Steve Schwartz wrote at length about:

>Eugene Ormandy
>American Orchestral Music
>
>* Schuman: Credendum (Article of Faith)
>* Gesensway: Four Squares of Philadelphia*
>* Persichetti: Symphony No. 4
>
>Oscar Treadwell (narrator)*, The Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy
>Albany TROY276 (MONO)

As a native of Philadelphia, and having come of age in the city during
the 1940s, I read Steve's overview of the above recording with a certain
amount of nostalgia.  Pity there has to be an odd man out here (Schuman
is from N.Y.; Yardumian would have been a natural), but Steve's recalling
that Ormandy programmed much new American music (not just that of
Philadelphia composers) reminds me of the resistance that existed then to
that programming, and for which in retrospect Ormandy now is seldom given
much credit.  My parents generally faint-praised Ormandy by never failing
to comment "his Brahms is good" (they were not enthusiastic about much
else), and for this reason I suppose I was taken often to concerts
featuring one of Brahms' symphonies or concertos, but never ever to a
concert that offered what was then termed "modern" music.

And so I missed out.  But would I have responded to "Four Squares
of Philadelphia"? In my youth there were actually only two squares:
Washington and Rittenhouse.  Logan was a circle, and Franklin was an
adjunct to the plaza coming off the Delaware River Bridge (now the Ben
Franklin).  I realize now there were indeed four squares, and even a fifth,
upon which the once imposing Philadelphia City Hall was built.  I revel in
the knowledge there is music out there to remind me of my city.

John Dalmas
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