Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-14
PHILADELPHIA MUSN
SEASON OPENS WITH.
ORCHESTRA CONCYp|
stokowski Finely Intern,...
Brahms's Symphony and
Work in Honor of
War Victim

Leopold Stokowskrs hate,
opened the new musical aeaso, .-a
raped attention yesterday afl.-,,,--
the Academy OF Music for the ,,..-
concert OF the Philadelphia orrs-....@
seven,een,n year. The occasion VERY 49,.
resembied It's predecessor of M. ~. ~
or nine years. This Is 10 sav ,'
auditorium was crowded with an s..
duly appreciative OF one OF the MA .'~
OF musical endeavor. In the rh~...'.
poets of the scene. however. ons .-..'.
change was noticeable The d,s,.s,
umnated set" which for several -.
mas framed the orchestra on the -.
no more: IL has been replaced by -
pie scenic sound shell Of light cr.., ~.
and wholly devoid OF auv orr.r..-. -.
misguided or otherwise. Tn. ~
heightened by the improved llrht,,s ).
rangements OF last year IA excDrs,--
pleasing and grateful TO the eve
gram announced the setting 10 \.
temporary--a stop-gap until mora .,.s'
staging Is ready about for the nr.t - i
year. II II 20 be hoped that th,.
manent feature VIII be as satisfying a N.
admirable Improvisation.
Opening concerts are traditIonarv -
out soloists. Their artistic incl,,.,.*
moreover: are generally toward r.
standard gauge" OF music. Yss,s...-
program offered no actual den..s,
from this policy. save for the ercer.,--&
excuse for the inclusion OF Max J,~s-<
Variations and Fugue on n Tbe,,. -
Killers. This offering was made An ! -
OF In memoriam. as the German corr<<<
was killed In the war in May, 1sfe ~
fortunately, variations are not a tvn. y
musical composition whose preser,.<.
is likely to inspire grief for irreparah,, :.
tistic losses. They unquestionablv NJ
TO the ,neld of musical acrobatics. To e,>'.
pose them adroitly is to reveal tecbri..
skill and even erudition. But the "
form Is too hampered to excite great -
tional appeal. ~
Rogers variations are skiilful. Th<v "a
veal superb mastery of modern cous,s1.
point but. frankly the set In question i
long and wearisome. The basic fke~.-
which is derived, from song in Hius<,
forgotten opera, der Ernetanz- (The III.
vest Wreath). is Teutonically comic a.
rather more crude than sympathstie,.
naive. The composer has done wonde~
with such material but whether II was {[
together worth while is another ouerfi1.
To the Interpretation only praise can ~
accorded The score bristles with a.
culties and Mr.. Stokowski's arii&
triumphed over them with ease
The other numbers of the progran--A
far the greater part OF it--belonged 70 ~
VI lnnplIcu nuetct hnu lne OTCnfHX1
performance keenly emphasized this chsr-
acter. The afternoons rain had secmln1.
no deleterious effect on either the strin1.
or the horns. as is sometimes the css> n
the sorority OF the brass choir IN sibs1uf1
magnificent patriotic tone poem. 'Tinl1,.
dia," which closed the concert, was shrn-
Ing and pulse-tingling.
Beethoven's 'Coriolanusl overture, uh4
was the opening composition. was gix>u
with a fine appreciation OF It's tragic AZ
nifty. but the high-water mark OF the b
casion was reached in Brahms's exquIz||i
Third NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. euiogized n
the composers "Eroica'' whose elo1uezI
beauty and serene yet mighty iovsl|n>sl
was glorified anew In a reading which a.
played Mr.. Stokowsld at his best. AT IA
conclusion of the last movement where ~
rapturous opening theme is again a.
cately shadowed, the audience applaud
with such vigor that at the conductors Nj
hest the entire orchestra stood and box>|
It's acknowledgment Mr.. stokowtki
always at home In Brahms. The admIrzl&
artistic resources Of both him and his a.
gapization want no more congenial env1ro3
ment