Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-03
LISZTS FAUST" PLAYED
Orchestra Heard in Heaping Program,
With Two Soloists

According to an ancient Chinese proverb,
"Do nothing too much" This terse bit or
philosophy is sound artistic sense. Some OF
our most illustrious conductors might pom
der ii with settlement.
Mr. Stokowslii's concert at the Academy
Yesterday afternoon did not show any ef-
fects OF such a realization. Much music
that glittered and sparkled was played.
some that was supremely lovely was re-
created But, to cloud no facts. there was
too much Of il, Sound that had been
blessing and a balm at quarter past j
O'Clock turned into bane and an eXecration
at quarter past 3. The audience, at first
alert. grew ethargic. They simply we're
FED up" with it all.
That is not to say that the concert was
dull. 1t was, perhaps, lengthy, but with
Liszt CwhOm the leader interprets very fine
ly) and the two sublime standpatters-Mo-
zart and BcethoVen--it couldn't have been
utterly stupid. The afternoon began with
the deathlessly joyous Marriage of Figaro"
overture. II was as delightful in the breath
Of its beauty as is the Beethoven violin con-
certo-when the latter is played with an
inspiration equivalent to. the manner in
which the Orchestra played Figaro" I'm
fortunately, it was not. Mr. Theodore Spier-
ing, the solo artist, is a panstaking and
dignifed gentleman, who can run through
the familiar bag of tricks that most vio-
linsts keep in their closet. He is senti-
IleHldl, very nuCn SO, ana lentO IL MS
middle name. In pure lyric moods he is
often quietly touching and effective. But his
technical strength is exceedingly uncertain
fact that is brought boldly to light when
he seeks to spur his own gentle manner into
the grand manner of Beethoven. Then the
peculiarly grating stridence of his tone is
unfortunate
Perhaps, the impression that he created
yesterday would have gained in apprecia-
/ 4 titEAt ly,I
| the first movements of the concerto-a little
| masterpiece of its sort-the most distress
| ingly ugly cadenza that ever proceeded from
| catgut. Double and triple stopping, il legiti-
mately introduced, may have their values.
| Those values do not include such tortures of
cacophony as Mr. Spiering raised. Probably
good deal of his imperfect work was
| caused by nervousness.
The symphony, Lszts Faust" is not
| often given in this city. On a program
dedicated to it, and to 1t alone, it might
| shine with a vivder fire than when IL is
| bracketed as yesterday. II seems useless
| to add. in 1917, that it is polyphony of
gorgeous tint and fascinating texture.
rather poverty-strcken in ideal quality,
| though rich in idea. Under the pangent
baton of Mr.. Stokowski 1t took on hues
and phases of even greater splendor,
though the yawns would come during the
maunderings of Marguerite The purely
| orchestral part of The work was magnf-
Gently telling every choir contributing its
| quota to the general effect of somber
| flashing or meditative emotion, The ad-
| mirable tenor and bass chorus. recruited
| from the organizations vocal choir, sang
| with laudably precise delivery and sense of
| word value, and that unusual and in
| gratiating tenor, Lambert Murphy with
| his smooth, haunting and androgynous
voice. placed an infection of individual
| beauty on the last andante. b, D.