35
MUSICAL COURIER
March 15, 1925
of Erno Dohnanyi's violin concerto, opus 27. The composer conducted and Albert Spalding played the solo part. It is hard to listen to a novelty of forty-five minutes long after having listened to one that occupied thirty-five minutes, especially when the second one is such heavy, serious music as Mr. Dohnanyi’s concerto. What it seemed to lack was vigor and movement. The only jolly thing about it was the scherzo and part of that was rather a sugary waltz. The other three movements are all slow—one slower than the other. The first one suggested to this writer, in. thematic material and orchestration, none other than the late Richard Wagner; the second recalled the habits of one Johannes Brahms; and the last seemed like more or less free fantasy, Hungarian style—not fast Hungarian style, however.
Mr. Spalding played it impeccably, but the solo violin has very little opportunity to show itself off. It seemed, on the first hearing, that the work has on the whole suffered from a development out of proportion to the value of its material. There was plenty of applause for Mr. Dohnanyi and Mr. Spalding, both of them being called back repeatedly.
Mr. Damrosch had begun with the Brahms Academic Overture, and to lighten things up he ended with Josef Strauss’ The Dragon Fly, with the Perpetuum Mobile of Johann Strauss, Jr., and the lovely Roses from the. South, by the same composer.
MME. WOLFE-RASHKIS AND LA JOS SHUK
On Sunday afternoon, at the Town Hall a joint recital by Mme. Wolfe-Rashkis, soprano, and Lajos Shuk, cellist-comfpser, was heard by a large audience. Mr. Shuk played, as his first number, the sonata in D major by Locatelli’. After the first movement those present realized that here was a cellist of considerable ability. His technic was excellent and he played with brilliancy and good tone. The audience was enthusiastic. The second group contained Strauss’ Wiegenlied, Brahms’ Der Schmied, Liszt’s Oh! Quand je dors, Arensky’s The Little Fishes Song, and Schindler’s Three Cavaliers, which offered variety, which numbers introduced Mme. Wolfe-Rashkis. First of all she has a beautiful quality of voice which she uses intelligently and with considerable dramatic force. Her upper notes are pure and the audience was quick to recognize that she was a concert singer of first rank.
The additional numbers offered by Mr. Shuk were Dvorak’s concerto in B minor and a group of arrangements by Glazounoff, Casals and Kempf. Mme. Wolfe-Rashkis also sang an aria from Der Freischutz, and her closing group contained two English songs by Walter Kramer and Wintter Watts. She sang Kurt Schindler’s Three Cavaliers, and it was one of the most attractive numbers of her entire program. Her diction is excellent and she sings with considerable grace and beauty. Altogether the new singer made a ver favorable impression, and Mr Shuk shared equally in the applause.
. “Mme. Wolfe-Rashkis impressed her auditors with the rich sonority of her mezzo soprano voice, the warmth of her temperament and her interpretative skill. A group of smaller pieces served to reveal Shuk’s powers to advan-
in C major (Wanderer), op. 15, receiving an exceedingly cordial reception.
Henry Hadley also was called to the stage to acknowledge the audience’s applause after Mengelberg’s fine reading of the former’s third symphony, which was composed in 1906, and which was recently conducted in Brooklyn at one of the Philharmonic concerts by the composer. The work, in four movements, is skilfully constructed, along classic lines, with a trace of modernism, and is on the whole a most interesting and pleasurable symphony. It is scored for the usual orchestra and three bells tuned in B, C sharp and G sharp. After hearing the work, it is surprising that the Philharmonic has not done it before. ־
The novelty of the program was Van Anrooy’s Piet Hein, which was much liked, and other numbers included the Strauss waltz, Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald, and the Weber overture to Der Freischutz. Mengelberg and his men were warmly greeted after each number.
NEW YORK SYMPHONY: ALBERT SPALDING SOLOIST
The most interesting thing on the program of the New York Symphony at Aeolian Hall, last Saturday, March 11, was Deems Taylor’s suite, Through the Looking Glass (Five Pictures from Lewis Carroll). The work was originally written for small orchestra, performed by the New York Chamber Music Society in 1919. In transcribing it for large orchestra, the composer has, to some extent, altered it. There are four movements: Dedication and The Garden of Live Flowers, Jabberwocky, Looking-Glass Insects, and The White Knight.
