New-York tribune., 1910-04-03
THE KNEISEL QUARTET.

The las- concert OF the season to be given
7.,- +,,a Eneisel Quartet in Mendelssohn Hall
will take place on Tuesday afternoon at
o'clock. with Heinrich Gebhard as assisting
artist in the following programme; quar-
tet in g minor, Op. Il, by Robert Noih-
mann. sonata in 4 major. for pianoforte
and yioloncello Op. So. by Beethoven; quar-
tet in + major. OPP. %, by Tschaikowsky
The quartet in G minor. Op. a. by Rob
ert Volkmann Qs15-1Ss0 vas written IN
Budapest where the greater part OF the
composers life was spent
The sonata in 4 major, Op. So. for piano
forte and violoncello. by Beethoven ONO
lSz7l which will ne played by Mr. Geonard
and Mr. Willeke, has been called one or the
finest expressions Of the composers second
period. Ernest Walker. in his lie OF hee-
thoven. SAYS OF it: The general mood is
one Of bright dignity. though the very re-
markable scherzo in minor adds touch
of grinlness. in which. however, an element
Of something lighter is never altogether alb
sent. rhroushout the whole the level OF in
spirat.on Is very high and tho polish of the
,,-,rl.-,,arsi7io IS supreme" II was prob
ably written about 1908, and It is dedicated
n Faro, ! Won Cleichenstein. who was one
OF Beethoven's warmest friends at the time
Fa~lv in 1879 the composer entered into re
lations with the publishing firm Of Brett
kopf & Hartel. and during the year they
brought OUT this sonata and the Fifth and
Sixth symphonies.
The quartet IN F major. Op. %. by
Tscla ikowsky Os40-ls93). was written in
7S73---4 and was dedicated TO Grand Duke
Nicholas Rubenstein. and Edwin Evans. in
his life Of the composer. says: 1t was
then received with the utmost cordiality by
every one present except the hosts brother
Anton. who had nothing to say in its favor
on the loih OF March following its success
WIS publicly established at a concert of
the Imperial Music Society. This success
was 81 marked that the original edition
was exhausted before the end OF the season.
and a reprint became necessary, but il is
significant that on inquiry only eleven
copies were found TO have been sold in
Russia. the rest having been ordered from
abroad.
..Tschaikowsky himself states that this
quartet was written practically al
stretch. That being so, il must have been
during one of his periods Of pessimism. for
not a single rav OF sunshine is allowed 10
show itself through the entire first move
rnent y is an impressive movement with
all its depressing influences, and perhaps
f II NAV be affTlDuleG 10 tlle convincing Hidii-
Ter I'm which the pervading gloom is ex-
pressed that the scherzo which follows Is
invariably received with delight. This is
couched on one of the irregular rhythms.
ir the handling Of which Tschaikowsky was
such consummate master 1t really con-
sists Of seven beats. but these are barred
As two measures of e/S time. followed by
one Of 9y6. this greatly facilitating the exc
cUtion which otherwise would present AL
most insurmountable difficulties Of en-
semble.
The andaute is a fine piece Of emotional
music. although II suffers from certain
i9definiteness in the tbcmat!c material. As
. II 10 compensate for this, that Of the finale
is as concise as possible This movement
abcunds In evidences Of Tschaikowsky' s
contrapuntal facility The simple themes
are literally juggled with with q fascnat-
ing dexteritv. and The ViVecity with which
the interes. becomes more and more eX-
cited is irresistible. indeed. fl largely con-
tributes 10 lusur.ns the favorable reception
which the quartet a whole Invariably
meets with"