New-York tribune., 1903-02-04
MUSIC.
n Day of Chamber Music.

Yesterday was another field day in the depart.
ment Of chamber rnusic-the second of the
son, peculiarly rich in It's offerings. and received
with generous appreciation. In the afternoon Miss
Susan MetcaIfe gave of her charming song
rectas-always charming. whether or not they
reach the plane which their programmes show them
to De striving for. This was in MendessOhn Hail.
where In the evening the Kneisel Quartet gave the
fourth concert OF its eleventh New-York season.
The programme was one of the most interesting
ever offered by the organization in its illustration
of historical phases IN musical development and
the performance was about as near perfection as
one expect TO meet in this vale or tears
and fmperfection. VIII there be better quartet
pIavtng in the Halls of the Hereafter?
There is no time for speculation only a mo-
ment to express doubt. a cheering feature.
as bearing testimony to the solid appreciation
which the quartet has conquered was the audience.
which was the most numerous that has YET
greeted Mr. KneIseI and his happily consorted fel-
lows. The hall sold out and demand was made
for places in the reception room. which opens on
its main floor. But the musical enjoyment OF those
present seemed Of greater moment 70 Mr.. kneiSel
than the report from the box Office. and the acous-
tic conditions not disturbed either by open
ing the wall or permitting listeners 10 STAND
against it. This is something like ideal music max
frg While this delightful concert was In Srog-
ress a concert was taking place IN the ball
room of the waldorf-Astoria Hotel. az Whicn
Mime Roger-MicIos, French pianoforte player
effected an entrance on the American con-
self in a position OF favor and prominence which
she is likely to maintain. II 1t shall turn out at
her recital next week that her emotional outnt ahu
poetical instincts are commensurate Win tH7
technical skill which she displayed in the concerto
In G minor by Saint-Sasns. which Is all that can
lesitimateIy be considered in this necessarily cur
sorry review.
There is the bare record for the day. In each OF
the concerts there were features which invite 70
discussion Miss Metcalfe presented an unhacN-
neyed programme In which. after the usuaI eN-
cerpts from the song literature OF the eiasslca.
period. she gave group OF six Brahns songs an
finally another group by Faure. Tauoert and II.
Strauss In the second group the singer got Out o.
her depth The fine intelligence and exquisite taste
which never fail 10 challenge admiration were
again present in her singing. but voice anu emu
tionaI color were Inadequate Ii was a olt SUI
prising. too after the fine and hnished style VI
vocazation displayed In the Handelian "OmorS
mai n," from ''Xerxes'' (the melody famiiarY
known in it's instrumental arrangement as h""
deIs LargoO. to have the lady drop into oreA'l.
less haste which worked ruin to the beauty or
Mozart's ''Batti. BATH which followed AS f'r
the rest with all it's movements OF charm. It must
be said that Miss Metcalfe's purity OF tntonauoI
and delightful perfection Of phrase alone stonea
for her continual OF half voice and the hheEeHI
lack of beauty in her voice.
The chamber musicians from Boston reinforced
their always ample ranks with ny. Longy the 'ooe
virtuoso OF the Boston Symphony Orchestra ana
Mr.. Arthur Whiting. pianist OF this city Throush
the mediation of the former MOZartS Quartet IN r
for oboe, VIOLIN viola and violoncello. received q
hearing and with Mr.. Knesel and Mr.. Schroeder
with the latter played Brahmss Trio, Op. $ In tts
revised form. These the simple delights o.
the evening. After them came one OF the Boston
organizations loftiest musical revelations-See-
thoven's Quartet In A minor. Op. 49, or all the
performances nothing but praise be spoken
NJ Longy is the one artist in thousand. and the
Mozart Quartet came Ike breeze from Held o.
'pansies and asphodel- earth's freshest. sreenest
lap" Mr. Whiting before played with sueh
decacy. such delightfully."- sympathetic appreciation
of Brahmss music whole. such variety ot
color as he did this time in the Trio. It's Scherzo
sounded as II fairies tripping II with a no! ho
ho, It's Adagio opened the gates to the later Bee
thoven-the priest, prophet, seer in the temple o.
the beautiful.
OF Mime. Roger -Miclos enough heard 70
make IL sure that the musical people of New-York
will desire her better acquaintance. How high her
fancy fly cannot be said after her hrst appear
With orchestra admirably conducted by
Walter Damrosch. she played Beethoven's minor
concerto and the G minor OF Saint-Saens, already
referred Greater nuency OF lingering, nicer
graduation of nuance. inner rhythmicai precision
than she displayed in the Scherzo of the second
concerto will neither be asked expected. I'm
happily the fine impression which she made In
this movement partly disspated by her rest
lessness of tempo IN the naie but this fact did not
necessarily disturb the excellent impression created
by her earlier sfferts.