The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-11
KNEISEL QUARTET
PLAYS NEW MUSIC
An Interesting Work by a Hun
garian Composer Produced
at First Concert.
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENT

The frst concert OF the Kneisel Quartet
took place last evening In Aeolian Hall.
The programme consisted OF Schumann's
A major quartet. opus II, No. 3 Zoltan
Kodaly's quartet in G minor opus 2, and
Mozarts quartet In L fiat, No. AIS in
the Koechel catalogue. The personnel
OF the organization was not the same
as II was last season. owing to the de-
tentlon of Hans Letz. the second violinist,
In Europe for military duty Samuel
Gardner. a pupil OF Mr.. Knelsel. occupied
his place.
II may be added at this point that
Mr.. Lett has been released and will sail
for this country at the close OF the week
In the meantime the quality OF the
performances OF the quartet suffers
nothing. for Mr. Gardner fits into his
position to a nicely In tone. technic and
style. and his ensemble playing would do
credit to an artist OF much longer ex-
perience.
The name Of Kodaly is new to local
concert rooms. Mr. Kneisel and his asso-
oiates have already played the new
4 quartet in Boston, where 1t irrltated some
commentators. as 1t will doubtless do
I here. The composer has made II known
that he IL trying to restore true Hun
I garian music to its proper place. That
which is widely accepted as Hungarian,
| he says. Is not pure. but filled with modi-
hcatlOns made 10y the gypsies
The real Hungarian music shows great
. variety OF rhythms and meters II
abounds In syncopatons and leans 10 the
repetition OF Characteristic phrases. Also
1t employs freely pentatonic scale and
, ecclesiastic modes. All OF these materials
OF music can be venerated for their age
and need shock no amateur Mr.. Kodaly $
contentious may for the present be re-
ceved without discussion The quartet
is conventional enough In form to suit a
professor of composition. Its novelty, II
there be novelty. consists in its sub
lection of the elements OF Huns arian
music. as this composer has found them
to the methods ana sometimes even TO the
Iuannerisms If the modernists Shall We
admit that Mr.. kodaly sometimes pays
luibute even to the ftddists" There ar,
thematic developments and also dstribu.
tons OF chords In this quartet which ar,
| sufficient 10 account for the Irritation
OF Boston and for the astonishmrn
of some OF last evenings hearers. on Tho
iother hand the structure OF the compost
ton is logical It's thematic materials ar,
handled with holiness. ingenuity anC
sound reason; its harmonies, while un
common and often outrageous. seem SUITED
to the matter, and the employment of al
four instruments shows real skill in par
writing, quite as much as eagerness q
produce the unusual.
The set OF variations on n folk theme
, which constitutes the body of the las
, movement latter a slow introduction bull
on the principal theme of the first move
, ment, are both clever and musical. TIL
SLOW movement, using also this first move
, ment theme, is perhaps the most charac
Z teristic part of the composition. but IL call
, for extremely keen analysis on the part O
, one hearing II for the first time.
, Whether a quartet OF this type is a eut
cessful art work will hardly be determin.
offhdnd But in the light of experienC
one Is led to fear that its final impress 10
will be one Of great ingenuity. OF briliar
I handling of materials, rather than
: poetic mood or uplifting Imagination
! There is too little restfulness In the wor
: too much striving. too much search aft,
the striking phrase, the iia ming word tt
7 worlds best music up to the present tin
has rested heavily on plain melodic an
e harmonic speech, and while we are bour
$ 10 admit that progress may carry us I'M
regions Of tune and chord background ~
g dreamed by the fathers. we are bour
I also to believe that reposeful methods mu
l be found for the employment of these b
fore they can be organized into a genuii