Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-21
A GENEROUS SINGER
AND A FINE CONCERT
Music and Speeches in Academv
at Orchestra's Second Weekly
Appearance

Small wonder IL the reviewers left ~
Academy of Music yesterday with rnixsd
feelings and worn-down pencils II had
been an afternoon of speeches, as well AZ
music. with the linked sweetness OF N.
concert somewhat. but not tediously. lone
drawn out Those commuters who. dis
daininR timetables. remained for the glavle
march Of Tschaikowsky, should have FEN
repaid. In truth, there was much prior 10
that which went to make up big day.
even exclusive of Nine. Schumann- -Helnk's
beneficent check for the orchestra and M.
Stokowski's graceful plea for endowmenf
contributions from the public.
There was. for one thing. the finely an
parent fact that the older the orchestra
grows in seasons the younger and fresher
is its spirit. There is a kind OF breathless
boyishness. far from artless or amateurish.
about these musicians and their conductor
that may well be esteemed in contrast with
the classic austerities and the rather maid
enly gestures of its two Important con-
petltlve visitors. Even whe.i Bruch and
the early Wagner are featured there Is the
sense OF holiday and lively exultation In
nearly everything Mr., Stokowsli plays
That sense and that exultation mount up 10
thrilling heights when as yesterday he reads
the Don Giovanni" overture, the Slavic
march and the 'L'Arlesienne" suite We
almost forgot. In the latter case, that he
left out two of the loveliest movements
and were content
Because Mr.. Stokowski infuses the pie
torial element into much of his work On
the platform he is sometimes accused BY
light thinkers OF being deficient In the
symphonic sense. Yesterday IL Is true that
his vision of the Beethoven Second Sym
phony did include much that brought up
scenes and figures curiously enough. But
the measure of this sort of interpretation
10 n rN1n far- orIa oorsr
the hearers That they got beauty aut Of
his offering was enough. though the sym
phony is scarcely one that can ave "
any more. II is good music but Is 4
really for an age? The manner 4 10
doing was technically excellent, save for
the betraying brass now and then. Y was
all mellow, yet bright and quick, and the
mind went back to a recent occasion when
the same work was played in the Academy
with not half the exuberance nor the smooth
musicianly finish II had yesterday. The sux-
Gested contrast is not intended to dscredlE
highly intelligent leader from another
city; II is just to remind Philadelphans
that their own prophet should have honor
in his adopted abiding place.
As to the soloist acknowledgment AZ"
ready has been made of her financial Een.
erosity to the orchestra. OF her art-a1
so nicely seasoned as almost TO defy aW
criticsm-she gave plenteously 70 hei audi
TORS. Literally Bne, TOO, maue thc so"'-
turn back. IL there were present persons
who detected some ssght falling on y
vocal richness their number was connnea
to half a dozen. so splendidly did Msdams
-Heink conserve her dramatic con
tralto. giving 1t full play in climax ano
crisis OF the somewhat stale "Rienz aI'@
she made a little masterpiece OF ooeratn
significance, and In the very 'churchy ern
from "Odysseus'' she was the tender. faitn.'
full Penelope OF Homeric, rather than Q.
Bruchian. fancy-Greek. not German hea
she only elected to sing one or two sons,'
instead of those numbers. II would nsw
delighted, some OF her admirers moro lW
"odysseus' thing, however, proved wne<
might. not nave been apparent IN neoel;
that she Is an unquelled mistress OF Voc
range. For bars II sounded like notm9
80 much as an air for soprano Ara ".
soloist sang those bars clearly and witho~.
a waver OF tone. II was a remarkso"
proof OF her wide abilities. "