New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Bod]anzzky Gives
Fine Concert in
CarnegieHau
Some Lack Of Fundamental
Solidity in String Choir
of National Symphony
Atoned For by Leader
Violin Concerto Heard
Francis Macmillen PLAYS
With Notable Tone,
Charm and Lofty Sincerity
By RI: f. krehbiel

The program of the second pair Of
concerts for this season of the National
Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
on last Sunday night and yesterday
afternoon embraced three compositions
-Schubert's Diminished Symphony"
Goldmark's violin concerto and Charpen-
tiers impressions of Italy, group
of familiar pieces, iageniously put to-
gether so as to offer the charm of con-
trast, display the merits of the orches-
ira and hold the interest of the hearers
from beginning to end. The charm of
contrast in one respect, however, that
of tempo. did not enter significantly
Until after the beautiful torso, left by
beethoven's spiritual heir, had been
played, for Mr.. Bodanzky read the two
Schubert movements as if the composer
had designed them to have the same
pace, IN general effect the quarter
notes in the Allegro moderate having
substantially the same time as the
eighth notes in the Andante con moto.
Now, it is easy to conceive of quick
ened Andants (the Italian word suQ-
gests alacrity, and Bach sometimes set
down the indication "Andantc-allegro")
and moderated Allegro as synchro-
nous; but the spirit of Schuberts music,
1T seems to US. demands a quicker
tempo IN the first movement than in
the second, and so does one Of the es-
sentlal clements in the symphonic
form. The need in this instance is
made the greater by the fact that both
movements are in triple time. 1t is
a curious speculation which dawns
upon US now for the first time that
Schuberts abandonment of his most
poetical instrumental work, celestial in
It's serene beauty, may have been due
to the circumstance that he did not
know how to proceed, with the need of
q third movement in triple time, a
Scherzo, confronting him. He did not
have the example of Brahms, with his
delightful intermezzos, before him. But
this may be wholly fantastic
Band Has Fine Tone
Mr.. Bodanzky atoned in part for the
monotony caused by the similarity of
his fundamental tempos by much free
dom and elasticity in the progress of
the movements, sometimes with in
gratlatlng effect, sometimes with the
opposite. A ritarddndo reiterated with
every occurrence of a melodic phrase
becomes cloying, even annoying, to per.
sons who know music. 1t isn't healthy
pabulum. But this was more noticeable
on Sunday than yesterday afternoon.
The symphony, but more especially the
picturesque Charpentier suite (the
second movement of which was omit
ted IN the performance, showed the
orchestra to better advantage than did
the music of the first concert. There
is some turbidity in the brass phalanx.
and we fancy that more Fundamental
solldlty in the string choir Numerically
strong enough seemed at times de-
slrable, but the tone of the band is
generally fine and remarkably ductile
under the hands of Mr.. Bodanzky.
1T IS already plain that the men will
soon be electrically responsive to every
wish OF their conductor and that re-
viewers who have an eye more on the
good OF art than on the prejudices of
the cliques into which the city's
patrons of symphonic music have un-
fortunately been divided for years
(though never so violently as now
after paying the need of praise due to
the playing Of the men, will have occa-
sion to DO little more than discuss the
new music brought forward and the in
terpretations of the old. This ought
to provide enough interesting material
Tor the season in the case of the Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra's concerts
as we'll as those of the Philharmonic
and Symphony Society and the bands
from Boston and Philadelphia.
But let no one give "till judgment
guide his bounty" Much beautiful
sound will enter our ears, as it did
yesterday, when, in listening to the
lovelness of the Schubert Andante in
some of Mr.. Bodanzky's ecstatc mo-
ments, we felt like saying, as Beethoven
said Of Mozart's G minor symphony:
You can hear the angels singing in
it,"
Macmillen Charms
Mr.. FrancisA Macmillen played the
solo part in the violin concerto. 1t is
composition which he seems to have
made peculiarly his own. He played
it here last. we believe. at Philhar-
monic concert conducted by Mr.. Mailer
IN 1911. and he has had few virtuosos
to contest his right to be considered its
supreme interpreter. 1t came to him
through his master, Cesar Thomson, as
1t came to Olive Mead through hel