New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-11
Kodaly'S Composition Is
Played at AeOlian Hall
by KneiSel Quartet.
MAGYAR AND GYPSY
NATIONALISM STUDY
Debut Of a New American
Member of the
Organization.
Nv n. T.. kREUBIEI..


AZ its first concert for this season,
which took place in Aeolian Hall last
night, the Kneisel Qsurtet introduced
a new second violinist and new com
position--the former an American
product, the latter Hungarian. Mr..
Samuel Gardner, a young man who had
already asked attention 10 himself as
solo performer and as a recruit for
the larger ensembles which Mr.. kneisel
occasionally employs in his concerts,
has taken the place in the Quartet
made vacant by the enforced service
in the German army of Mr.. Lett. lie
is native of Providence, X. l., and
for several years was a member OF
Mr.. kneisels virtuoso class al the In
stitute OF Musical Art. lie won praise
for his skill as n virtuoso wnen he pre-
sented himself TO the public as such.
and now he is submitting his musical
gifts and attainments 10 the higher
tests eXacted by chamber music. The
Schumann Quartet in \ major, which
opened last nights concert. and the
Mozart Quartet in + fiat major, which
closed it, disclosed that the neophyte
had well endured the ordinary trials
Of romanticism and classlcism; the
test by fire, not only for him but for
Messrs. Kneisel, Svecinski and Willeke
IS well. came in the Hungarian novel
~. la this there was also touch of
Purgatorial flames for the auditors,
but enough mitigation 10 leave a sense
Of satisfaction with the net result
when all was over.
Zoltan Kodaly. the composer Of the
novelty. is q Nationalist, an uncom-
promising Magyar, in his strivlngs. 1t
is said that he has made what might be
termed scientific study OF the native
music OF the Magyars, probably with
view TO removing from 1t some OF the
eXcrescences which have been foisted
upon it By the gypsies, who are the
itinersnt musicians OF Hungary and
Eastern Europe generally. One of these
eXcrescences is the superabundance OF
ornament with which the ubiquitous
gypsy burdens the melodies Of all the
peoples among whom he lives. and
which, there seems to be no doubt, il
relic Of the music which he carried
away with him ages ago from his
primitive home in Hndustan. That
element. still pervasive in LISTS Hun
Is not present in the new quartet,
which was published in 1910, shortly
after the composer became professor
in Pesth. We i'm lgine. Another, the use
of an augmented second IN the scale
of the minor mode an emphatic
Orientalism is not wholly eschewed
by him. though it does not force itself
upon the attention with any marked
persistenCy. A third. the rhythmlcal
and metrical hgure which for want OF
n better word Is spoken OF as the
"snap" in Scottish music, and when
gives such incisive propulsion 10 rag
time" is marked feature OF the the
matte material in the new composition,
where il replaces the closing cadence
which Lists prescriptions and Hun
garian folksongs have made familiar.
That, as ali who have ever looked INTO
the subject know. is a derivative from
Magyar poetry ana an essentis! ele-
N. mt Of Magyar music.
50 much for the natiouallsm % No
daily as il il disclosed in the melodlc
material OF his quartet II is less
marked IN the material than IN the
manner i'm which II has been used.
Here List cnunciated ,he principle,
though he did not set the pattern.
Kodaly is respecter OF form m ITS
architectural sense. In this quartet,
al least. he thinks that strlrg quar-
tet ought 10 show respect Tor classic
formulas: that it ought to be divided
INTO movements: that these movements
ought TO be separated from each Otner
by conclusions and pauses; and mat
they should, iu Tempo and mood. PIE
serve the contrast which prevails 30
the classic sonata. SO he has written
four movements: the FIRST an Allegro
with An introduction in moderate
tempo; the second a slow movement
i'm which the song. element IS pfedoml
nant and ia which he does not dlsdaln
the scholastic device o. The iuSue,
albeit. he imparts 20 IL novel char-
scter; the third jocose movement,
which is in spirit ScherZo, though Do
is written i'm double and not triple
time like the Hungarian dances ,, and
which has its Trio section; the fourth
& rapid inale-a furious finale. not
merry one-s wild, mad, turbulent,
tuuultuous. uproarious riot. When
List wrote his Hungarian Rhspsodles
he conceived them as Gypsy eplcs, IN
which generally two sOnG-melodIes
corresponding 10 the slow Lassu ana
the rapid Friss. which alternate IN
the Czirdas. were combined. In
his symphonic poems and pianoforte
concertos he evolved the scheme OF
presenting fundamental thematic
idea IN various phases suggested
bv the con.rasted movements OF the
sonata or symphony. This IS the plan
Of Kodaly's quartet, but the composer
Of to-day has carried il further than
his exemplar ever did \ simple mo-
tive