Connecticut western news., 1919-06-05
2,OOO HEAR OPENING OF
 CONCERTS AT NORFOLK
Notes on Concerts for We'd nesday and Thursday
 Evenings

Although composed of only two
 numbers in additions to the tradi-
 tional festival chorale", the open
 ing concert of the twentieth anni-
 versary season of the Litchfield
 County Choral Union, held at Nor
 folk Tuesday evening, was probably
 one of the most satisfactory in the
 history of Norfolk music.
 Two magnificent compositions, one
 old and one new, held the audience
 of over 2,OOO spellbound in spite of
 the terrific heat, which even Nor folk, saying it lightly, is sharing with the rest of New England. The new Composition was "Lyric Suite No. 2", for orchestra, composed for this fes- tival by Victor Kolar, assistant con- ductor of the Detroit Philharmonic Society. The suite was, of course, played by the selected orchestra of seventy-fve piecese and conducted by MT. Kolar himself.
 Mr. Kolar took especial pains to say that his work was 'absolute music", meaning it, of course, in the technical sense of the word. It can be said, however, that the suite was also absolute music" in the ordinary sense of the word. It was u,.m, pure and simple. "Color, color and then more color" would be the most graphic way in which to describe it. It left one with the impression of having heard the successful effort of a cultured, sincere and overwhelm- ingly able artist. It was the work of man who understood the power of the old maxim: "Art concealing art" Mir. Kolar must be a "com- poser's composer.
 Briefly, the suite is in three parts, a "pastorale", "cortege", and "finale". In the "cortege" alone, MT. Kolar admitted slight conces- sion to program music, but added that his inspiration was only the general sadness of the last four years. As was quite fitting, in the "pastorale" the work fell on the wood wind instruments; in the "cor- tege", to a moderate extent, on the brasses, and in the "finale", which was "allegro giocoso", the drums had a tap or two.
 The veteran number was Hiawa- tha's Wedding Feast and the Death of Minnehaha, of s. Coleridge-Tay- lor's, which was conducted here by the composer in 1910. 1t was not able Tuesday night for the magni- ficent work of the chorus of 400 voices, which has never been sur passed in the history of the choral union. Every dramatic point of this most dramatic cantata was wildly broughtout. The enunciation was perfect and the shading extremely delicate. It was triumph for the chorus and it's conductor, Arthur Mees. The soloists, Anna Case, Lam bert Murphy and Emilio Di Gogorza had little to do but did that little | with the same abandon and spirit | which seemed to inspire the chorus. |
 The Music Shed was the mecca of | all Litchfield county music lovers and | it was fitting that the opening night | was the rendition of the festive Sweet Is Thy Work, by Battel, in whose honor and memory the Litchfield County Choral Union is conducted.
 Wednesday
 On June 4th the guests of the County Choral union will have the pleasure of listening to the great oratorio of Samson and Deli lah" by Camille St. Saens, the emi- nent French composer. This work is also given in operatic form, but by many critics is esteemed to be more forceful as an oratorio.
 St. Saens was born in Paris in 1885. Losing his father at an early age, he was brought up by his mother and his great aunt, and to the latter he owed his early musical In her memory he keeps by him to this day little old-fash- toned instrument on which she gave him his first lessons. Like Mendels- sohn, who at the age of 16 composed his Midsummer Nights Dream, St. Saens, at the same age, pro- 1uced his first symphony, and at 23 became organist of the Church of the Madeleine in Paris. In 1877 he com posed Samson and Delilah", his greatest worok, which has placed nim in the forefront of the worlds lying composers.
 St. Saens is a wide traveller, and 1as twice visited the United States, put like most men of artistic tenn he loves to be alone, and often hides away from the world for months at time. Once after some alarm as to 'his safety he was found ,n the top of Mt. Reward, the beau ;iful mountain overshadowing Ak