Pizzetti

Manhattan last week was prepared for a major musical event--the first U. S. visit of Ildebrando Pizzetti, famed Italian composer, and the premiere of his Rondo Veneziano to be played by Conductor Arturo Toscanini after a 13-weeks' absence from the Philharmonic-Symphony. Composer Pizzetti had been widely heralded, his coming sponsored by Conductor and Signora Toscanini, by Italian Ambassador Nobile Giacomo de Martino, Metropolitan Opera Impresario Giulio Gatti-Casazza, Mrs. Otto Hermann Kahn, Mrs. Vincent Astor, Mrs. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. His career had been extensively reviewed: Pizzetti is Parma-born, a musical critic, director of the Milan Conservatory, friend of Poet Gabriele d'Annunzio with whom he has collaborated on three operas.* His opinions had been aired: Pizzetti has no fears for the death of opera, says it will surely survive him. His U. S. plans were made public: Pizzetti will play his own works at the Library of Congress in Washington, at Yale and Columbia Universities; visit if not perform in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston.

Yet despite all the advance notice there was nothing particularly momentous about Pizzetti's public reception last week. Toscanini blessed the Venetian Rondo with his full genius. It was clever, well-made picture music of pompous, aristocratic Venice and of Venice, roistering and plebeian. The audience applauded it cordially and Pizzetti, a little, worried-looking man, took bows from the stage. But on the same program Toscanini had placed Mozart's D Major Symphony. Wagner's Tannhauser overture and the skirling Bacchanale music, Borodin's Prince Igor dances. Because these things had greater substance, Toscanini attained with them effects which, ironically, set the worthy efforts of the guest of honor sadly in the background.

*Best known in the U. S., however, is Fra Ghcrardo, for which Pizzetti wrote his own libretto. Fra Ghcrardo was produced last year at Manhattan's Metropolitan Opera House (TIME, April 1), will undoubtedly be revived soon in honor of Composer Pizzetti's visit.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.