Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-18
RICH QUARTET OPENS
CHAMBER MUSIC SEASON
Gives Good Concert Before the
Chamber Music Association
at. the Bellevue

The Rich Quartet leaped into the breach
and saved the day for the Chamber Music
Association at its first concert of the season
at the MISREPRESENTATION yesterday after
noon, Originally this concert was to have
been given by the Miniature ORCHESTRA. but
owing to war conditions this organization
was compelled to disband. Then the Society
of Ancient Instruments was substituted but
when on Thursday they had not yet reached
this country from France Mr. Rich and his
associates we're asked to give the concert
and although they had scarcely begun their
rehearsals for the season they consented
The oliartet is composed of Thaddeus Rich,
first violin; Hedda van den Reemt' second
violin Emile Ferir viola, and Hans hlnder'
cello the same personnel as last year. eN-
cent that Mr.. Ferir' succeeds Mr.. l-orehz as
viola, the latter having returned TO ms LOT
mer chair in the first violins of the phia-
delphia Orchestra and given up the N'o"d'
Mr. Ferir, the new mPmber>ot the quartet
showed large tone Of beautlrul quailtS' d
faultless sense OF rhythm ana "'ue en-
perence in the intricacles of string quartet
playing
The compositions played were the quartet
In fiat opus IS, No. g. of Beethoven and
the d major quartet of Borodlne. Mr. itlch
and his associates lean more toward
spontaneous HiN ti''ig''"' i''''''E''
toward the stricter classic Interpretation
| with the inevitable result that they reached
their highest point both in details OF per-.
formahce and of tonal beauty In the SLOW
movement OF the Beethoven hummer move
ment of the great depth of feeling as well
as of pure harmonic and melodic beauty, ana
in the nocturne of the Borodine quartet.
In both these Plumbers, but especially in the
Beethoven. the quartet attained very hlsn
pont of ensemble playing. The same style
Of interpret ton also led to taking the first
movement of the Borodne at very mod
crate tempo, thereby investing 1t with more
sentiment and less vigor than generaly
marks its reading. q,
Thac quartet deserves the highest praise
| for taking over this open date on little more
| than a days notice, when there was not
| sufficient time to give the works an adequate
| number of rehearsals Their difficulties were
| further Increased by the exceedingly damp
weather, which made II almost Impossible to
| keep the instruments in tune and prevent
| "whistling."' Strings broke ON the N'ollhs
| both of Mr.. Rich and Mr.. van den Beemt
during the concert, in one instance obUgng
the players to stop in the finale of the
Beethoven.
= In the face of all these difficulties the
| playing of the quartet was remarkably good
Mr. Ferir fits into the organization ad-
| mirably and showed himself to be a distinct
| ACQUISITION to Philadelphia's musical colony
| The quartet still sits in the way, reintroduced
! here by the Flonzaeys, but not original with
| them that is the violins seated side by side,
| instead of opposite each other II was orig
/ mated by the Ferdinand David Quartet about
| ls8b. was taken up by Joachim Quartet for
| ono season and tried for a while by the
I Kneisel quartet, by all three of whom It was
| abandoned The reason which was apparent
! Yesterday. Is the extreme difficulty in getting
| n perfect tone balance of the middle voices
| from the positions they occupy especially
| in thirds and sixths. This Is matter of
| great Importance in the classics. hut not of
| SO much import In modern quartets. where
| the voices frequently cross and all the parts
| are much diffused, -
l. II is 10 be hoped that the Rich Quartet
| which is capable Of taking position equal
| TO that of any quartet in America, will be
heard again later in the season, either IN
the concerts of the Chamber Music Assoca-
| tion or in a series of concerts of Its own.