Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-27

for four of the six operas which were to
have been given at the Forrest Theatre
caused the cancellation of the San Carlo
companys engagement at that house
The result was musical evening of
more usual proportions Hunter Welsh
pianist, and Albert Spalding, violinist
gave recitals, the former at the Little
Theatre, the latter at Witherspoon Hail.
The meagrenees of the audiences rather
than the playing of the artists indicated
that the musical season is waning,
Mr.. Welsh's Recital
Chopin, schumann and LIszt were the
inevitable numbers on a program in
which the earlier pieces were by all odds
the most interesting and most illumina-
tive of the players capabilities. Those
pieces were two choral preludes" and
tho "Chaconne" of Bach, arranged by
Ferrucio Busoni, and Mozart's Sonata In
A major. Bach for the inner light, Mo-
zart for the outer graces are the mex
orable testing ground for pianists. For
Mr. Welsh it should be said Immediately
that he played them both excellently
His tone is always vigorous and strong;
In the preludes and in sections of the
Chaconne 1t was sonorous and full. In
Mozart IL had the requisite deicacy, Tie
technical difficulties of the Chaconne. ar
ranged from the complex violin scoring
by a master of the piano, taxed Mr..
Welsh severely. but he did not falter
under the strain. And his expression
Cfor one cannot speak of interpretation
in the case of Bach) was splendidly ver-
satile, contained, discreet yet full, thor
oughly satisfying. Only artistic salts
faction could have come to Mr.. Welsh
,f tl,,t H. el,n nttl1 n a
full measure
Mr.. Spalding
The four parts of Mr.. spalding's pro-
gram did not indicate a progression of
musical feeling. because Bach, with the
inexpllcable and imperishable Chaconne,
stood second. He was preceded by Mic
colo Porpora and followed by Tschaikow-
sky and later by a group of ''violinist' 8
violin numbers" After one has played
Bach and Tschaikowsky we'll one is per-
mitted, no doubt, to play the inevitable,
so there need be no great criticism of Mr..
Spalding's final numbers. In partict lar
as they indicated his virtues and his fall
ings as equally as the rain descends on
just and unjust.
Not that Mr.. Spalding's playing had
any of that quality of eternal righteous
phenomena of nature. He had diftculty
in finding accurate tone, and in keeping
1t, and often in refining his tone for clear
ness he lost both power and sweetness
and tended to be sharp and piercing.
This was a notable defect in a gallery
of virtues. Mr. Spalding's playing is
firm and strong. his interpretations mod
crate and just. Often in a climax he
stirred his hearers through an evident
sincerity of feeling. One may speak OF
him. not patronizinEly, as young violin
ist. He is young because his technique
Is stu imperfect; but more happily, he
is young because he gives himself unre-
servedly to his music, and it cannot be
that his devotion should not be rewarded,
in time, with high distinction.
"The Tales of Hoffman,"
When the Behrens Opera Club produces
1.-THE Tales of Hoffman," tonight the part
of Coppelus and Doctor Miracle. the
sinister duality of the later acts, will be
sung by Homer Lind, who is saving the
club from disaster by substituting for
DR.. S. H. Lipschutz. Doctor Lipschutz
was taken suddenly i'll and Mr.. Lind can
celed a New York engagement to save
the opera, The singers of the leading
roles and the chorus and ballet have been
carefully trained. The performance at
the Academy tonight promises we'll.