New-York tribune., 1907-12-29
CHAMBER MUSIC.

The Kneisel Quartet will give the second OF its
series OF chamber music concerts in Mendelssohn
Hail on Tuesday evening January :. with Harold
Bauer assisting soloist.
The programme consists O Bach's quartet in @
minor. Beethoyen's Trio in fat major Opus a.
and the ever ensrossing and emotional quartet Of
the unfortunate Smetana Aus mener Lebcn."
The following note written by Philip Hale:
smetana. not a friend of absolute music. needed
a determined poetic thought poem or setf-es-
tabliShed and detailed programme-tO spur him 20
cop-osltio: @ - IN LoSg ne "np'e 10 hop'hi, " t
cert master IN Hamburg u WISH the ttle AUS
meinem Leben' TO be printed on the programme
and themes. that the composer show hts
abilities I wish to present 10 the hearcr pictures
OF episodes in my life and he will thus better IN
derstand each movement
Two years before this. disturbed by criticism Of
the work a mistake and that technical dIaI-
cultes were insuperable. Smetana wrote To Joseph
Srb an explanation of his intentions In this quartet
Il send YOU herewith the of a string quar-
tet which Is in manuscript and until now has never
the judgment of another and shall not be offend
ed If it does not please, because it Is opposed to
composed. II was my intention make
quartet after set receipt and in conventional
sufficiently so that know what style means and
determine form And so I wrote this quartet in
the form which ii itself demanded.
- Wis wish ,.,. 70 portray IN tom tones my . life
young; predisposition toward romantcism
not even clearly defined: also a prcmonition Of my
future misfortune (deafness) The long drawn
out tone f in the finale just before tho end. orig
mates from this beginning it is harmful piping
Of the highest tone in my ear that in 1873 an
trick because ii is the indication of fate so I'm
portant TO me-
Second Increment: Quasi Polka bears me with
my recollections back 10 the joyance OF my youth
when as composer J overwhelmed the world with
dance tunes and was known as passionate dancer.
The 1niffesote, memo riro lD-fat maior) is the
which the players tell me is impossible. Purity Of
the chords is not Ia be attained remind You that
IN tnis movement paint in tones my recollectons
of the aristocratic , circles In which I moved
JdciIe. easier reading in first violin, second vo-
il you find that the first. the original manner can
be played without injury purity or fntonation
e " Of 4hf h TaT f9r RFefr e m th & e diff
sicans 81 refuse 70 play it. and not the Orchestral
me 1hd re- moSss"t =, Largo 60 sGste"sto recalls "
VINO afterward became my faithful wife.
Fourth Increment. The perception of the indi-
viduality of the national element in music The
terrupion of the terrible catastrophe the beginning
oi,6t o dsarness I'm, 81 s gance At the gloomy future
beginnings.
which. 10 speak is written .nttnateIv' and
therefore for four Instruments which shall talk as
Vexes me so inexpressbly. Further than this noth-
ing" ' ~
In the last movement of this o,,arte+ the to,u
that Snetana heard is represented as high f. What
f sixtf Isaiiy heard was the hat major chord of the
In 1882. Smetana sick man. began second
string quartet a continuation of this musical auto
biography. He proposed that II should portray
music as lt sounded in the of deaf man And
full or sentiment and novel April 20 1884 he was
taken TO the madhouse Prague He died thern
May II, 1884. without having had lucid interval
Is the oldtime harpsichord. long ago DISPLACED
by the panoforte. to become more an active
participant in public concerts? Certainly it's Use
at Arthur Writings recent recital when he per-
formed alternately upon harpschord and a piano-
forte, made for variety and contrast and gave the
older music chance to speak so TO say in its
own voice. Next Thursday evening, at the con-
cert of the Olive Mead Quartet in Mendelssohn
Hail. Mr.. Whiting and Miss Mead will play a
sonata by Core. for planoforte and harpschord
from which the listeners may expect to gain an
effect corresponding to that which the composer
had in mind, at least far as concerns the tone
quality of the instruments. In the Brahms quintet
in + minor, in which Mr.. Whiting will assist the
Olive Mead Quartet. modern pianoforte WILL Of
course played. Miss Meads excellent organi-
zation will begin its programme OF next Thursday
with Mozart quartet In major.
The Vienna Artists Quartet Of whose delightful
playing OF light but good music account has
already appeared in these columns, will give its
next concert on Thursday evening. January 2, at
Cooper Union Hall. The programme will bring
forward an attractive list OF pieces some familiar,
others less KNOWN but AL expected to give pleas