New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-10
By GRENVILLE VERNON

BY GRENVILLE VERNON
An exceedingly interesting three
days ended on Thursday night, when
the Litchfeld County Choral Union
closed its annual music festival with
a programme containing no fewer than
three new works.
When to these are added John AL
den Carpenters new symphony, which
received its initial presentation on
Tuesday night, it is not difficult to
judge of the Importance of the three
concerts made possible this year, as
always, through the generosity of Mr..
and Mrs. Carl Stocked.
That this Importance is recognized
by the powers in the American music
world was evidenced by the numbers
and quality of the artists who jour
neyed to the little town of Norfolk,
Conn, expressly TO hear the offerings
announced.
New Works Well Received
From the manner in which the new
works we're received, there seems
little doubt but that some of them will
find their way during the coming sea-
son to the programmes of our met
ropolitan orchestras.
The peaceful atmosphere Of this
pretty little New England town is
peculiarly grateful alike to executant
and to audience, and doubly grateful
to those who must hear music day in
and day out in hot city auditoriums,
into which penetrate occasional sub
way dynamite blasts. and the contin-
ual rattle Of the streetcars and toot-
ing of motor horns.
In short. at Norfolk all the disadvan-
tages of the music world are absent,
and AT the concert music is enjoyed as
an art and not as an excrescence
of fashion or a necessity OF the
adolescent performer eager for the
notice of the press.
The programme on Tuesday evening
contained two new numbers, EIgar's
"King Olaf" and Mr. Carpenters sym
phony. The Elgar number is an early
work, written very much under the in
fuence of Wagner, and despite occa-
sional resounding choruses, as in Il ne
Challenge of Thor" and THE Wrath
of Odin," of very little inspiration and
very great length.
Well Sung by Choral Union
Il was, however, exceedingly well
sung by the Choral Union, under the
direction of Arthur Mees, and by the
solo artists, Florence Hinkle, Theodore
Karle and Herbert Witherspoon. Mr..
Karle in particular, a tenor little
known in the East, displayed unusual
knowledge of the necessities OF the
music. His diction was excellent, and
his voice, a resonant organ capable OF
sustaining the strain OF the part,
proved unusually grateful.
Mr.. Carpenters symphony IS the
most pretentious work this talented
composer has yet attempted, and all
things considered it proved the most
interesting new work heard during the
three days.
In his Adventures in a Perambula-
tor" Mr.. Carpenter already had dis
closed an orchestral talent of no mean
order. a talent whimsical, varied and
picturesque. In his symphony he has
gone a step further, and has made an
other distinct contribution 70 Ameri-
can music.
In the Symphony the composer has
shown great skill in orchestral combi-
nations, real mastery Of polyphonic
writing. The work is richly scored
for a wide variety of instruments, yet
the result is uniformly clear in out
line and intention. The scherzo IL
perhaps the most completely satisfy
ing of the three movements, though
the first part Of the opening move
ment and the last part Of the final
movement are also admirably written.
Written in the Ballet Spirit
The scherzo is written obviously in
the ballet spirit, and in its complicated
vet incisive rhythms fairly cries for
dramatic presentation.
II is writing of which any living
composer might we'll be proud. The
influence of Stravinsky was apparent.
notably in the opening movement, yet
as a whole Mr.. Carpenter writes in his
own idiom.
The chief lack in the work is in any
particular vein of lyrcism, a lack
which the composer shares with most
OF the modernists of all nations.
The orchestra, under the direction
Of Frederick A. Stack, gave it an adj
mirable performance.
Bach Concerto Superbly Played
The second day of the Festival was
devoted to very different spirit-the