New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-10
CHAMBER MUSIC
Concerts by the Barrere Ensem
bic and Flonzaley Quartet.

The interest OF COncertgoers was occu-
pied yesterday by chamber music. and
/ most Of IL OF the old order-that Is, of the
/ classic period. At the Belasco Theatre In
the afternoon Mr.. Georges Barrere ana
his company Of players upon wind instru-
ments made another Of their efforts TO
! rehabilltate form Of the musical art
ardent admiration for which died out 10
large degree in the early decades OF
the nineteenth century. Their classic
number was serenade by Mozart. In
/ tho evening the Flonzaley Quartet. play
| ing for the first time I'm Aeolian Hall
produced quartets by Mozart and Haydn
and between them Tschaikowsky' quar-
| tet In ID with It's slow movement-beloved
OF amateurs. Mr.. Barrere's excursion into
( the modern field was made with Richard
1 Strauss splendidly euphonious and beau
| tiful Serenade. OPP. Z. and a Divertissement
| by Perilhou. work OF real charm and
| one OF n considerable number by which
| French composers have striyen 20 keep
alive an interest I'm music for wind instru-
ments.
In his extremely laudable desire TO re-
/ klnde appreciation for the kind OF music
which has his affection Mr.. Barrere yes
terday sought TO introduce a much-needed
element OF variety by presenting two
vocal numbers which the composers had
| provided with accompaniments for small
, choirs OF wind instruments. They were
beautiful setting OF "a Song TO be Sung
az Parting" the words OF which, begin
ming "Es lat bestimmt I'm Gottes Rath,'
/ are known to all lovers OF German song
/ through Memberships setting. and Bee
thoven's "Bundeslied." elm allen guten
stunden'0. The former was sung by a
mixed choir OF twelve voices. the latter
/ by male chorus" OF four. with two
added solo voices Had the singing been OF
the best the pieces would have been inef-
/ fectlyc under such circumstances, and as
the singing was not even mediocre. the eX-
pertinent proved deplorable This "Bundes-
! lied" though there is a suspicion that II
may have been conceived at an early period
/ In Beethoven's career, was written out and
revised at the time when the composer 5
| thoughts were soaring I'm the realms OF
which he made "A revelation IN the Ninth
! Symphony: a fact which probably pre-
scented itself az little to the mind Of any
| oil lUOSt NHD HtdIN ~ ytHltIhdg 40 inc
circumstance that it's poetry grew out OF
| the happy frame OF mind IN which Goethe
was thrown by his love for his Lilli.
| Such a genesis for the work ought to
have invited a better performance. The
| concert began with one OF the finest Of
Mozart's serenades. that In fiat, which
grew into serenade for wind instru-
ments after it mad existed twelve years
! In It's original shape as "A string quintet.
Under Mr. Barrere's direction the work.
like the Strauss composition. was played
| with great precision and no little charm.
Mr.. Koemmenich conducted the vocal
| numbers.
The audience at Aeolian Hall in the
| evening found great pleasure In the play
ing OF the Flonzaley organization, and
manifested It sometimes when II was
! lohst merited. In respect or precision
and harmony OF purpose nothing bettor
could be asked than what Mr.. Betti and
his companions provide, especially in the
| first movement OF the Tschaikowsky
| quartet, but the recurrent little impetu-
osities and precioslties. which seem 10
have become a marked characteristic OF
their playing. and their languishing SEN
| timentalities were sadly out OF place in
the healthy music OF Mozarts quartet
| a., n H. f. X