New-York tribune., 1919-12-08

pringer OF q great, purifying. uplifting
artistic evangel, listened to 4 concert
like scores which have preceded It. with
the virtuoso playing no better than has
been his wont, and, at times, possibly
: little worse. He began with music by
lowed 1t with sonata by Bach (for
violin alone) and six set short pieces
and supplementary set Of titbits for
the crowd, which is become habituated
TO ask for more, no matter how gener-
ously it has been catered to. That ap-
petite is like jealousy, which "makes
the meat 1t feeds on" AT the Hotel Ritz
the Society of the Friends Of Music,
departing from its protested mission,
offered its members a recital by Miss
Guiomar Novaes, who would have been
theater or concert room. She played
Mozarts Sonata in A with the varia-
tions and Turkish march,, and the
Sonata quasi-fantasia in 4 fat, Op. 81,
NO. l, by Beethoven-the companion
piece of the much more familiar and
admired but ill-named moonlight"
Encore Spoils Impression
As the programs Of pianoforte,
violin and song recitals are generally
constructed, little if any ofTense is
given to good taste by the supple
mentary entertainments upon which
gushing. devotees of the artists insist
1t is seldom that the last set number
leaves so uplifting an impression that
1T Is pity to have it obliterated. 1t
is different matter when an exalted
mood created by transporting per-
formance of noble work is deliber-
ately dissipated by the music which is
made to follow it. There was a fragrant
illustration of such q setting down of
the artistic pegs at the concert of the
Symphony Society in Aeolian Hall in
the afternoon. when, after Mr.. Rach-
maninoff. aided by the orchestra and
its conductor, had stirred the listeners
to depth and height and warmth Of
enthusiasm such as we have not OBJ
served for years, Mr.. Damrosch invited
return to a commonplace, frivolous
frame of mind by playing Mr.. Grain
gers march called Cover the Hills and
Far Away" The cleverness, ingenuity
and enjoyableness of this piece are not
IN question; we are animadverting
only on the conduct of the conductor
in dragging the hearers from the lofty
heights to which they had been lifted
by nobler music down to the frivolous
attitude toward art which is charac-
teristic of this neurotic day.
Mr.. Rachmaninoff played the solo
part Of his third concerto. 1t is a work
marred by few blemishes. In the
progress Of the performance the com
poser-virtuoso, Mr.. Damrosch and the
players of the band were seemingly
caught up in an ecstasy, which grew in
the listeners as we'll until at the con-
clusion it broke out like fame Of
living fire. Round after round Of ap-
plause. wholesouled. spontaneous
outburst brought Mr.. RachmaninofY to
the stage again and again. The en-
kindled enthusiasm spread to the or
their feet and swelled the storm of
grateful appreciation when the COM
poser, with characteristic modesty and
dignity and reposefulness Of demeanor
returned to bow his acknowledgements
for the sixth or eighth time. Half Of
the audience had followed the example
Of the band. The air quivered as if
charged with q current of emotional
electricity. Then came the children's
march to bring players and hearers
back to an idly agreeable Utilization of
the ears. The pity of it!
Played Ten Years Ago
Ten years ago we heard the concert
for the first time. 1t was new then. and
Mr.. Damrosch brought it forward at a
Symphony Society concert in the New
Theater We recall the impression
which the work made then. It's recep-
tion was so triumphant, emphatic and
spontaneous that the composer himself
could not conceal his own surprise as
we'll as delight. His playing then, as
yesterday, was like his music, ingrati-
ating III manner and matter. His
frank, manly, unaffected bearing put
him in delightful communion with his
listeners. His modest and unconscious
indifference to the customary devices of
the virtuoso or self-exploiting COM
poser held him there and developed
the feeling into n sweetly sane init
macy. The concerto seemed overlong
and too profusely developed. as it did
yesterday, but its strong and beautiful
individuality, both in theme and work
manship, was captivating.
We wished yesterday that it might
have closed without it's vigorous, tri-
umphant concluding section, though
when it did end we felt that we should
have missed one of its lofty flights.
Still we should have been glad had it
ended as with the serenity Of its
transhgured Lento, like the gentle close
of d day which had begun with q
sunrise that was as a benediction.
Before the concerto Mr.. Damrosch
played Charpentier's impressions d.
ltalie," and an introduction and al
legro for strings by Sir Edward Elgar,
a strong and beautiful modern echo of
the old concerto, with ingenious use
Of a concertino band.