New-York tribune., 1912-01-18
MUSIC
A New Work Played by the
KneiSel Quartet.
A Day of Chamber Music.

At the third concert of chamber music
bv the Knesel Quartet in the ballroom Of
the Hotel Astor on Tuesday night a new
quartet by an American composer was per-
formed for the first time in New York,
and an experiment was made in the seat
ing arrangement in the hope of improving
the acoustic conditions which have troubled
the patrons Of the organization ever since
the change 10 new quarters was compelled
hv the closing Of Mendelssohn Hall 10
artistic entertainments, for which It was
en- admirably adapted The experiment
provpd eminently successful. The platform
of the players was moved to the middle
Of the east side of the room. and the audi
ence faced about so as to bring the play
| crs in closer communion with the listeners
The chairs In the rear were also raised
slightly An ideal arrangement would have
nut the players in the middle Of the floor.
as was the case in Mendelssohn's day AT
I,eipsic. but this would have disturbed
some foolish social prejudices, and after
two experiments I'm other directions, the
new plan was hit upon, and. fortunately
proved so much more successful than It's
| predecessors that there must have been a
general feeling OF gratitude and sdusfac-
tion among the listeners.
The concert was the climax Of an eN-
traordinary day in music. There being no
opera. everything ran I'm the way Of the
intimate form of musical entertainment
the song recital and the concert Of cham
bor music Mr. Clement sang songs In
the afternoon IN Carnegie Hall. NJ. Slezak
in the evening. Mrs. Weber. Miss Behrens
aha har music In
the afternoon. and so did the societa per
la Musica Italiana. II there were any peo-
pie left anhunEcring for classical song
and chamber music with all these Offer
inEs. It was the fault of themselves OF
their purses There was surely enough TO
choose from.
Naturally enough the artistic interest
centred in the concert Of the hnclFel
Quartet. and here again. though every
thing was interesting, there was one feat
ure which challenged particular attention.
This was a string quartet by an American
composer. We have had an abundance OF
songs and comic operas by native writer's
and some orchestra compositions but not
so many successful essays in the aristo-
cratic field OF chamber music that MI. DaVId
Stanley Smiths quartet I'm + minor ought
not to have some special notice. u oe-
Gan concert which included besides
Schumanns quartet I'm \ major 'Op. -
No. 81 and Cesar FranCk's quintet in r
minor. in which Katherine Goodson gave
her excellent services 10 the men who are
so happily associated with Mr.. haelseI'
but Of these later offerings nothing can
be said beyond what has been said over
and over again II is not necessarily the
province Of the reviewer 20 paint the lllF
or Cild the refined gold OF the Kneisel per
formances Mr.. Smiths quartet Is IN
different case. Here II Is a duty 10 pay
tribute to a new composition Of an unusual
sort by a native American musician. MI.
Smith halls from Ohio. He was born In
Toledo in 1871. was graduated from the
academic DEPARTMENT Of Yale University IN
,qO0 and. having studied music under FRO
fesgor Parker after taking his degree or
2 A went 10 Europe 20 widen his mn-
s,cal outlook for two years In London
Munich and Paris Then ne came hack
I'm 1900 70 become 2 member OF Nales mu-
sicaI faculty. Two OF his orchestral pieces
were heard in New York at a concert OF
the New Music Society OF America in April,
1ens and VIC have an impression also of an
orchestral march OF his performed al the
two hundredth anniversary OF the iouho-
ing of Yale College In 1901.
Mr. Smiths quartet Is fine specimen ot
chamber music writing that IL us hrSt
claim upon attention. lie knows now 10
make his four instruments sing IN th"F
vernarular He makes no strivinEs to y"
ultra modern. but neither is he h'dehound
I'm the matter ~ form. In his nI1' move
mont he freely iut"r~hanR"s auple ana
triple time. as is indicated IN IN" nrst
theme o. hts FIRST movement as given out
BY the viola.