New-York tribune., 1920-12-06
kreisler Heard
At His Best i'm
Second Recital
Carnegie Hall Auditorium
and Stage Crowded for
Program Not Of Usual
Kind Given bv Niolinisis
Plays korngold Novelty
Four Numbers From Incl
dental Music to Much Ado
About Nothing Puzz'ing
BY II. f. krehbiel

II we were to content US with mere
record Of the things which were in
c.dcnt TO the second recital for this
season given by Mr. Fritz Kreislcr in
Carnegie Hall yesterday afternoon, we
should soon be through with our writ
ing. There would come first a note
on the audience. a journalistic custom
which is more honored in tne breach
than the observance as matters now
aoays, When the size of the gathering
at concert is more often an evidence
Of the industry of a manager in enlist
ine folk from the highways and byways
of the city than proof OF the excellence
or popularity of an artist or the taste
of the impressed. But the note may be
made because the audience was not of
the ordinary sort and also because it
strained the capacity of the vast room,
including its stage.
Then would come the program, which
was also out of the usual rut in which
violin recitals move. There was first
Cesar Francks sonata in a, for piano
forte and violin. After that Bach's
sonata in G. minor for violin alone
Next a romance by the concert -gIvcr,
'a-tier's characteristic piece called
La Chasse' in which the jocund
lgh,fully mimicked, and finally a nov
city four numbers from some Incl
dental music to Shakespeare's Much
-ldo About Nothirg,' composed for or
chestfa by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
md arranged by the composer for vio-
AN and pianoforte. In all of this
music. a. well as the pieces in a sup
Elementary concerdt which followed
and which began with transcription
"f Godowsky's "Wienerisch." >" Mr..
hreisler had the eminently capable
help Of Mr.. Carl Lamson.
1t IS necessary 10 say something
about the transcribed dramatic music,
but tribute to Mr.. Kreisler's playing
is q primary duty. To the knowing It
may be enough to say that he gave his
hearers OF the best that is IN INN, and
that that best was never SURPASSED. bv
hIm 70 cur knowledge. We do not re
call that he ever scared TO sereuer and
moro transtigured heights than he did
yesterday IN the sonata by FraAcn or
nat he ever gave q lovelier illustra-
ion OF that supreme element in
neauty, repose, than he did in the Bach
sonata. In that illustration lay en-
raped all that tonal purity, technical
%ecutIon, finish and perfection OF
rNrase can be made to express
ne music to Shakespeare's comedy
ct Us puzzled IN mind as to its ap-
'fopriateness 70 the play except as to
cAe ncmber. Dogberry and the Watch
ppearea IN march which was an IN
emous bit Of musical grotesQueric:
1t as to What the composer meant bv
sc music 20 Maiden in Bridal Char
ter' or "Nfasquerade Horn Pipe" and
Fen Garden Scene" though there arc
~enes In garden in the comedy, VIC
@nnot even contrive to guess To the
aovement OF the last piece & dancer
might manage to dance q hornpipe,
ut had it not been so denominated in
re house bill We should not have
.reamed of calling it by that name
. US the most interesting thing about
,Ac music was the evidence which il
Tered that its composer has put off
.is childish ways. or, to be exact. the
ays which We were made to believe
r had as &. child.
frich Wolfgang korHgold is a son of
writer VINO was few years ago the
rsical critic Of the NeUc Freie Presse
.ewspaper Of Vienna. He was widely
rSP.olted some years ago as prodigy
musical composition, and startled
corno. sseurs by his command Of the
Aost modern idioms Of Richard Strauss
md other revo,utionavies. 'Nke music
"hlcn Mr. krelsler produced yesterday
"mbled along in the old-fashioned
aces as decorously as the most VIC
l.nt reactionary could have desired. 1t
was pretty but in 10 respect notable.
lad Or. Hanslick, the Journalistic
predecessor OF the composers father.
lvcd 20 hea~ il he might have repeated
re remark which he once made about
mother "woNderchild," as q proGjg.,
called in Germany: The wonder is
one; the enid remalns'"