Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-22
cessful work will be played by Mr..
Bailly at the festival.

A s was commented in the EVENING
IA PUBLIC LEDGE Of Monday. in Its
review of the concert, the very appar-
ent sincerity Of the quartet and Its
adherence to classic lines, made a de-
cidedly favorable impression on the dis
eliminating hearers in the audience.
quite a part from the actual playing. The
string quartet Is the most classic CT
all forms of music, and, therefore. calls
for this style of playing, Oversenti-
mentalizing and e~xaggerations sound
grossly out of place in quartet perform
ances. although this by no means indi-
Gates that warmth CT tone and of inter-
probation are not elements of the great
est Importance in quartet playing.
The Berkshire Quartet happily was
free from the faults mentioned. and
showed its strict maintenance of
classic models by sitting in the classic
style; that is, the violins opposite each
other n the cello beside the first
violin. Ever since the Flonzaiey Quar-
tet began concertizing in this country,
with it's undeniable finish and almost
perfect ensemble, the method of sit
ting. adopted by It has been largely
copied by other quartets. II sits with
the first violin and viola facing each
other, and the second violin and cello
sitting side by side, behind the others
and facing the audience.
AS has been said, this position has
been largely initiated by other ouartets.
! When asked why he adopted this style.
one local quartet leader told the writer
that 1T was the modern style of quartet
position"
A S a matter of fact, It is no. modern
"A at all. This position was first
adopted by the famous Ferdinand David
Quartet about eighty years g except
that the second violin and cello faced
each other instead of facing the audi
ence. 1t was discarded by that body
after a thorough trial of about two sea-
sons, because they found that there
were certain difficulties in obtaining a
perfect tone balance. The matter is
thoroughly discussed Of the writer's
memory serves him correctly in the
published correspondence of Mendelssohn
and David, where It was agreed that
the second violin could not be heard
with sufficient clearness from any posi-
ton In the hall. except behind the cello,
tne softer tones of that instrument,
"hicn IS almost always playing in its
weakest register, having TO cross the
tones of the three more powerful in
before reaching the audience.
II bobbed up again about thirty years
ago, when the Joachim Quartet expert
mented with it. and again was discarded
after another thorough trial. The
kneisel Quartet also tried it for a por-
ton OF one season. but then went back
TO the former style of sitting, the same
trouble being found as the David Quar-.
tet In connection with the
Joachim experiment, there is an inter-
esting reference to it in the correspond
ence of Brahms and Doctor Billroth,
published shortly before the outbreak
of the war. Brahms did not approve OF
the new position, although he gave nc
very convincing reasons gains 1t,
However, we can be assured that 1t was
not from any disinclination to make de-
partures, for no one can accuse Brahms
of being a conversative in musical mat
tiers.
THIS Doctor Billroth is one of thu
i most interesting and remarkable
characters in the annals CT chamber
music. to which Indoor SPORT" he was
devoted. One of the greatest physicians
and surgeons Of Austria, he took an in.
tense interest in music, and was prob.
ably Brahms's closest personal friend
after that great composer came to vi.
emma. He was IN enthusiastic amateur
quartet player and took the viola part
in an amateur quartet which had the
high and unusual distinction of playing
the Brahms chamber music privately
from the original manuscript, even be.
fore they were sent to the Joachim