Back to the Radio Transcriptions tonight. A concert featuring the Indianapolis Symphony, one of the few orchestras in the U.S. with a 52-week schedule. Times have been very rough for orchestras these days, and the ones doing well are doing very well and the ones not doing well are closing up shop. Sadly, the ones closing up shop outnumber the ones doing well. Hopefully someday that will turn around before it's too late.
In the meantime, here is a concert recorded on March 19, 1949 and broadcast over NBC Radio as part of its Pioneers Of Music series. It features long-time music Director Fabien Sevitzky conducting a program of music by Debussy, Delius, Griffes and Ravel.
Pretty standard 1940's fare. Sevitzky, newphew of Boston Symphony Music Director Serge Koussevitzky, was music director of the Indianapolis Symphony from 1937-1955. He recorded a goodly amount, first for RCA Victor during the days of the 78 and later recorded some lp's for Capitol.
So here's a taste of what some of the lesser luminaries in 1940's American symphony orchestras sounded like in concert.
Can't be exotic every week, you know.
