mr. Fine, an assistant professor of Music here, took over from Koussevitsky to conduct his work. "Agile" and "clever" are the adjectives most frequently used to describe his pieces, but this has moments of seriousness as well. The melodies are gay and keep breaking through an orchestral background which flashes with color. I enjoyed each moment but felt an absence of overall unity.

Honegger's Symphony for String Orchestra was the next item on the varied program. This mighty and magnificent work is one of the finest that the Orchestra has introduced, and it deserves every one of the many performances it has received.

Beforehand, I thought Brahms' First Symphony would be an anticlimax, but I had forgotten. It only seemed rather nostalgic after the Honegger--a statement of the enviable confidence of the nineteenth century. Brahms and Koussevitzky are very congenial. Under his direction, the music achieves a great string of rich climaxes which march along with excitement, but without remembrance.