Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-06
L0EFFLER WORK
FINELY PERI 0RMED
Orchestra Gives "A Pagan Poem
With Splendid Effect-Bauer
the SoIoist
PROGRAM

Classics of three periods, blended
skillfully with modern compositions,
made up we'll balanced and interest
ing program at the concert of the Phil
ndclphia Orchestra yesterday afternoon.
Harold Bauer was the soloist. and the
usual large and enthusiastic crowd was
in attendance
The concert opened with the familiar
Iconorc- No. ; overture of Beethoven.
played with unusual spirit and tonal
quality, and this was followed by Mr..
Bauers first appearance of the after
noon, his only purely solo number. as
the piano part in the Locfflcr number
IS an obbligato. The Mozart concerto
in a is one less known, and, perhaps,
descrvedly SO, than the - minor, for
il is not nearly so fine work. al Though
it is full of typical Mozartan beauty
und has some harmonic and contra
puntal effects, which, in the composer 8
day. must have sounded Shockingly
modern. - Like most OF the Mozart
piano CouccrtOs, the work makes no
especial technical demands from the
standpoint of n concert pianist OF to-
day, but requircs tone of great purity,
aud, above all, a thorough understand
ing and complete sympathy with its
manner of composition. These quail
ties are among Mr.. Bauer's pre- emi-
nont ones, and. therefore, his rendition
of the work was extremely beautiful,
being delicate but yet masculine.
The symphony was the "Un6nished"
of Schubert, and Mr.. Stokowski gave
a fine reading. lie took the first
movement at slightly faster tempo
| than heretofore, and did not take the
& a. 80
conductors, and his Interpretation thus
gave fine consistency to the move
mcnt. Both movements were well per-
| formed, the tone quality of all instru-
mcnts being very beautiful.
The novelty of the program was "a
| Pagan Poem by Charles Martin LoeH
| Ter, for orchestra, with obbligato for
piano (played by Mr.. Bauer), English
| horn and three trumpets, the latter
/ being off stage at first, but returning to
/ the body of the orchestra before the close
| of the work. which is in one movement,
| but with many changes of time.
The work was inspired by the Eight,
/ Eclogue of Virgil and is remarkably
| fine piece of imaginative writing and
is worked out with the greatest skill
both in its composition and its orchcs
! tration. Mr.. Iocffier has instilled into
| Tue Nplh ul btllOSIlh'lN mum INV '''s'
of pcbussy in its general feeling, al
| though there is no trace of the French
master the music itself being highly
original dramatically and carrying out
to the letter the feeling of the poem
upon which it is based.
Mr.. Loeffler was present and heard
his composition performed from the un e
usual environment Of the orchestra it
self. as he came in unobtrusively before
the playing began and turned the pages
for Mr.. Bauer. At the close of the
work he was brought forward by Mr..
Bauer and Mr.. Stokowski, and was
recalled many times by the audience
In the orchestration Mr.. Loefier has
produced some very original and beau
tiful effects. especially the dissonant
notes of the three trumpets off stage
accompanying the English horn solo and
later with the piano. The work has
been performed by several of the other
large orchestras of the country, but
is new to Philadelphia.