New-York tribune., 1913-11-19
MUSICAL NOTES
AND COMMENT
Yesterdays Doings and the
Opera Ticket Stu
alton.

otIOu.
There were several musical entertain
ments yesterday which ordinarily might
have called for attention. but which under
the circumstances were just about as ex-
citing as the Sunday afternoon meetings
used to be when few good people who
loved and could play chamber music gath
cred together, and if a new sonata for
pianoforte and violin or new pianoforte
trio had recently appeared in print, played
it and talked over its beauties; II there
were no new works the old ones did ser
vice. Everybody was happy In the knowl-
edge OF an hour well spent-at least no
body had got into any mischief such in
nocuous and wholly Commendable enter
tainments were the recital Of sonatas for
planoforte and violin given in the after
noon AT the Princess Theatre by Mr.. and
Mrs. David Names and the concert OF
chamber music In the evening at the
Aeolian Hall by the Adele Margulies Trio.
At each OF these meetings new music was
performed for the entertainment or those
who hear such music only on public oc-
casions-a 'Nirginian" sonata AT the for
mer and trio by Wolf-Ferrar. who Is
German-Italian by birth and American
by marriage there was nothing revo-
lutionary IN this new music. and, having
been heard. enjoyed and. let us hope. as
simulated, IL will beyond question be SO
speedily forgotten as 10 make one recall
the familiar epitaph on the baby.
There was something different In the
recital OF violin music at Carnegie Hall
I'm the afternoon given by Mr.. Fritz
Kreisler. whose great gifts and pOpu-
larity make IL possible for him To be one
OF the greatest artistic missoners OF the
age No violinist can bring together such
audiences as his. none create greater en-
thusiasm or give greater pleasure. or
late he seems inclined to put his powers
10 what seems 20 be a small use-to tickle
the senses by the most facinating presen-
tation Of small things. So yesterday. But
in one view. and particularly signih-
cant one Just now. this is not a petty
use of his powers The social world has
gone mad over the dance Mr. Kreisler
this tendency some years ago. when he
began to arrange old dance pieces for
concert performance. The charm of
their music as he plays them Is irresist-
lblo. and II he could restore love for
the old movements which they used TO
inspire, TO Offset the prevalent vulGarity,
he would be entitled to be hailed as "A
moral reformer as well as one OF the
greatest OF living musical virtuosi. No
greater proof OF that fact was needed
than the enthusiasm of stupendous au-
dience at his recital yesterday
Yet when the whole record is made Of
what happened in the music rooms yes
terday there remains uppermost the ques-
ton i'm Its moral, legal and artistic aspects
Of what the Metropolitan Opera House
Company is going To do to make good its
claim 10 being a great popular cultural
institution I'm America. Is 1t going to
purge itself OF all stain In connection with
the opera ticket scandal? Is II going TO
make official announcement that hereaf-
ter the public may deal with IL directly In
respect of subscriptions as well as tickets
for single performances? Is 1t going to
make good It's pleadings In case IN
which until the recent disclosures no
lover OF good art could withhold his sym
pathy and support? Is it going to show
that neither In act nor In sympathy 1t
was guilty OF encouraging the effort OF a
company with which 1t Is by the name
of one OF its directors affiliated TO re-
nudiate "A contract unquesuonably valid
between IL and the purchaser of one OF its
certificates OF admission? That Is the
question of the day and the one which
the company ought 10 answer voluntarily
without legal compulslon. ii. r.. IA