Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-03
RABAUD PROVES
A FINE CONDUCTOR
Leads Boston Symphony in
Highly Diversified Program
With Great Success

Henri Rabaud, the new permanent con-
ductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
who conquered by proxy the composer of
"Marouf" at the opening Of the local opera
season. conquered in person last evening at
the head of his orchestra, whicn appeared in
the second concert at the Academy.
Mr. Rabaud gave a highly diversified pro-
gram, consisting of the classic Seventh
Symphony of Beethoven, the modern French
Neo-Russian Second Symphony of Borodin,
Thanks to our own Philadelphia Orchestra.
whose conductor, Mr.. Stokowski. keeps local
musical circles we'll informed to modern
compositions as we'll as keeping the classics
well in mind, all of these numbers were
familiar TO the audience.
The Boston Orchestra shows a decided i'm
proVement since its appearance hepe last
month. While 1t cannot be said that 1t has
fully rega!ned the perfection of orchestral
technique II once had, still there was no
ticeable improvement in tone quality, attack
and precision. The chief fault last evening
was in the uncertainty as to letting GO" of
the longer notes, and in this the first violins
were the chief offenders. This fault, how
ever. disappeared almost altogether after the
first movement of the Beethoven Symphony
Above all. there was an absence Of the rest
lcssness and uncertainty which was very
apparent in the orchestra at the first con-
cert.
The chief interest of the concert naturally
centered in the conducting of Mr.. Rabaud,
who proved himself to be one OF the best
orchestral leaders that has been heard here
In a long time. He Is perfectly at home in
the three different schools of which his pro-
gram was made up and showed himself
musician of taste, wide culture and strong
though cultivated temperament. Unlike most
~ the French conductors he is not afraid to
use the full strength of the orchestra in the
fortissimos. although the tone Is not forced,
and his pianissnlos are not so exaggerated
n G tn q Tho paaf hot Sty,, t1p
was read with force and spirit in the alle-
gros which was well in keeping with the
best traditions of Beethoven. Strangely
enough, the famous Allegretto was taken at
a rather vigorous speed and the orchestral
tone at times lacked smoothness. The
Scherzo and the Finale, however, have had
few finer readings in this city. Mr.. Rabauds
Interpretation may be described classic in
It's general outlines, although full of tenn
peramc". and not refined to point incon-
sistert - h the vigor which is always found
in n Beethoven symphony.
In the Dukas Scherzo, Mr.. Rabaud's read
ing may be taken as authoritative. as he Is
a contemporary composer with Dukas and
knew him in Paris musical circles. 1t was
taken considerably slower than has been
heard here before and worked out in the
greatest detail. 1t Is program music of the
most pronounced type, meaning nothing un-
less the story which 1t describes Is under
stood clearly
The Borodin Symphony, with its barbaric
melodic cast and Its Oriental color, was
also admirably rendered by Mr. Rabaud
who clearly Is as much at home in the Neo-
Russian school as he Is in the classic or the
modern French, The richness of the orches-
tration and the scholarly working out of the
thematic development were empaszed by the
conductor in such way as almost to con-
ceal the thinness of invention and Of melodic
inspiration which the composition shows at
times, especially in the slow movement
Mr. Rabaud, like Mr.. Monteux who con-
Quoted the first concert of the orcher\,
showed himself a master of detail: but
unlike him. 1t Is a mastery of orchestral
detail rather than detail of composition such
as Mr.. Monteux revealed to such remark
able degree In the Cesar Franck Symphony
Every accent. every entrance Of the various
instruments and every dynamic change was
clearly indicated by the conductor, who is
not economical of gesture and who subordi-
mates grace to effectiveness. The program
was short. even though it contained two
symphonies. and the conductor held the
closest attention of the audience from the
first note until the last