New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-16
MUSICAL COMMENT.
CONCERTS OF SONGS AND CHAMBER
MUSIC.

song recital of kind common in New
York concert halls given last evening In Men
delssohn Hall by Mr.. Evan Williams. tenor and
Mr.. Gwiym Miles, barytone. They sang sngly
and in duets and gave programme which, while
1t was not altogether satisfactory in its compost
ton, had upon il a number Of extremely interest
ing items. Chief among these the old
Welsh which the concert giver-. both Welsh
men, sang in their native tongue with absolute
conviction and glowing fervor. The songs them
selves extremely beautiful. with the deeply
serious note, the haunting melancholy. that belong
many OF the Welsh folk songs. Another de-
Nghtful number OF the programme the cycle
ITO the Distant Beloved" Of Becthoven's, which
it takes peculiarly finished and close sym
pathy with the compose moods to make effective.
That Mr. " illiams succeeded far s he did
another added to the many evidences he has given
OF his power and insight artist. Unfortu-
nately. his voice in good condition last
evening; a hoarseness, that made Itself heard at
the very first. increased to such an extent the
evening wore that he obliged TO omit some
OF the staIzas CT the Welsh songs that came at
the end. His hoarseness however, did not pre-
vent him from giving broad and fluent perform
OF Tucns air from the first act OF "Oberon'
with its brlvura passages intact.
Mr.. Miles laborcd under such handicap. He
displayed a great plentude of voice. and sang
with force and dramatic effect-though with
what facial expression than the concert plat
form demands-three of the well known gypsy
songs of Francis Korbay and Loves ballad of
Archibald Douglass" The duets In which the
two concert givers co-operated ought TO have been
more Interesting than they proved to be- owing
to the small value of the music they chose sing
One of them. Frederic Field Billiards. Hunting
Song" gained so much approval from the audience
however that they sang again, this time an anus
ingly od-fashioned and conventional setting of
Longfellow's Excelsior" Mr.. Richard Percy
played the accomplishments with much spirit and
gave them a positive musical value.
In the room of the Architectural League in the
Fine Arts Building the Dannreuther Quartet last
night gave the first of its fifteenth season.
A fine record of a deservedy respected and ad-
mi1ed organZation-let this be said at the outset.
1t Is new experience that players of chamber
music have hunted around in seemingly strange
places for rooms in which to display their art
The essence of such music Is intimacy and this
is seldom obtained in built for public enter
tainment. The which Mr. Dannreuther and
his fellows tried for new use last night proved to
be admirably to the purpose. The audience large
enough to I'LL it completely, yet close touch
with the players. II could feel the bite the bow
on the strings. and this. for real amateurs is a
pleasurable sensation so long pure and ade-
quate expression follow. And this Is generally the
In the playing of the Dannreutter Quartet as
know. The programme consisted Dvorak's
Quartet for strigngs, in major, op. 81. separate
movements. also for strings, by Rimslcy- Korsakow
and Kopylow, and Brahms's Trio In major, In
sisted by Mr.. Carl Hermann, pianoforte, an en-
thusiastic deVotee of music of this kind.
In the Carnegie Lyceum Miss Ida Rothstein, a tai
ented pupil Of Mr. August Spanuth but an extreme
ly unrpe pianist, from any point of view. gave a
concert. the proceeds Of which be devoted
are occasions when foreign study is much to be
recommended, but obvious comment on last
nights exhibition would be that the occasion in
question is not one of them.