Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-18
THE ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Messrs. Rich and penha Perform
erahma pnyhle coneerta Finely

Yesterdays concert Of tic Philadcl-
phla Orchestra was made mp Of only
three numbers. but each was a number
of especial interest The lovely SYM
phony OF Mozart, the Jupiter, the
| double concerto for violin and cello
with orchestra by Brahms. gave tn"
new cellist. Michel Penha. his first ap.
pcarance as soloist with the Orchestra
and the tone poem. death and Trans
fgurntion, marked the rea1nrarancc
of Richard Strauss on the programs Of
tn" orchestra after an absence of some
Yeas. duo TO unavoidable causes
The concert opened with the sym.
rhony. Of which Mr.. StokowSki's read
ing brought out all the clarity and
plRcidity a. we'll as the stupendous
architectural lines on which the great
composer has laid out the last move
ment. Tho slow movement Is OF
especial interest In the acidulous dis
sonanCeS with which il abounds. II be-
ing close second to the famous intro
duction Of the G major string quartet.
In this particular respect II Is unqucs-
tionably the most advanced com.
position, not only of It's own time, but
for many years aftcrward. The SYM
phony was played with much sympathy
BY the members OF the orchestra, the
strongly contrastcd, but always clear
Instrumentation Of the various move.
ments being we'll brought out
The soloists made n great success
OF the Brahms Double Concerto. Dr.
Rich has played Il several times before.
with Mr. Kinder and other cellists,
and his fno tone and clear exposition
Of the work Is we'll known. But Il
Is doubtful Il he has ever appeared in n
more poetic reading Of the work than
with Mr.. Pcnha yesterday. The com
position Is not one of the most inspired
Of Brahms and for this reason It is
the more difficult TO make II effective.
1t IL very difficult technically. for both
solo Instruments, being full of arpeggios
and other idioms more characteristic
Of the piano than OF the stringed in
struments. Mr.. Pcnhas playing seems
to be more along poetic than vigorous
lines. He makes no display Of his
great technique and played beautifully
into the ensemble not only OF his co
soloists. but Of the orchestra as we'll
This characteristics however, is exactly
what is required in the Brahms double
concerto and did much to make it so
succesStnI. lhe orchestra appeared 10
be much more familiar with the solo
parts Of the work than is usually the
case with an involved concerto and
played a wonderfully sympathetic ac-
compartment. doing its full share in
making the performance a really notable
one.
The concert closed with Richard
Strauss Death and TRANSPORTATION. ="
the tone poem which. with TIN
EulenSpiegel, may fairly be said to
be the best that that composer has
ever done. It was an excellent pres
cntatiOn, but one is forced to admit
that after a long silence and a full
opportunity to compare his work with
that OF cOntcmporaneous composers Of
other countries. Strauss does not make
the same appeal that he formerly did.
The very long development or perhaps
repetition is the better word, of the
six note theme at the close comes dan
gerously near becoming tiresom" in
spite of the marvellous orchcStrGtion
and knowledge of orchestral resources
in which Strauss stands almost alone
among the moderns. Nevertheless It
was interesting 10 hear one Of his works
again and the tone poem made fitting
close to varied and delightful pro-
gram.