The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra

The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra attempted some difficult music at its concert in Sanders Theater last Friday evening. As could be expected of a largely amateur group, the orchestra played with no great precision of intonation, steadiness of rhythm, or clearness of entrance. But its real sin lay deeper. The performances lacked life, and so the structures of sound which the group was trying to build often sagged and even tumbled.

The lifelessness of the performances was particularly noticeable during the slow movement of Boccherini's 3rd Symphony. Faster movements, such as the final section of Tschaikowsky's 4th Symphony, generally fared better. Here, even though some of the performers were out of tune and others came in at the wrong instant, most of the faults were lost in the onward rush of sound, allegro con fuoco, and the resulting music was not at all unsatisfactory.

There were good moments, too, during the playing of Monograph for Orchestra by Henry Leland Clark '28. The piece gave some members of the orchestra, particularly a few among the woodwinds and brasses, a chance to display their individual talents. On one hearing the work itself seemed fairly coherent, although dependent for its principal effect upon the manipulation of peculiar timbres. But beneath this outward, coloristic impression gained at the first hearing may lie a sturdier core. At any rate, the orchestra is to be commended for playing this little-heard music, and it should continue the policy by including other works of moderate difficulty in its future programs.

Whatever the program, however, when the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra plays again, conductor Attilio Poto must attempt to lead his group, not so much to technical perfection, as to a performance having the verve which youth should bring to music.