The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-08

generations, but also of the firSt genera
ton. They heard the honored singer in
1.-THE old songs and marveled, though the
voice and the execution-the technique once
so easy as to seem an instructive function
are not at sixty years what thcJ were at
forty Wonder at the preservation Is not
entirely reasonable-LilIi Lehman can yet
sing Isolde: perhaps the sentiment OF
Home, Sweet Home Arditis kiss" and
THE Last Rose of Summer should have
much credit. The dean of critics, Mr..
Krehbiel was most panied at Nine. PATHS
singing, obviously as advertisement,
new and poor song, especially written for
her." However, at this time doubt to
the popular success of this farewell has
been dispelled.
The Kneisel quartet now belongs to the
whole country. and next spring it will be-
long to the world. The four having left the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, the first chairs
of their respective departments. which
they occupied so long. they will make an
extensive tour of the States. and in March
they will journey to London, Paris and
Berlin. On Tuesday evening they gave the
first of their scheduled six concerts at Men
cupied every seat. BY long association,
natural adaptibility, extraordinary skin and
dignifed patience, Mr.. Kneisel and his COM
panions have risen TO their ideal, which Is
to play purely and serenely the potent part
of musical literature devoted to their form.
Their list on the momentous occasion of
the opening of the first independent season
comprised Schubert's quartet in ID minor,
Beethoven's sonata in A major Tor violon-
cello and piano, and a new quartet by
Russian composer, Kopylow, in G major.
The last is n fabric of sonorous and sus-
tanned harmonies, avoiding that playing
over and under and around the subject that
frequently exceeds meditation in German
writing, and also declining to be tempted
into the abandon of reason that too often
leads one to consider Slavic composition
as merely exciting indulgence in riotous
colors and moods.
The Beethoven sonata was equally played
by Mr.. Schroeder and Mr.. Harold Bauer,
pianist whose deliberate style has many
admirers and who is now a regular visitor
to America.
Mr.. Kneisel's successor as concert master
of the Boston orchestra, Mr.. Fernandez
Arbos, was the soloist at the orchestra's
first concert Of the present series in New
York on Thursday evening and, as matter
of course, justified his selection for the high
position. Another contenting feature OF the
programme was Brahms's second sym
phony. The sure, clear soaring tone of the
orchestra is a tribute to the farsightedness
and generosity of it's founders and support
ers, who have made 1t possible for the play
ers to be undistracted in their pursuit and
this same happy beneficence is manifested
in other and smaller cities, to the discredit
of New York, which has no truly perma-
nent orchestra, and therefore lacks focal
point Of musical rays. The Philharmonic
Society will have different and celebrated
conductor for each of its concerts this sea-
son, but what it most needs, in the best
opinion, is single-minded devotion to the end
of unity and clarity-and reorganization.
HORACE LANCASTER.