New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-20
MUSIC
A PAIR OF CHAMBER CONCERTS.
A Kneisel Quartet Matinee.

The experiment of the Kneisel Quartet in giving
TWO extra concerts this season, in the afternoon
Ior the convenience of lovers of chamber music
to whom attendance the evening concerts is
hardship especially women. proved TO be sue
cess yesterday The audience which filed Men
delssohn Hall densey as it is always filed at
the regular subscription concerts largely COM
posed of women, who naturally the greatest
beneheiaries OF the undertaking, but there
also a sufficiently large sprinkling of men ndi-
cate that the quartet might in shart time secure
second class of subscribers for series Of after
noon concerts as numerous a the evening class
The programme yesterday comprised Beethoven's
Quartet in c minor op. 49, No 4; a violin
by Corelli Transcribed for viooncello, played by
MI Willeke. with Miss Winifred Bauer "a sister
OF Harold Bauer at the pianoforte; the scherzo
from ID AIberts Quartet IN E fat, op. II, and two
movements composed by julius Roentgen from
sketches for a string quartet in F major found
among the posthumous papers of Edward Grieg.
The two movements were designed to be COM
panlon pieces to the two which practically
completed by the Norwegian composer, and which
were brought forward at the second concert of the
kneisel Quartet on December 15 This scheme
extended by Mr.. Wflleke's performance on a hearty
recall of a Gavotte by Bach, arranged by Pepper.
This list would seem to point TO design the
part of Mr.. Kneisel to purvey lighter artistic pa bu-
Ium than is his wont to his afternoon patrons;
but this may also have been merely in the way
of an experiment, for the programme of the next
matinee. on February q. is that will tug at
the heart strings of the most sophisticated of his
evening subscribers, for it is made up of Bee
thovens Quartet in A minor, op. 1872; Bach's con-
certo for two violins with accom- panment by
string orchestral and Brahmss sextet in fiat.
for two violins. two violas and two violoncellos.
The atmospheric conditions in the concert
were unfavorabe to violin strings. and at the out
set decidedly unpleasant to the audience The lat
ter gave sign but the former "piped and
whistled' in their sound frequently and were
generally lustreless that the pleasure given by
the Beethoven Quartet was not unalloyed In fact,
the performance distinctly disappointing to
the admirers of Mr.. Knesel and his fellows Later
there was improvement. but there never was real
sohdity and hriiancy of tone The qualities were
not much missed IN the D'AIbert number as they
were in the opening and closing quartets. for it
has not enough Imagination or feeling in it 10 suf-
fer much the want Of eloquent expression.
Naturally much interest felt in the quartet
movements composed by Julius Roentgen as con-
tinuation and conclusion Of Griegs quartet The
of the first two movements. to which the COM
posers artistic executor had only to put finish
ing and revisory touches. This spirit, was re-
marked month ago is less rugged and rhapsodical
in the torso than in the quartet in g minor, which
has long had place on the progr ammes of cham
Der music organizations. There is also less of the
national diom upon which so much of Grieg's
music rests for its charm. In fact. we could dis
tinguish OF It unless there is something char
actersticay Norwegian in the principal theme of
the first movement. and consequently also in the
gay little melody which dominates the finale
and which contains a faint echo Of that theme. All
the music falls pleasantly into the ear the finale
being especially bright and merry; but fancy,
ina gination and the emotions left untouched
Mr.. Willeke PLAYED both sonata and gavotte with
much taste, good style and charm H E. X.