A.M. Hank over – he and I return trailer to Buffalo and station wagon to Cottrell’s. Joseph refuses to accept anything for rental fee.
B-M & I to church.
P.M. N.Y. Philharmonic – Shostakovich Sixth & Stravinsky’s Fire Bird. Faultless playing – But the Shastakovich just seems like long-windedness about not very much. Listening to the Firebird I thought that some music is so inherently great that its quality would shine thru (sic) even a poor performance, whereas some music demands a perfect performance; such as was given this suite, and I felt that less in the way of playing would rob this music of the illusion of greatness.
Toscanini played Haydn’s London Symphony #104 a beautifully simple thing –
About 6:00 – B&I to Strand to see “Return of Monte Cristo” (a modernization of the original story, but very interesting nonetheless) and “Lone-Wolf in Mexico” –
C had asked us to call for her – but when we did, she said she wanted to go to a show.
B&I home, and after a lunch – to bed.
Charles Burchfield, April 13,1947