The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-12
Musicians Surpass Earlier
Achievements.
HEARD BY CROWDED HOUSE
Brilliant Audience Enthusiastic Over
Director De Koven's Men-Mrs.
Bloomfield Ziesler's Triumph.

An orchestral concert of great musical
interest. series of four piano numbers
by performer of extraordinary power
and demonstrations Of enthusiastic ap-
prevail from an audience Of manifest
distinction marked the first public ap-
pearance this season of the Washington
Symphony Orchestra which was made
at the Lafayette Square Theater yes
terday afternoon. The orchestra play
ed with more unity and with better
effect than ever before The soloist,
Mrs. Observation-Disclosures, performed with
degree of strength. technical mastery
and unaffected tenderness which must
have added to the distinction of any
concert by any orchestra. Finally. an
audience which filed the theater, and
was notable in composition even for
Washington, gave material support to
Director De Koven and his men, and
applauded with pleasing musical dis
elimination. The concert was, there
fore, an occasion of much significance
and a source of much pleasure to those
who seriously hope for more good music
in the National Capital.
The orchestral program for this first
concert consisted of Weber's overture to
'Euryanthe,' the accompaniment TO the
Grieg concerto for the piano. the second
symphony Of Saint-Saens. and the spirit
ed Rakoczsky march from Berlioz's
Domination of Faust"
This selection had many merits. not
the least of them being that Is was not
too long The Weber number gave gen
eral satisfaction az the Introduction 10
the concert. The accompaniment TO the
concerto. not only rivals the piano
score in Importance. but is melodious
70 rare degree and abounds in splen-
did harmony. The symphony developed
the new strength of the orchestra in
each Of its subdivisions The last num-
Der was chosen. no doubt. for its dash
and power. and it had the added value
of commemorative the hundredth ami
versary of the composers birth.
Superior Work of Orchestra.
In all these numbers the orchestra sur
passed any Of its earlier performances.
Mr.. De Koven's continued training. and
the aid Of the several distinguished
musicians who have been added to its
membership have given it an evenness
of tone, a confidence of movement a
pure and rich harmony. and a capacity
for vigorous attack and delicate shad-
ing which make its playing a musical
achievement of the first rank For the
first time the brasses are mellowed and
subdued into proper relation TO the
other sections Of The band. As before.
the strings play with excellent fluency
and strength. The reeds and flutes
merge with strings and brasses into
tones which are an unqualified delight
TO every ear ca->able Of enjoying pure
music. well performed The concert
with which this body closed its last sec
ond season established It as an orches-
ira OF sufficient ability for the interDre-
tation OF the great works Of great
musicians; its playing yesterday estab-
lished its ability TO perform those WORKS
with remarkably fine effect
Yet the orchestral program was not
altogether satisfactory. 1t seems to be
strangely difficult to choose a series OF
four works which shall have separately
the necessary musical value, and col.
lectively the necessary crescendo Of eff
feet to dismiss the audience either with
a vigorous theme sounding in it's ears.
as was intended yesterday. or with a
clear recollection Of rich and moving
harmony. Another difficulty yesterday
was that the symphony. which the pro-
gram announced as being then per-
formed for the first time in America.
lacked central idea and singleness of
purpose. But these questions Of selec-
ton should not be permitted 20 cloud
the general effect of the concert, which
Was undoubtedly. that of fine OrcheS-