The sun., 1903-11-04
KNEISEL QUARTET CONCERT.
First Appearance This Season OF Popular
Boston Players.


The Kneisel Quartet, which gave its first
concert in the greater city last week in
Brooklyn, made it's initial bow on this
side of the East River at Mendessohn
Hall last night. There will be much inter-
est this season in the playing Of this orgal l.
zation because Of it's recent severanoe OF
its long connection with the Boston Sym
phony Orchestra. The larger opportuni-
ties for study and rehearsal afforded by
the new independence theoretically should
result in a finer finish in the playing Of the
four men and in some instances in deeper
insight and sympathy.
Whether such happy results are to como
VIII I've learned later in the season. The
keynote of last evening was one OF rejoice
ing on the part OF serious mu sic lovers at
the return Of the artists who have done
50 much in the last few years to cultivate
a taste for the most chaste and most inti-
mate form of music.
The programme consisted of Schubert's g
d minor quartet, the one which intro duces
the variations on the song. Death and
the Maiden. Beethoven's sonata in major,
op. 90. for the piano and cello. and Kopy-
lows G ma jor quartet. op. is. The pian-
ist in the Beethoven number was Harold
Bauer.
Lot the novelty of the concert have the
place Of homer, Kopylow is not entirely
UNKNOWN IN new lork, "here portlons Oh
some Of his chamber compositions have
been heard. He is the author Of sym
phony and some choral works as yet un-
heard here. The quartet heard last even
ing Is the second Of his two. IT was COM
posed in 1890 and dedicated by Rimsky-
Eorsakow, another of the later Russian
writer's.
Kopylow is so years old, but he follows
the artistic trend Of the Young Russian
school, Of which Rimsky Korsakow is one
of the Leading lights. One Of the achieve
ments Of the Young Russian school was the
exclusion from the domain Of nationality
Of Tsohaisow sky on the ground that he was
not sufficiently Russisn, but altogether too
German in styie, The world at large, hear
ing the ominous growing Of the Russian
sented to him he open door and taken him
in.as one Of the most national OF all masters
Kopylow's quertet, heard last evening, is
far less tinctured with Russian character
istcs than any of 1schaikowsky's; but 1t is
good to hear for all that.
The work. which was frst performed
here at last weeks Brooklyn concert, is
In the conventional four movements, with
the scherzo as the second. In the first
two occur themes which suggest Russian
character in the spasmodic and impulsive
style Of the development. The, third and
fourth movements chow that the ACCUSE
ton made against Kopylow that he Ii .
GermanlZer Is not without ground.
The quartet Is one OF those works which
give, pleasure in the hearing. but will not
preesions. 1t is bright, fresh. melodious
and perhaps half dozen other commend
able things. but it is not large either in
| thought or treatment. It Is chamber music
! for tie salon indeed, pretty and enga ging,
| but not Irresistible. The gentlemen OF
the quartet played L con drnore, and IT is
| not at all easy. It has some ticklish pas
| sa ges, but no orc would ever have guessed
30 from the performance. That went with
| delicious smoothness and with an invigornt-
! ing spirit.
meut on the Kneisel manner Of playing
] Schubert's d minor quartet. That Is one
| OF the things to think about. in silence.
| Was there something unusually poetic in
| It last night. or was it simply that it sounded
90 good to hear once more? Certainly
there did seem to be something uncom-
monty intimate and communicative in the
accentuation OF the work.
Mr. Bauer played his share Of the Beet
hoven sonata with taste, with admirable
discretion in the matter Of dynamlcs and
with fine rhythm. There, however, was not
much color in the performance.