Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

SIR T. BEECHAH HITS
AT OPERA PLAN
Australian Associated Press
T ONDON, Thurs.-A blistering attack was made yes
. terday by Sir Thomas Beecham, the noted conduc-
tor, on the proposed body to control the British National
Opera.
JTIS references to "the hapless set
of ignoramuses and nitwits who-j
have conspired to taring about this
disaster" brought protests and hints
of legal action.
Sir Thomas made his attack afc
the annual conference of the Incor- j
porated Society of Musicians. He
said:
"I don't think the word racket
is out of place. The leaders of
the musical profession in England
have been carefully excluded from
the body."
He suggested a public inquiry into
the Covent Garden Opera House
Trust.
Reading out the names of mem-
bers of the proposed trust, Sir
Thomas continued:
"Tlie first and most noticeable
feature about the list Ls that there
is not a single person who knows
anything about the opera or has had
practical experience of it, and whose
. opinion is worth a brass farthing.
'"The second feature is the total
absence of the name of any Brit-
ish musician ever associated with
opera over a period.
"Let us see evidence of how the
vast sum of £100,000 has been
spent in one year, with so little
to show for it except the disap-
proval of almost the whole body
ot' thc public and Press of Great
Britain."
He said the appointment of Dr.
Karl Rankl, musical director of the
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
as musical director to the British
National Opera was "the mystery of
mysteries." The appointment of an
alien, especially one bearing a Ger-
man name, was incredible.
$