Carolina Concert

Conductor Artur Rodzinski last week felt something like the dreamer who arrives at a dream party without his pants.

He and his Cleveland Symphony Orchestra arrived in Charlotte, N.C. for a concert -- with nothing to play. The car carrying the orchestra's baggage stayed by mistake in the railroad yards in Richmond.

A few hours before the concert the orchestra found itself with no instruments, scores, music stands or dress suits. The lady harpist had no evening gown.

Nevertheless, the concert was given. Frantically tapping Charlotte's resources until they rang hollow, the Clevelanders fished together a curious assortment of instruments and scores and sat down to play in such costumes as were handy. The program consisted of three substitutions (out of four numbers). It all went off very well.

"Some observers," reported the Charlotte Observer, "inclined to the opinion that the delayed-baggage incident served to inspire, rather than depress, them." All agreed that Conductor Rodzinski had more than measured up to the emergency. Happily -- for it was no dream -- he had discovered in time the absence of a couple of influential trouser buttons.

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