Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-20
ADJUSTMENTS
STONOWSi<I AND HIS MEN
GIVE. MEMOIR an, T., ,,,x...,,,, n

~ mas been almost two wears .inca
Huch music was heard in Richmond "a.
'!'"t winch rang and whisu.r.d
through the bare reaches OF the t.i,v
auditorium last night al the comp,,,n,
y. leopold Stokowski. conductor OF the
Philadelphia Orchestra To be mr.
cise. II was on April -. 1916. when the
same conductor and the same orches
IRA formed so large a part of the Wcn
neSua! Clubs music festival that such
orrhcstral playing was las, heard here
Before that time. Mr.. Damrosch and
WI, 9ttahskE, not TO speak of several
conductors OF sections OF the Metro
poiitan's orchestra had directed nue
bands here in recent years, bu, non.
OF them had aroused such genuine
cnthusias 'n az The much younger MIR
Stokowski
II was noted in 1915 that Mr.. s,o-
kowski seemed TO iinbue his men with
more OF fire and intensity than any
conductor before him; further. that the
comparative youthfulnsss OF the per
formers seemed TO make them more
receptive to his own ideas. more
arnenable to his impulses and more
vigorous in the execution of his
thoughts Al the same time. his fine
musicianship and the delicacy OF his
conception forbade him 10 give way
To ovcrstress. or to sacrifice shading
20 the production Or sheer volume and
this restraint he was also able 10 i'm
pose upon the men who followed his
baton.
All these qualities, both in conductor.
and in performers, were even more
marked last night. All the fire. the
rigor. the viriiity and breadth were in
evidence. and when expression Of them
was demanded, il never failed to mani
fest itself But, even in the brief
period that lay between, there was an
apparent growth in the power To re-
strain. almost TO rcprcss, which is az
surely a mark OF authority as is the
power to express. Specifically, conduc-
tor and men had become unit which
played 40 cXquisitely as it had played
tremendously.
And the program gave fun scope
for the display--though the word is too
garish-of this most rare ability. For
the opening OF the concert, Mozarts
The Marriage of Figaro overture was
well chosen. Bright, sparkling and
humorous. this remarkably rounded
overture was given its full, huoyant
value by Mr.. Stokowski Owing TO
what seemed n diminished brass choir.
this familiar number achieved its
sprightliness rather by Mr.. Stokow-
skis individual treatment than by AN
enforced bufo quality. In the roll
lowing two numbers, TO which FUR
Their reference will be. made. the or
chestra supplied the same sort OF ideal
accompa riiment that distinguished its
work under Mr.. Stokowski two years
ago. u
There followed a group of selections
from operas Of Giuck. shaped into
suite by Felix Mottl Here. Mr.. Sto-
kowski and his men proved again no"
complete was their accord. The hight
or airs were spirited always, but their
tempt were changed so radically that
only n decided beat and closest atten-
ZION could have. surmourted the dill
o,ulties The "Lento" movement, on
the other hand which was almost
largo ana was arranged FOR Strings
only. was a perfect type OF the HOW
ing movement, which proceeded SLOW
Iy OF course. but with smooth steaui
ness that made it a long line oil nean-
~. Both THE Chorus of Blessed
Spirits" and the "Musette" from the
same suite were examples of sheer
loneliness Of playing. in which the
great orchestra was huShed until It's
Instruments combined to produce cham
her music-despite the fact that there
were more than ninety Of them.
Rimsky-Korsakoff's Spanish Ca
price" formed the closing number. and
very delightful il was with its fan
fares and fandangoes. though one OF
its movements was poignant and more
Russian than Spanish in it's semi
orientalsm. Here the full strength OF
the orchestraAthe largest that has
played here In this day--was disclosed,
and swept the audience with its might.
But the outstanding feature of the
concert. and Of many, many concerts.
was the symphonic poem, '"rhe Sirens"
by Reinhold Gliere. Interpretative.
program, character music, call 1t what
you will. Is. too often made absurd
by It's very upholders who read into
it meanings that It's composer never
intended. But this wonderful compo-
sition told itself in musical sounds
that were themselves a story.
1t told its story by means OF both
,the accepted--and disputed--forms: the
Initiative and the. suggestive. Tho
call OF the sirens was unmistakable,