New-York tribune., 1919-03-10
Music
Sacha Jacobsen, Noung Violin
ist, Is Soloist at Sym
phony Concert
By II. F.. Krehbiel

III is much 10 be hoped, quite in the
spirit of the international convocation
now engaged in Paris in grating an
gelic wings on human shoulders and
encouraging rose bushes to dispense
with thorns, that our musical con-
ductors will celebrate the coming mil
lennium by modcrating their propensity
for volume of tone eve must not saw
noise 2est we give offence) ard again
permit their audiences to listen to a
concourse of sweet sounds. With the
banishment of the rattle and crash and
roar of war we hope will come a cessa-
tion of the orchestral din which has
been growing steadily for years until
we have almost abandoned hope in the
nervous sanity of the rising genera
ton.
Sascha Jacobsen, a young violinist
whose present achievements are so ad-
mirable that it would sound like con-
desension to speak of his future prom
Use, played Bruch's G minor concerto
at concert of the Symphony Society
in Aolian Hall yesterday afternoon.
In the olden time and golden age when
Beethoven half seriously, half play-
fully described concerto as q STREET,
stuck, contest between the solo in
strument and its accompanying band,
tnere used to pe some regard for the
vlrtuoso who had to stand out against
a small company of competing artists.
A spirit Of fair play marked the strug-
gle, the purpose of which was the glori-
ncation OF beauty and the triumph of
tne solo performer, who was con-
sldered an apostle of the aesthetic
evangel in the propagation of which
all the company was engaged.
Less than a generation ago, when
most orchestras were not more than
t"o-thlrds as large numerically, and
perhaps only one-third as obstreperous
as they are now, whenever a concerto
was played portion of the band was
commanded to hold its peace except in
the triumphant clamors of the tutti.
NOW 1t is desperate fight to the fin
lsh, multitude against one.
The unequal warfare has had an un-
fortunate effect. Solo players must
sacrifice beauty of tone to sonoritv.
clarity OF utterance in passages which
are designed to embellsh themes to
dash and brilliancy. The youthful
artist who played yesterday took ear,
beginning of Bruch's beautiful compo-
sition by the full, strong, lucious tone
which he drew from his instrument,
the lofty reposefulness of his stvle, the
comprehensive grasp of the contents
OF the music, the serenity> of his song
which scared as on angels wings. We
question whether any one of the very
lew Older virtuosos of great rcputa-
tlon into rivalry with whom his per
or foI l. 4
closed deeper penetration into the soul
OF the work. His tone also was as
large and noble as that of the best of
them. In the sustained melodic paa-
sages, which were lightly scored in the
orchestral part. Mr.. Damrosch accom-
panied him sympath ctically; but when
the passage work occurred he strup-
gled frequently in vain against the too
assertive band.
Conecrtos used 10 he ronside~ed
chamber musie-tnusic for Intimate IN.
joymeht. played by the few for tho cu-
tufed md appreciniive few. In this
category whs also feekoned music de-
slghed for small grouph Of a0lo inatfu=
hehts Quhfteta, quintets and tho like
FOR strings are still so feckoned, though
the 1umholstie tendency has led con
duetora to put some Fragments of the
classics into the orcheatral list, Nearly
forty years ago there was n small
coterie of amateur chamber musicians
in Paris which called itself "I.a from
petite" aint-Saans used to take part
in their meetings, and for their pleasure
he composed a seXtct in e flat for two
pinnoforte and trumpet. The piece has
been heard here in chamber concerts,
but not often. 1t is q product Of the
ingenious music-making mood of the
French master, speaking in the graceful
forms of the seventeenth century, in
the stately Tilt of the minuet and the
gay rhythm of the gavotte, the piano
forte and strings in amiable, light
hearted dalliance with the militant
instrument with which they are so sell
dom consortcd.
This septet was also in the scheme
of yesterdays concert; but instead
whole army Of the orchestra strings
pitted against the pianoforte played
by Miss Winifred Christie, and the
trumpet played by Samuel Miller.
Naturally the quaint effect contem-
plated by the composer was quite dis
sipated. Miss Christie had to play
with energy to make the pianoforte
hold its own against the body of
strings, and Mr.. Miller blew as if to
battle. The effect WAS fine only in
the stirring gavoth and finale, where
the rhythmical incsiveness of Miss
Christie's playing carried the piece to
a triumphant conclusion. The best
qualities of Mr.. Damrosch and his
orchestra came out in Mendelssohn's
overature "Fingal's Cave" and Tschai-
koffsky's "Romeo and Juliet" After
the audience had heard Mr.. Jacobson's
fine performance Of the Bruch concerto
the audience was sent home with
Johann Strauss's Perpetual Motion"
and the waltz "Roees From the South"
in its ears.