New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
first Open Air
|Concert Given
| By Symphony
eo,hwell Conducts Ma
,;onal Orchestra in At
,ractive Program Before
Crowd Filling Stadium
"a Ponselle Sings
|soloist Shows Vocal Opu.
lence and the Audience
Repeatedly Recalls Her

c,.t promises to be distinguished
"a. Of open air concert% bv the
s,.oual Symphony Orchestra. con-
..t.d By Waiter Henry Rothwell. be-
!. last evening at the Lewisohn
,,a;um. Weather conditions were
,dee. for the opening performance.
/, huge audience filled every inch Of
IRE in the vast auditorium. Crowds
IAN to arrive long before $3.50, the
l,ur set for the concert to begin. and
,nrinr the first two numbers late
e,uers who had neglected to provide
4,.mselves with tickets literally
,,t.led for entrance with the officials
!, the gates where they sought to OBJ
ain them.
Shubert's Diminished Symphony
-, the first number on the program.
bis was followed by Liszt's Lies Pre-
udss,r wagner's Prelude and Love
D,,th from Tristan and Isolde" and
nabner's rhapsody "Espaha." Miss
soss Ponselle, soloist Of the evening,
anr two operatic arias, the first
|rss's Dream from Wagner's "Lohen-
> cin'
Conductor Again Appears
Mr. Rothwell, the present conductor
# the Los Angeles Symphony Orches-
ts made his second appearance in New
'York as q director of summer concerts.
-four years ago he conducted a series
|iwu in Madison Square Garden. The
tharacter of the music chosen by him
Ibr the first week Of the present series
I. the Stadium has already proved his
vorth as a maker of attractive pro-
rsms. While the music is not too
/ isavy for a summer season, he has
1 ,voided the banal in his selections,
! md the well-worn pieces that 1t is
.emmonly supposed summer audience
should receive gratefully if not with
,csI.ive enthusiasm are delightfully."-
|ib,eut from his list So far the over
|.ares to "Poet and Peasant" and "Will-
lam Tell" and pot-pourris of popular
sperettas, do not threaten prospective
|aadiences.
The program last evening was char
steristic of those to come, and Mr..
Rothwell did full justice to every num-
bsr. He has the advantage Of youth, a
decisive beat, temperament that re-
spends to the requirements of emo
iional music. But he is also a we'll
schooled musician, master of men.
His wishes are made known with au-
ihority, and gladly carried out bv the
players under his direction.
Meets Open-Air Problems
From the opening bars of Schubert's
eymphony it was evident that he un-
ferstood how to cope with the various
lifhculties of open-air performances
fhich include whirring motors in the
istance and not wholly restful audi
zee. He was a romantic interpreter
I romantic program, which ranged
'om the delicious melancholy Of
iubert's music, through the eternally
'rgeous love chant of Tristan and
,lde" to the fiery rhythms and exotic
loring of Chabrier's Spain. The r
hstra, obeying his wishes, was heard
ats hest advantage ..-=...-
Mss Ponselle was not wholly fortu-
lte in her singing Of "Elsa's Dream -
ashough the beauty of her voice was
Rlined to sweep all before it. Wag-
ss's Elsa was less frankly emotional
b her outpouring to the stars, more
s!stieally exalted. But in the second
iia the singer was wholly at her ease,
nd her vocal opulence was given free
Nn. She was repeatedly recalled, and
Tsnerously added eli, Eli" Frank La
s'fges ITO a Messenger" and other
Nass.
In many respects the present series
concerts may be said to be an i'm
',everent ever last season. Tonight
sss Vera Barstow, violinist, will play
smchs concerto, and the orchestral
f;snoers will include Elgar's march,
fsomp and Circumstance; Dvorak's s
Is'go rom the New World" symphony
10 the ballet suite from Massenet's