New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-10
Three New Works Ably Presented
By Litchfeld Choral Union
John Alden Carpenters Symphony Receives Initial Pre-
sentation at Norfolk, Where Concert Music
Is Enjoyed as an Art

! serene beauty of the classic composers.
! The Bach Concerto, for two violins, was
| superbly played by Fritz Kreisler and
! Efrem Zimbalist.
So was the Mozart symphony Con-
| certante, for violin, viola and orches-
| ira, in which Mr.. Kreisler sustained
J the viola part and Mr.. Zimbalist that
Of the violin.
The choir, under the direction Of Mr..
Mees, gave Bach's cantats, Gods Time
Is the Best" the solo artists being
Emma Roberts, Lambert Murphy and
Reinald Werrenrath.
Mr. Murphy and Mr.. Werrenrath's
/ fine voices and understanding of the
correct style in which the music should
/ be given, were here particularly
! pleasing. a virtue which extended 70
their singing of Handel's anthem,
Blessed Are They That Consider the
Poor The only purely orchestral
work was Handel's Pastoral Symphony.
Granger Offers New Work
The moderns came 10 their own
again with a vengeance in the niece
de resistance Of Thursday evenings
concert.
This was Percy Grainger's "The
| Warriors" entitled "Music to an I'm
| aginary Ballet"
II was conducted by the composer
/ himself. and besides its strange har-
monies and extraordinary rhythms, the
modernism of Mr.. Carpenters sym
| phony seemed pale indeed.
Whatever else may be thought Of il,
II IS unquestionably remarkable eff
! fort of virtuosity.
By warriors" Mr.. Granger ex-
plains he does not mean soldiers, but
pleasure loving, self-indulgent men
and women, who would sooner fight
than work for living.
1t has no set programme but certain
mind pictures of Norsemen, Greek
heroes. Amazons, Greenland women,
Fijians and cannibals are set forth
on the programme as engaged together
in fiesta by turns languorous and
! orgiastic. This Is a rather tall order,
and to it Mr.. Granger has brought the
aid of two pianos, steel and wooden
mirambas and several other instru-
ments characteristic of the Australian
COMPOSERS fancy. The result is eX-
traordinary, if at times somewhat dis
quoting, and the suspicion arises that
the very multiplicity of instruments
gets in the way of the composers own
purpose, by thickening, instead Of
clarifying, an already overladen at
mosphere.
Passages of Real Beauty
The placing also of the pianos be-
fore the orchestra at times completely
obltereted the effect of the strings.
Yet amid the discord there are
passages Of real beauty. notably in the
climax of the principal theme.
"The Warriors" is 4 composition
which. whether liked or not, Is bound
to call forth comment. In intent and
means it is truly gargantuan.
The other two novelties Of the clos
ing concert were of much milder type.
"Whitehouse Symphonic Impressions"
for orchestra, by Nicola Laucella, IL
based on the composers impressions OF
Norfolk, of the chimes in the church
and of Mr.. and Mrs. StoeckePs hos
pitality.
Cleverly Written Piece
II proved to be a cleverly made bit
of writing, best when the composer
sticks to his evident spontaneous feel
ing for operate effect.
In these messages, however I'M
suited they may have been 10 the
depletion OF New England country
town. the music was always graceful
and melodic.
Mr.. Laucella himself conducted. and
his "Whitehouse" was evidently
hugely liked by the assemblage.
In his Irish Rhapsody, No. s. Sir
Charles Villiers Stanford is on well
known ground.
lie makes use OF number OF Irish
airs. including "The Return from Fin
gal" and Sweet Isle" IL is straight
forward, pleasing music, in which the
folksongs are skilfully interviewer. 1t
is far from great music, but it is none
the less distinctly pleasing.
The four Creole songs, Belle La
Vote" "Mamsele Zizi," "Michie
Prevail" and "Michie Banjo would
have been much more effective with
out the orchestrations of Mr.. Zm-
balist. A just sophistication Of igno-
rance IS a difficult thing to accom-
plish.
String Music Needed
Nine. Gluck would have done well 70
sing the songs to the accompaniment
of some simple string instrument.
Nine. Gluck, in excellent voice, sang an
aria from Glinka's Russian and Lud-
milla," and with Miss Mabel Garrison
the Letter Duet" of Mozart.
In these as we'll as in the overture TO
Smetana's "The Battered Bride
Grieg's March Of the Dwarfs," and
Chabrier's "Rhapsodie Espagnole,'
Henry p. Schmitt led the orchestra
with sympathy and vigor.