Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-11
DIR. WOLFE GIVES
A BACH RECITAL
Greatest Living Interpreter of
Bach Plays in Zion Luz
theran Church

Zion Lutheran Church was filled to
overflowing last evening by an audi
ence which greeted the eminent or
ganist, DR.. J. Fred Wolfe. whose repu-
tation as a leader is not less deserved
than is his splendid equipment for
organ work. DR.. Wolfe is a master
of his instrument; this was fully and
amply demonstrated by the splendid
manner in which he played a most
interesting program, made up entirely
or the composition OF the greatest
master of all time, ]. S. Bach. At
first, we We're fearful lest a whole
evening of Bach might prove a most
tiresome experience we were. how
ever, agreeably surprised to hear that
all were delighted by a program which
perhaps under less skillful handling
might have proven wearisome.
1t is true, Bach was not represented
by his great fugues and preludes; on
the contrary, the master was revealed
IN his more playful and less serious
moods. In his researches, DIR. Wolfe
discovered a set of variations, thirty
IN number, written for the harpsi-
chord and called the Goldberg" air,
the origin of this composition is as
follows:
Among Bach,s pupils was one
Johann Theophilus Goldberg, who
mad been brought to Dresden. while
still very young, by Baron Won Kay
serllnS. kaySerlings health was fee
bic and he suffered from sleepIess
nights, and at such times he liked to
have his melancholy dispelled by soft
and somewhat cheerful music. These
variations, composed by Bach for
Goldberg at Kayserling's request,
seem perfectly adapted to this end,
and Forkel tells us that he was never
weary of hearing them. and recon-
pensed Bach for his artistic Offering
with snuff box containing hundred
Louis dor. In this work Bach struck
out new path, worthy of his genius,
IN which he has been followed by Bee
thoVen and Brahms. CAS- it was or
iginally composed for the now prac-
ucally obsolete harpsichord with two
keEboards-Mr. Wolfe. in order to
bring 1t to hearing, has transcribed
1t for organ.)"
Most delightfully."- original are these
small pieces, and by reason of the
great number of variations, the organ
lst was afforded an opportunity to dis
play wide versatility in the matter
or registration and consequent tonal
eiiccts; for example, the "Chaconne'
was made very interesting by being
written as a canon in the sixth. the
mute and oboe, alternating with strings
in the thematic imitation. The
Clique for oboe While interesting. is
tame when compared with the
.'Gigues' written by Scarlatti for the
harpsichord and transcribed by Best
Tor the organ The stately Sara
oande' which with Il number of other
smaller dance forms. made up the
suite of former days. was most in
teresting and delightfully."- played. In
way, 1t is unfortunate that these
smaller dance forms such as the
Sarabande," the "Courante." Aria"
and Clique" have lost their distinctive
and delightful character by being
merged or rather Incorporated into
the later Sonata" form as developed
pE Haydn. There may be, however.
in music as in biology a reversion TO
type this can take place whenever
composers minimize their creative ef-
lorls along lines purely emotional or
and concentrate upon
what IS more obvious and less invid-
lous by comparison. Bach did not. as
vas SHOWN last evening, despise the
uay OF small things, stars are Just as
important as planets, indeed. The
heavens are made beautiful with the
elIulSence of countless stars and
Bach, beethoven and Schubert have
nesprinkeld their pages with scintil-
latlhS gems of rarest beauty. We he
speak for DR.. Wolfe a cordial wei
come should he ever come here again.
E. j. DECEVEE.