Music: Cleveland’s Start

In Cleveland last spring 5,400 people heard a symphony orchestra step out of bounds and give three stirring performances of Tristan und Isolde under Conductor Artur Rodzinski. This autumn the Philadelphia Orchestra Association emulated Cleveland’s example with a Tristan which was a forerunner of ten operas to come (TIME, Oct. 29).

The Cleveland Orchestra began a real opera season last week with Wagner’s Die Walkure, cast with such expert singers as Soprano Dorothee Manski. Tenor Paul Althouse, Baritone Friedrich Schorr. Cleveland has five other operas scheduled. Chiefly important is Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Soviet Composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Philadelphia is also trying its hand at the Shostakovich opera under Conductor Fritz Reiner.