The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-12
KNEISEL QUARTET CONCERT.
TROUBLED MUSIC FROM FRANCE
PERFORMED.
Maurice Raveirs New and Intricate Quartet
beethoven Affords a welcome Relief
waiter DsmrOsch n wind Instru-
ment Players in Happy Association.

81 49, ANA W. ~
beethoven Affords n Welcome Relief
waiter DsmrOseh and wind Instru-
ment Players in Happy Association
The audience at the concert of the Kneise
Quartet in Mendelssohn Hall last night
sat up and wondered. II had two oppor-
mnities for the exercise OF its questioning
faculties. The first came when the men,
hers OF the organization performed the
T major quartet OF Maurice Ravel for the
FIRST time here and the second when they
eft the stage altogether to another COM
pany OF chamber music players. Walter
Damrosch. conductor Of the New York
symphony Orchestra, sitting as a pianist,
and associated with four Of his men, held the
platform in the second number, while the
voices Of piano and wind instruments sue
ceeded those of bowed instruments.
Mr.. Ravel Is one OF the contemporaneous
French composers and local music lovers
nave heard little of his writing. Those
who heard last nights quartet were
plainly puzzled. Rave is of the school of
D'Indy and Debussy. He hates common
triads and dotes on chromatic complications.
He can make chords out of any notes that
happen TO be lying around loose. He takes
care only that the chords be all different.
Old fashioned teachers OF harmony in
structed their pupils in the various inver-
sions of chords, but what Ravel practises
is their perversion. In a certain vaudeville
house a comedian once won much note
from inquiring: Who sang that sour
note?" Rave likes to sing those sour notes.
He feeds fat his soul on musical persimmons.
Every one knows this sort of music. 1t Is
coming to be quite the thing among COM
posers who ave no old fashioned melodies
concealed on their premises. Whether 1t
will ever becom popular with the public
csnnot be foretold with any sort of certainty.
Habit will accustom people to almost any
thing, and in the course of time we may
all learn to despise the simple childish n
fulness OF Wagner. In those days Bee
thoven and Schumann will be given TO chill
dren instead of five finger exercises.
Ravel's quartet, If we accept his mel die
and harmonic elements, has some clever
writing in il. The first movement is adj
mirably made, is clear in form, m~usicianly
has one inviting theme. The second trans
forms the quartet into a miniature or
chestra and does ~extravagant things with
pizzicato effects, but the counterpart in
the development is interesting. The slow
movement is a most wonderful rhapsody
which wanders through mazes Of writhing
harmonies and eventually pauses in the
air after never once touching solid ground.
The last movement is weak n weary.
This composition was marvellously
played by Mr.. Kneisel and his associates.
Their feats in perfect intonation were alone
worth the price Of admission. To play
my part of such a composition out Of une
would be to bring on inextricable CON-
fusion and utter senselessness In the
last number on the list, Schuman ms +
major quartet, the Kneisel players had some
opportunity TO exercise their beautiful
art on music of a more familiar type.
The middle number was Beethoven's
quintet for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn
and bsssoon, opus 10. In addition to Mr..
Damrosch the performers were Cesar Addi-
mando, con Leroy. Herman Hand and
Auguste Mesuard, all OF the New York
Symphony Orchestra. Every one sat up
and looked happy when Beethoven's frank
and Mozsrtian melodies were heard. 1t is
one OF the masters earlyo ompositions and
it has simplicity and beauty combined.
The wind instruments are heard chiefly
together, for they ave few solos. The
piano has a lions share of the composition
and Mr.. Damrosch played the part most
admirably. The others are all excellent
musicians and discharged their duties
capably.