New-York tribune., 1908-01-08
MUSIC.
THE KNEIsEL QUARTET.

1t would not be difficult. with memories OF Sas'
nights concert OF the Kneisel Quartet fsesniy m
mind, to find Justification for references IN LII.
place to the eloquent pauses between tne s1'ea'
numbers of the programme. even before tne "ios'.
brought forward Is discussed New YORK concert
audiences except in a few instances. are made up
OF units too transiently bound together 10 aeaule
distinct character and quality. Courteous a'tenuon
to music is customary In this city. but when an m
terval comes audience begins TO reveal 'ssn.
Dull apathy rules more occasions tnan not as'u
in such cases. If the concert gtvers become aware OF
It. the lack of responsive stimulus Is serious of1"
back to enthusiastic performance of the remainder
of a prograu,ne But when the judiciously resu-
lated applause following every work onereo az
Kneisel concert has died away, there invariably en-
sues such hun, Of vivacious conversation ssenry-
ing exchange Of views or greetings all over ehs
hall that 1t must Inevitably penetrate to the artists
room. thus assuring the musicians OF the nonose-
neitv and the appreciatfveness of this assernolage
OF those who enjoy pure music for its own sake
To have built up by steadily deserving 1t, such
clientele is not the least of the New York achieve
ments OF Dir. Knese and his associates
Bach Beethoven and Smetana were the COM
posers drawn upon for last evenings entertain
meut- The Bach quartet in G minor. which Is
not strictly a quartet at all. having been written
for small band instead OF four single insrru-
ments headed the list and Smetana's quartet. Aus
meinem Leben.'' which is and ought 20 be heard
a least once every concert year cohcAuaeo
1t. The middle number the Beethoven trio
in B fiat major. Op. 81. for pianoforte. violin ana
volonceIIo, in which Mr.. knesel and Mr.. VIII
leke assisted by Mr.. Harold Bauer The
scheme happy one although its fun SYM
metry not revealed until after the Smetana
music under way. and had begun to intro
duce a note of variety and OF dynamic vfgor IN
which the performance of the Beethoven trio was
somewhat lacking. Mr.. Bausr's pianoforte play
ing. exqusitely tempered and refined AZ it was
seemed in the first movement of the trio 10 want
assertion-the opening bars were quite fnconse-
quent-and the work throughout. except IN the
final division. might have been made more COM
manding by the infusion of little more energy;
the effect too continuously hushed and blood
less Yet there was throughout so nice balance
of the three instruments that the trio was heartily
enjoyed
In the Bach piece. which. whatever its origin
acterstfc ingenuity and invention. which the -four
instruments proved well fitted to set forth, espe-
caIiy in the capriccio section. The Smetana quar-
tets autobiographcai nature is well known, and
it's ardent thought transformed into term. oi
flowing melody that reaches the heart. has fol
nearly generation been beloved of musicians here
and in Europe. II presentation OF keen
and sympathetic insight that Mr.. Kneisel and
his colleagues gave last night; the quality
final movement ended in spirit of nlusing beauty
that suggested the glowing embers of a once fam
ing fire of emotion.