The Washington herald., 1919-10-26
PMander Johnson's
COMMENT IN
The Evening Star
WEDNESDAY. OCT. -. 1910.
WEDNESDAY. OCT. -. 1910.

An assemblaEe of musicians. in per-
fcct coordination. made delightful the
afternoon at the New National Theater
yesterday. The baton OF the accom-
piished and scholarly Stokowski
never found better response from the
Philadelphia Orchestra. whose visits
have come to rank among the great
pleasures Of Washington musical
season. Three numbers composed the
program, which. so far as the selec-
tiOns themselves We're concerned. rep
resented no remarkable excursion into
the realms OF the unusual. The sur
prise came in the second number, the
Saint-Saens' Concerto" in G minor,
for, piano and orchestra, which was
made the vehicle for most remark
able display of the art efficiency
which modern musical mechanism has
attained. The Bizet suite, "L'ArIesi-
enne" was disposed of with a dash
and polish which brought into spar
king brilliancy its graceful play of
melodic fancy. The concluding num-
ber. Dvorak's much applauded en-
deavor to interpret the American mu-
New World Symphony was rend-r.
ed in the spirit of triumphant conf
dence. which the ovation precedins
easily warranted. These two orches-
sical prologue and epiloGue for the
solo number. There was no soloist
visible: no tricks of personality were
In evidence to distract the attention.
whether agreeably or otherwise.
The piano delivered its portion of
the concerto with beautiful resonance
and exquisite delicacy of instrument
control beneath the hands Of a master.
Harold Bauer was the soloist whose
playing was heard with SO much graf
ification that Stokowski's bow to the
imaginary figure at the piano was in
strict accord with the outburst OF ap-
plause which followed the demonstra-
ton of the new instrument. which the
program made known as the Duo-Art
Piano.
A generation seldom passes without
some contribution to the mechanism
for musical expression. No doubt the
youth of the times which we now re-
Ter to as classic" who discovered that
the strings of his rude Tyre would
respond with new beauty when a bow
was substituted for a plectrum was
hailed as the bearer Of the final word
In the matter OF sound dsvice.
The Hellenic piper who discovered
that ny boring holes in reed he could
the syrinx was doubtless hailed as one
whose genius must have been gained
through communion with the gods nc
met while roaming among shepherd
. Indeed scarcely a decade, has passed
without the development Of some new
contrivance designed to enhance mu-
stcal expression. In many cases the
hecnanlCdi 'element mas as
serted itself too far above the pres
entation Of human temperament and
taste and hindered what II assumed 10
help. The museums are fun of con-
trivances undertaking to utilize levers
and springs in expanding Instrumental
capabilities. Where one new device
has succeeded II has compensated for
a thousand failures. The recording
process by which Bauer was enabled
to play at his best. though absent
from his instrument, may be regarded
as the latest and perhaps ereatest
achievement in musical invention. The
revtsions the soloist Is permitted to
make in his own performance makes
the phrase "at his best" one of litera,
significance. The artist was his own
critic and conveyed the thrill which
only comes when competence is per-
mitted to declare itself, not in ego
tism. but in honest pride and say.
- This is well done"