The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-10

MT. Albert Spalding, the distinguished young violinist who will appear at the Jefferson this afternoon in the fourth and last of the Matinee Musicales which have been arranged by Mrs. Truman Aldrich, Jr., this season, has received many tributes from the leading musical critics of the world. but perhaps none has ever more completely and concisely summed up the notable qualities in the gifted players art than the following from the pen of Agernon St. John Brenon. the noted New York critic.
 He says
 About two years ago the musical com munity of New York became aware of the presence of a new personality. This was Albert Spalding, the young Amer ican violinst, of whose doings abroad in- teresting news from time to time had been published sin the papers.
 'The youthful artist made his first American appearance in Carnegie Hall under the conductorship of Walter Dam rosch. His playing aroused considerable discussion. The result of the argument however, was that MT. Spalding was an artist of very unusual capacity. that he had studied deeply and fruitfully under the splendid masters; that there was a promising and brilliant career before him.
 ''rhere was something fresh, manly, clean cut about this young man. He stood before his audience quietly, with some self-confidence, yet modestly with out suggestion of pose, or flummery of attitudinizing of any kind, and further more he played admirably well.
 This was exactly what one expects of the American interpretative art eff ciency combined with personal dignity and simplicity of manner. have mo- ticed it before in the case of some of the best of our American singers. Such carriage is as a breeze that comes amid cloud of heavy perfumed tropic vapors
 "The bearing of Albert Spalding must be taken into consideration as among tho qualifications that have helped him to make sp instantaneous appeal to educated and cultivated audiences among his fellow countrymen.
 "The successful career of MT. Spald- ing marks moreover. an epoch in the 1lSlOIy Oi Afitltdu iuuSlt. lie IS the first Americani who has won for himself European reputation as an in- strumentalist. He is the first American who. out of sheer love of the thing, has devoted himself to the prolonged and arduous study of most difficult nstru- ment, and he is certainly the first to have made a conspicuous and envied figure for himself in field where com petition and comparison are bitterly sus- s.- of,, ..,,tr. less"
 Mir. Spaldlng's fad Is gathering note worthy collection of vioins. He usually plays on a Domenico Montagnani which Is pronounced by authorities to be the finest example of this Venice master in the form of violin He also uses at times modern French violin, which he says Is so limpd and pure in quality that no matter how softly It fig played it's tone carries to the limit of any con cert auditorium. 8
 He tells an interesting story of a re- cent trip to Russia, about rummagng In the St. Petersburg violin shops Gas his custom). and finding Jacob Stainer violin. on which he left a bid. When he returned to the city it had been sold so he gave up all hopes of getting it.. But to his surprise and delight. the day DeIDTe He ieIt fbltTSDuis lnt NiOnu was left in his room, anonymously
 Besides including in his repertoire this season many of the old time favorites Mir. Spading is making a marked fea- ture of Max Reger compositions.
 It is of great import what MT. Spald- ing says on the subject of Roger and Bach.
 "Of the ii violin sonatas which Max hoe I;.,ls Mir. Spalding, leach is as unique in modern literature. as are those of the apostle of music--B Bach. Max Roger KNOWS what the modern violinist can do: Bach could only guess
 Concerning the unaccompanied violin sonatas of Bach and Roger he continues e"of the latter's work there is. yet such diversity of opinion that his admirers must be content to accept the criticism which is always bound to assail anything new or prominent. whether or not il tends toward regeneration or degenera ton. But if anyone appoints himself as a temporary tribunal to sit in judgment over the music of Max Roger. only time and the unanimitv of musicians opin- ions can be the ultimate one. Therefore I will trust to time and to the rare beau " or Regers music to. speak for them- selves.r ,s.sss
 But the .rnaccompanied violin solo has never been popular since Bach turn ed his pioneers in that direction" argues the critic. and why Bach started 1t is as vet, not quite clear to the modern mfnd' id
 Whose modern mind?v inauires Mir. Spalding sardonically. The student of harmony and counterpoint knows well that one of the highest qualities of m,I- sical art is to compose q melody by whose intricate line the aecompanying harmones are felt. even wbsn, not pla~- ed, Bach was. indeed sunre,ne in this particular: and in nothing Is his suprcm-