New-York tribune., 1918-02-09
Music
John Powell Plays His Own
Compositions Effectively
at Aeolian Hall

1T was an all-Amercan programme
which John Powell played last night
IN Aeolian Hail. and the music was
chiefly dictated by his own amiable
muse: The opening, "Variations and
Double Fugue on a Theme, by F. G..
Hahr," had not previously been heard
In New York, but it must be hea,d
again. After the variations, which are
rather too sentimental and too re-
stricted in their moods, the composer
launches upon his surprisingly vigor-
GUS fugue. In this he has worked at
his best. His writing is sound and
soild, yet even in its most complex
phases preserves the peculiar poetry
OF the theme. An American work at
once so scholarly and SO imaginative is
not to be passed over lightly.
Mr.. Powell's "Sketches of American
Fun" entitled "At the Fair" were also
played for the first time here in their
entirety. The composers intention is
to give vivid, if somewhat idealized
impressions of local color, characteris-
TIC of the lighter and more relaxed mo-
ments of Americans" And an excel
lent intention it is, which Mr. Powell
has carried out with capital spirit and
invention in the "Merrv- Go Round" and
the Banjo Picker" which last has been
made familiar to audiences here both
with the piano and with orchestra.
The other numbers, the "Hoochce-
Coochee Dance" the "Circassian Beau
ty" and the "Snakc Charmer," are by
no means so successful. Such music is
essentially that of miniature, and is
ineffective if spread thin over a large
canvas.
Nor does the auditor enjoy it the
more because the somewhat too appre-
ciative programme notes invite him to
picture the snake with afectionate
wavings of his tail and an amatory
projection of his torgue."
1t is only fair to add, however, that
the composer, for the playing of these
gracefully accepted.
Yet, with all it's vagaries, Mr. Pow
ellis music is beginning to gain its just
recognition. Much of it springs from
a lively inspiration, fed, to such an
extent as may be, from the American
soil. Though it is somewhat too fluent,
often too tenderly criticised by it's su-
thor and usually too elaborately devel-
oped, it still retains the personal flavor
and the heartiness which distinguish
true music from false.
The inclusion Of Mr. Hairs INTERIM
Unable pieces in last nights programme e
Woc q AiiioeuhS. A'Gt 4GI. OWtll uu-
ishe'. we'll with some excellent music
by MacDowell and by DAME! Gregory
Mason, and with two of his own bcso
liked pieces.
IIax Rosen played the Brahms violin
concerto much better at yesterday
afternoons concert of the Philhar-
monic Society, in Carnegie Hall, than
he did on the previous evening. Con-
fidence seemed to have returned to hl'a
and much of his performance was on
a high technical if not Interpretive
level. His cadenza, in particular, wa4
good. Tchaikowsky's Fifth
Symphony, and d'Indy's "Medee" suite
were again we'll played by Mr.
Stransky.
The pupils Of lsadora Duncan danced
again last evening at Carnegie Hall to
the familiar Gluck and Schubert music
which will stand many another repe-
tition. George Barrere led the Little
Symphony Orchestra through a need
lessly heavy and unbalanced perform
ance. which, not unnaturally, reacted
upon the girls dancing. In Gretry's
"Cephale ct Procris" music. which he
elected to play for an intermission,
was hardly deserving of the honor, or
at, least did not sound so, with its
childish Instrumentation and Mr.. Bar
roro,s prot,; horant hrase