Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-17
GLUCK-AND STRAUSS
An Almost Perfect Program by the
Orchestra, With Kinder as
Soloist

Constant irruptions Of late-comers and
another event" were the sole blots on yes
terday's performance by the Philadelphia
Orchestra in the Academy of Music. For
SO perfect an afternoon one was in the
mood to demand perfection of program, and
one got 1t, almost. That almost" means
the ever-present, the too-ever- present Rich
ard Strauss. But who cares what comes
after such preliminaries to "The Life of a
Hero" as the suite from Gluck's operas
arranged with such quick insight and
musicianly feeling by Felix Mottl and the
dAlbert concerto for violoncello?
Why must Gluck be relegated in our
musical lives to stray performance of
"Orfeo' now and then? Any one who
heard yesterday that suite in which charm
ana awe are blent to an issue of such
peauty Will echo the question. And how
beautifully 1t was all played How serene
and yet how trenchant was the chorus
OF blessed spirits with its holy simplicity
Drought out In string, reed and horn! How
like rarified "comic relief" were the
Jocose airs, with their aspect of delicate
reVeiry and light feet! But, more than all,
now Gluck does survive! He has seen the
white brides of Helicon dance with de-
hght He has looked into the netherlands
OF the spirit. And his vision Is still true
still able to impress its clairvoyant quality
on the jaded modern mind
Very critical observers have written that
MT MT stokowski succeeds or fails as a poet
we, VINO think him even more important
than that, usually find in his failures a
something elusive that may be- and often ,s
sreater than the successes of others. The
niuck-d Albert-Strauss program was wei,
proportioned and magnifcently Interpreted
as mas been said. 1t may be satire to follow
Gluck with Strauss, but II is also gooa
sense. The "Heldenleben" has received nN
grander treatment at any other conductors
hands these several seasons. Being music ~
great nervous force and considerable cere-
pral grasp (also no heart, it cannot alwavs
n@oio @ lts auditors to the end. First because
ike much OF the composers work. n is
egotistically prolix, and second because ~
is such an old tale In the ears of Philadel
phians No concertgoer would wish Richa I'd
banished from his hearing. But when
purely as an example) Doctor Muck d.
woes pse ms local season in the proportion Of
beethoven, one; Schumann, one; Strauss.
SIX, even the most ardent Straussian NAV
protest Why not, for a change, at any rate.
Macbeth" instead Of the bromidioms?
Mr. Kinder playing d'AIbert is a com.
bination to right any artistic grievance. II
would take no very innamed imagination
to dub this musician the Stokowski of the
| cello. He has the same warmth and
richness OF emotion. the same sense of
| lusty poetry In what he does as his con-
ductor. On the same platform their team.
work is well-nigh fawless. Yesterday the
solo artist was concentrated. though with
out agitation. and he played in his primes,
fashion. His bold and sure technique was
not his only card. Through the mases OF
the brilliant concerto he passed with unerr-
ing tread, making the ascending ana de-
scending shifts OF melody clean ana fine
and producing that shadowy semblancs oi
| ths human voice which II the glory OF hi
| Instrument But he h not = Snero ,peohanio
/ 40 hi5r 2 doubie-stop y : 3eyel, ~ 9&ll y