Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-22
ADJUSTMENTS
PHILADELPHIA Orchestra,

An assemblage OF musicians, in per-
feet coordination. made delightful
the afternoon at the New National
Theater yesterday. The baton of the
accomplished and scholarly Stow
from the Philadelphia Orchestra.
whose visits have come to rank
among the great pleasures of a WASH
ington musical season. Three num-
beTs composed the program. which. so
far as the selections themselves were
concerned. represented no remarkable
excursion into the realms of the I'M
usual. The surprise came in the sec
ond number. the SaintSaens' Con
certo," in G minor. for piano and or
chestra, which was made the vehicle
for a most remarka BILE display of the
art efficiency which modern musical
mechanism has attained. The Blzet
with a dash and polish which brought
into sparkling brilliancy its graceful
play of meIodic fancy. The concluding
number, Dvoraks much applauded
endeavor to interpret the American
musical temper in classical form. the
New World Symphony" was render
ed in the spirit of triumphant conn
dence, which the ovation preceding
easily warranted. These two or 'es-
trail numbers afforded a kind OF inu-
steal prologue and epifosue lot tne
solo number. There was no soloise
visible: no tricks of personality were
in evidence to distract the attention.
whether agreeab1y or otherwise.
The piano delivered its portion OF
the concerto with heaulilui resi-
nance and exquisite deiicacS OIL II
strument control beneath the hanas
of master Harold bau1l go ,.;th
so!oist whose playing was nearu Win
so much qualification that Stako"
skis bow to the imaginary inquire al
the piano was in strict accord WIN
the outburst of applause Which 1oI-
lowed the demonstration OF the new
instrument. which the prosra" hiaoe
known as the Duo Art TT
A generation seldom passes WITH
out some contribution to the mecn-
anism for musical expression. NO
doubt the youth OF times whlch we
now refer to as classic who dis
Covered l,o" that the strings of his rude
lyre would respond with new beauty
when bow was substituted for
plectrum was hailed as the bearer
of the final word in the matter OF
sound device. ,
The Hellenic piper who discovered
that by boring holes in reed he
could whistle with more facility than
on the syrinx was doubtless halied
az, one whose genius must nave oeeh
gained through communion with the
gods he met while roaming among
Shepherd solitudes. Yet scarcely a
generation. indeed. scarcely decade
has passed without the development
of some new continuance designed TO
enhance musical expression. In many
cases, the material mechanical eie-
ment has asserted itself too far above
the presentation of human tempera-
ment and taste and hindered what 1t
assumed to help. The museums are
full of contrivances undertaking to
utilize levers and springs in expand
ing instrumental capabilities. Where
one new device has succeeded. 1t has
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 greatest achievement in mus
ical invention. The revisions the
soIoist is permitted to make in his
own performance makes the phrase
"at his best" one of literal signif-
icance The artist was his own
critic and conveyed the thrill which
only comes when competence is per-
mitted to declare itself. not in egotisrn.
but in honest pride and say, This is
we'll done"