The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-27
CONCERT OF NOTE
Minneapolis Symphony With
Topeka Musical Art.
Festival Augmented at Audi
torium Tonight.
(By Bertha Hempstead.)

(By Bertha Hempstead.)
One of the finest musical organlza-
tons of America. the Minneapolis
Symphony orchestra, played in Topeka
Monday night, furnishing the opening
program for the spring festival, which
is continued today and tonight. The
festival is the product OF the efforts
of the Topeka Musical Art society, and
is the realization of a dream of Hor-
ace WhitehOuse, the young musician
who heads the department of fine arts
at Washburn college. 1t has been the
since he came to Topeka, to make this
town a center of musical culture. He
has met with defeats and d1sappolnt-
merts that were legion. but he has
stayed with the game ear in and year
out, and this season he and his help
ers, including some Of the leading
business men of the city. have proVid-
ed for music lovers of Topeka series
of concerts rich in the best music that
has ever been written and rendered
by artists of high order.
The auditorium, which is the scene
of the festival, has been looked to in a
decorative way and made gay for the
event. The platform, which has been
built out to accommodate the orches-
ira and the singers, is hung with the
national colors and adorned with flow
erS and blooming plants. The flat
part of the first floor has been emp
tied of the rows of forms, and boxes
put in their places. The boxes are
marked off by little wooden pillars
topped with potted plants in bloom,
and stretched between the pillars are
strands of red ribbon. The box hold
erS, who are patrons and patroncsSeS
of the festival, with their guests, in
formal evening attire. lent distinction
to the scene of last night perform
ance.
The program began with Tschai-
kowsky's famous fifth symphony. 1t
is written in E Minor. except the last
which is in the major key.
Emil OberhOffer, the conductor, has
been in Topeka before. with his ia
nous band of musicians. This slen-
der, self-possessed man with the long,
thin face of the ascetic. is d musician
who combines fire and energy with
rare delicacy and fineSse in his man
agement of his orchestra. and the or
chestra, under his direction, played
the great symphony in way remark
able not for taste and accuracy alone,
but for spirit and vitality as well. 1t
set forth examples of ensemble distin-
guished by precision and a careful re-
gard for classic tradition, and also by
a freedom and elasticity of style that
plete mutual understanding between
and conductor. rarely en-
Particularly to be COM
mended was the simple eloquence de-
veloped in the delivery of the an
dante's charming cantibile, which
formed the second movement of the
symphony.
The first soloist of the evening was
Miss Marie Sundelius, soprano. So
we'll was the audience pleased with |
ner efforts that she was twice en-
,ored, but failed to respond the last
lime. She sang an aria from Carmen |
ind Arditi's Walse Song for an encore. !
Her voice lis of unusual power, bril- |
fancy in timbre, vital and Sympa- |
hetic, and full of many delightful, |
shades and infections. |
Also she has a pleasing exterior and a I
personality that makes itself felt by |
Ter listeners.
The soloists of the orchestra, Rich
Lrd Czerwonky, who has the first desk
# the violins played as a solo, Intro
uction and Rondo Capriccioso, with
rchestra accompaniment. His selec-
ion is a popular, but somewhat hack
leyed number, to which he gave I'M
interest The perfect sup
'ort given the soloists by the orches-
ra, was an important factor in the
There was a cordial
esponse from the audience, and the
iolinist replied with a short compo-
ition of his own. A third number
tie selection of Fritz Kreisler's author
hip. This Russian violinist is an art
st, a virtuoso who has depth and po-
tic charm in his work.
ang twice, Vision Fugitive" by
1assenet. and a popular song, Don't
1are,'' as an encore. His voice is
of good compass and fexi-
ility. However, he appeared near
he close of a program which though
ne of excellence from first to last
vas too long to command the same
ense interest at the last as it received
n the earliest part of the evening.
The orchestra gives a concert this
fternoon, and the climax of the fes-
wal will be singing by the local
horus and the out of town soloistS of
'erdi's Requiem.
The house will look better-longer