Mr. Taylor is not one of the modern uglies. He writes music which is delightful to hear and really distinctive in style, which is perhaps nearest to the style of Tschaikowsky in his lighter movements. The Dedication is a simple theme, mostly given to the strings. The Garden of Live Flowers is a delightful scherzo, with wood-wind chatter and clever use of the musical strings. The Jabberwocky depicts graphically the conflict between this fabulous animal and the hero who slayed him with a “vo.rpal sword.” Nothing could be more genuinely humorous in music than the dying soliloquy of the Jabberwocky, who expires upon the double bassoon. The third movement, Looking-Glass Insects, is, musically speaking, the best number of the suite. It is highly original in orchestration, a truly extraordinary suggestion of the humming of insect life being achieved through a mastery of special orchestral effects that is surpassed by no one today. The White Knight in the concluding number has a funny little theme all its owh and there is a rather sentimental second theme. This movement is the only one in the suite (hat seemed a little bit longer developed than the value of its material warranted. Mr. Taylor’s extremely clever use of the piano as an orchestral instrument deserves special notice; a magnificent pantomime ballet could be made to fit this delightful music of Mr. Taylor’s. The audience liked it immensely and applauded and applauded until the composer went to the front of the hall and shook hands with Mr. Damrosch and bowed repeatedly.
The other novelty was the first American performance
MYRA HESS
Of the many pianists who have appeared in our concert halls this season, Myra Hess has proved one of the most popular. One can not say she has caused a sensation, for she is not the type that thrills by a wonderful technic or by startling effects. Rather, she grips the hearts of her hearers by the beauty and sincerity of her playing. Her well balanced combination of intellect and emotion and her directness of expression are admirable.
At her second recital of the season at Aeolian Hall, Saturday afternoon, March 10, Miss Hess displayed once more her rare and genuine artistry. True, she has an excellent technic, but one does not think of that first. It is her obedient servant, allowing her to express herself easily in thoughtful interpretations. She has respect for the composer’s intentions, at the same time expressing her own individuality. Her personality is reflected in her work. Her simplicity and freedom of style and her lack of any affectation or mannerisms are refreshing. Her program began with the Brahms sonata, op. 5 in F minor. She performed this with keen poetic insight, clarity and warmth of color. The Schumann^ and Chopin were request numbers. The Schumann Papillons was' exquisitely rendered with fine feeling for mood, variety and delicacy of nuances, elasticity of rhythm and beautiful phrasing. There were delightful spontaneity and spirit, moments of imaginative fancy, a touch of humor and a bit of romance and tenderness. A group of moderns proved particularly sympathetic to Miss Hess’ style. In the Dew Fairy, by her countryman, Frank Bridge, she caught the right spirit and played with exquisite delicacy. The Ragamuffin, by John Ireland, a clever number with rather a piquant humor, was tossed off with almost a saucy air and won a repetition. La Maja et le Rossignol (Granados) and Alborada del gracioso (Ravel) were given with grace and limpidity. Altogether, Miss Hess’ playing is distinguished primarily by a megnetism which carries her audience with her in entire sympathy and a beautiful tone, rich, resonant and warm.
A large audience applauded Miss Hess enthusiastically.
The Herald writer said in part: “Her treatment of her program was in her accustomed vein and drew liberally upon a fine mental poise, rare technical accomplishment and a beautiful tone.” Richard Alrich, writing for the Times, commented: “Miss Hess’s playing is deeply musical; she has a delicately brilliant technic, that serves her with the fewest lapses; and she approaches . everything that she does with ■a delightful spirit of freshness and with, a gusto that is infectious.”
SUNDA Y, MARCH 11
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC: ALEXANDER SILOTI SOLOIST
On Sunday afternoon the eleventh concert of this series took place, Alexander Siloti being the soloist. Always a great artist, Mr. •Siloti■again gave plentiful evidence of his art in the Schubert-Liszt fantasie for piano and orchestra
LEO
ORNSTEIN
IS he JWated 'Pianist
will accept a limited number of piano pupils
For Terms Address:
Care of ARTHUR JUDSON Fisk Bldg., Broadway and 57th St, New York City
KNABE PIANO
LEO ORNSTEIN