Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-16
GLORY AND SACRIFICE
EXPRESSED IN MUSIC
Orchestra Audience Sings \a-
tiomal Anthem and Silently Rise,
During MacDowell Dirgt

Yesterday : ".I,'"r Of the Phi adeIplit 80
chestrd began Will d spomtdnco"s peace "e}e-
bratipu. Wnrn Mr Stohowsk appeared L.
announced tIar. as It Was the first yo!.' 'r'
since the signing "t ihe a"mis:''". irr
audience snor!d ing Tia" star Spa"gird
Banne'." - the orrur>'ru p.uIed H. RMS
they did wui," '~" officers Of the American
army presented 'he stars AID Stripes from
the center ~ III" stag Tneu followed in
order the national authrIus Of Belgium. lal.
England and France. While 'he rag OF each
nation Was held IN the center o. the sag
by the consul representing the country OF ny
an officer from is army.
Another spontaneous manifestation "t
patriotism occurred during the fourth NOV Ne-
ment Of MacDowell's "mdian Suite" II Was
announced on the program that this number
the Dirge) was played IN hoEor Of the
men0r! Of those Americans who had given Up
their lives III The war, and as the orchestra
hesau the movement the audience rerercntl%
arose and remained standing TO its closey II
seemed peculiarly fitting that the chief
"hsStrul work OF Americas greatest COM
poser should have been on III. program al
this particular time
The Indian Suite oE MacIJuwcIl. which
took the place of ;he usual symphony, was
the first number of the program. It had not
been played here fur about ten Years, a.
Enough It is well known MacloWell himself
acknowledges the Indian source of his themes,
out he has drawn but lightly real Indian
material in the work as whole. Rather. lie
has constructed fr0n; his imaglnat Ion
poett"al compositions, depicting his own CON
"epiOns OF Indian life. The work Is in
tir" movements and runs pretty nla ariy the
entire emotional gamut. It begins with
Legend" which is followed by beautiful
"IIuHc Song" the best movement of thu work
muScaly considered. a descriptive movement
IN WARTIME a "DlrSe,' which shows much
imaginative beauty aud ends with lively
"Nil'age Festival"
In spite Of the admitted the.nal.r sources
Of the compositions, It is not wholly con
vinCing in The creation Of an Indian utnOS-
nhere. but as 10 its intense emotional cffett
and great mag beauty there c.tu be NO
question Also the scoring IS eXurnt iona lily
fine. There is no attemp; at the attainment
Of modern e&tremc3, DH, every ~ Nr.hvn. )
scored to depict the mood which is dominant
III it, The very expressive tone cooriEc OF
the "Dirge." the powerful Of the reeds
in the "Wartine" movement and the dignity
and so!ennity Of the brass in the Legend
are only three of many Instances. While the
scoring. especially in the first number. shows
the influence OF his teacher. Raff (himscf 10
mean master Of orcheStrdtion). there Is mach
more i'll 1t that Is wholly original and charm
ing ami it is scored in extraordinarily good
taste throughout. The suite was sympa-
thet!cally interpreted and played.
The other orchestral number closing the
program. the WeI-known vigorous and
picturesque Carnival in Paris" of Svendscn
The soloiSt OF the afternoon. WAS TOSCha
Seidei, one of the galaxy of astonishing Rus
sian boys which Leopold Auer has given to
the violin world. lie appeared in the concerto
OF Brahms. work that requires the great, st
physical, intellectual and emotional control Of
any concerto In the violinsts repertoire.
Seidel impressed the audienCe immediately
by his sincerity, poisc and utter lack of afiec-
tation. His technique is large without hcluE
especially brilliant and he never used It for
its own sake, but always as a means 10
poetic Interpretation. The eXccediEgly dill
cult passages of the concerto (and there are
many of thcm) were played with case and
understanding.
His tone is sweet in quality, but not powcI-
ment not to have used the entire string body
of the orchestra in the accompaniment. As 1t
| was, there were times when the orchestra
/ came dangerously near overpowerng the tone
! of the soloist. On the other hand he
| occasionally showed youthful tendency to-
ward emotional cXaggeration, especially in
| the first movement, parts of which were
| taken at very SLOW tempo.
| However, considering. the tremendous inter
pretativC difficulties of the work which he
| chose, he gave one Of the best readings OF II
that Philadelphia has ever heard from a
| youthful violinist. In the coda OF the first
| movement and in the adagio he reached n
| very high plane Of intcrpretatlve art Thai
| he is one of the great voinlsts of the future
! with proper direction of his abilities there
| can be no doubt.