New-York tribune., 1908-03-11
MUSIC.
THE KNE1sEL QUARTET.

The fourth Of six concerts Of chamber music
which to be vouchsafsd to the public by the
Kneisel Quartet this season took place last night
in Mendelssohn Hail. Two features marked 1t as
incident OF special moment even In the midst OF
a filed the present one 10 to hold as wei
distract attention. One vas the appearance OF
Mr. WilIem Willeke, the violoncellist OF the or
ganization. in a solo capacity the second was the
performance of Beethovens great Quartet In Z
sharp minor. The former reminded the listeners OF
the direful consequences which threatened short
year ago when it became known that Mr. Schroeder
to sever his connection with the little band or
artists with whose lofty mnistrations he had long
been identified In many quarters II was reared
that this meant the disruption OF the quartet and
even Mr. Kneisel hesitated in the presence OF the
task of repairing the loss TO the organization
which 1t bound to suffer from the departure o.
what seemed to be an essential element in its en-
sembIe. But there were those among the city $
lovers OF the perfect form of absolute music
to whom the thought of the end OF the knesei
Quartet intoerable and not 20 De endufeo-
Their interest put courage into the near
OF the leader, and what would have oeen htue
short of a catastrophe averted- At three con-
certs the demonstration was made that even Win
new men in two positions the ensemble was perfect
Last night this fact received the highest connrma-
ton by the performance of the Beethoven quartet
and to it added proof that in solo WORK tne ne"
'cellist was an Improvement upon his admirable
predecessor. True. the composition chosen oy MT
willeke was not of kind TO display the ripesl
powers of virtuoso musician, but III sufnceo "
disclose that the newcomer has an exquisite sens
of beauty and technical equipment "hich VIII
suffice him for any task that his lofty mission
will ever set before him With Katharine
Goodson he played Richard Strauss's sonata
in for pianoforte and violonceno- II is com
position of insnuating charm. which emaha,eu
from the mind of the present musical reVoiuloiiS'
when still merely. or purely. a musician
when his youthful mind was teeming with meio-
dies and when he uttered them with a giadsome
spontaneity which seems amazing now tnat IL Is
supplanted by much that seems to the majority
of music lovers cold intellectually and rehec-
ton There joyful spirit of harmony in the
performance by the two artists. especially in the
last movement. with its arch playfuness. for
which both Miss Goodson and Mr.. Willeke found
the requisite daintiness of touch II waA followed
by loud and long expression of delight from the
audience.
The chord, which had its pretty echo In this last
movement. had been touched in the scherzc from
Cesar Francks Quartet in D major. which. with
its preceding larghetto had served to open the
concert 1t is often that composition is dis
membered thus by Mr.. Kneisel and no doubt the
emission Of the first and last movements OF the
French composers quartet was a sacrifice which ne
felt compelled make in order that the audience
might bring unweared ears unjaded feelings ana
fresh fancy to the enjoyment of the chief oner-
ing Of the evening. The great quartet. the Worh
which Beethoven himself considered his lef,esr
achievement IN the field of chamber music presents
a serious problem to a quartet party playing III
rublic. will do TO place 1t at the besinnlns
of a programme for perfect enjoyment Of IT de-
n,ands that there be no interruption OF its
flow; and no amount of devotion and nom
est purpose can insure the presence Of every
would d-be listener when the music begins Agen-
cies of conveyance are treacherous and accidents
of travel unavoidable If Beethoven 5 wishes were
carried out the work, which lasts forty-nve min
utes would be played without pauses between us
parts Late would lose it all were II played
at the beginning OF evening and the eonpos-
er's prescription obeyed When Mr.. kneisel played
/ the Quartet twice within week some eight years
ago he opened his concert with it, but made two
pauses. before and one after the scherzo Con-
sent for the first had been wrung from the COM
poser by the musicians of his day on the grounds
that the listeners needed brief period OF rest
| and the players opportunity to retune their
instruments. Out OF this liberty. grudgingy be-
/ slowed the Russian Laub developed license 10
add the second pause. and in this Mr.. kneisel fol-
| lowed him the occasions mentioned
/ Last night he made pause only before the
| scherzo: and even this must have Jared or the
! feelings of many of his listeners Emotion and
wonderful variations. which form here. as in SO
! makes its loftiest flight and the interruption
comes like a rude and diseoncerting shock- An
| ideal performance would be in which the work
was played without any other music before or
| after IL and with performers and listeners united
| in sort of angelic wedlock- The quartet was
| beautifully played but Mr. Kneisel has given its
| transcen6ental message more eloquent proelaIrla-
| ton on other occasions. II Z n