New-York tribune., 1909-03-17
THE FI.oNzALEY QUARTET.

Hugo Wolf left. the memorial of his short ana
clouded life, a large collection OF songs some oA
them masterpieces after their Kind, and very rev
compositions in the larger forms. 10 certain oL
which perhaps the same formidable word may be
applied. the latter group belongs his quartet III
D major for strings, which the Flonzaley quartet
put forward last evening as the crux OF It's pro-
gramme at Mendelssohn Hall, at the final concert
Of its subscription series This work is still COM
parativeIy unfamiliar New York audiences, ana
in recognition of this fact Mr.. F. j. de Coppett the
founder and sustainer of the Flonzaley orsanlzA-
tion invited the concert subscribers to private
and preparatory hearing of the Wolf music Two
days ago, so that they might the more fully enjoy
last evenings public presentation. How far this
prior initiation into the tense moods or the COM
position had served heighten the appreciation or
the auditors could only be guessed. but 1t is likely
that in any there would have been general
and hearty tribute. not only TO the wonderfully eX-
pressIve music but to the admirable performance
of its exacting measures by Mr. Betti. Mr.. Pochon,
Mr. Ara and Mr.. d'Archambeau. Nothing more
compelling has come from the Flonzaley players
since they began their public concerts and only the
captious could have asked for rendering more
earnest and penetrating marked by closer ac-
cord between the participants.
Doubtless many of last nights audience felt. in
listening to the first two and the last movements
of Hugo VOLTS quartet. that the composer in
seeking to express the ideas and emotions that
surged through his consciousness. had strained to
the utmost the resources of the four instruments
until they essayed an utteraQce almost orchestral
in It's breadth and intensity The first movement
with its turmoil of divergent musical speech and
It's moments of hushed expectancy, comparable TO
the pauses in a spoken drama, wherein even a
whisper and stings the senses. remains one OF
the most highly charged of contemporary procla-
nations In any musical form. 1t is rough ana
merciless in its more stringent periods yet even
here, the composers art stands out commandngly'
for what he has written has form and coordination
and It has also beauty There is something in 1t
that strangely suggests the mood and manner that
Robert Schumann might have revealed had his
nature been more deeply incIsed by tragedy and
had ne been born with the musical inheritance that
was the portion OF composers of the generation
lately matured.
The full Towering OF VOLTS genius comes IN the
second movement OF this D major quartet. Per-
haps he could not wholly forget the "LohenGrin'
prelude in the distribution of his harmonies in the
opening bars but all else is utterly his own and or
rare loveHness. There is linear beauty here, as
well as exquisitey attured color. and though the
movement is long there Is clarity in its design ara
a functional quality in nearly every phrase me
scherze is least important OF the divisions OF TINS
quartet though not out of keeping. and the final
section speaks the language of enforced resigna-
ton.
To provide contrast and background for this
declamatory piece by Wolf the Flonzaley pro-
gramme last night began with the Boccherini quar-
.et in A major Op. 80, No. s. and ended with two
movements from Dvoraks quartet. Op 100 or
each the players brought out the distinctive quality
achieving capital dexJerity and lighness OF touch
in the older work and sounding the full mellow
ness of the Dvorak music