Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-03

THE PROGRAM
Overture, THE Bartered Bride. SIN etana
concerto NO for piano and orchestra, r,
Rachmantnon
Alfred Cortot
Symphony No. in r. mlnor--Tsc aikowsky
The great Tschaikowsky Symphony in
u minor, No. 5, was the feature of
yesterday afternoons program of the
Philadelphia Orchestra despite the
fact that Alfred Cortot, the French
pianist, was the soloist of the day in n
concerto by Rachmaninoff which was
new to Philadelphia.
The symphony. considered from all
standpoints, is probably the finest that
the great Russian composer ever wrote,
for it is more consistent and less NOR
bid than the Pathetique, which is un e
questionably the most popular Mr..
Stokowski interprets Tschaikowsky
with more intensity than any other
composer, and yesterday he gave the
finest reading of the great work that he
has yet given. The orchestra seemed to
feel the musical intent of the conductor
even more keenly than usual. and
played with an attention and a fidelity
to his indicated wishes that made alto
gether performance virtually per
feet. In a work so we'll done as a
whole, it is hard to pick places of nm -
usual excellence, but the tone of the
orchestra, in quality and in con
troll of the dynamics. was exquisite, bott
in the solo parts and in the ensemble
The concert opened with Smetana' s
overture. The Bartcred Bride" in
which. as in the symphony. some very
fine playing was done, especially in the
violins, both first and second. at the
beginning Of the fugnl theme. The har-
monies were distinctly audible, in spite
of the rapid tempo at which Mr.
Stokowski took the overture. somethins
that has not always been the case in the
past.
Mr.. Cortot appeared in a new
concerto by Rachmaninoff, the third
aud a work which has only recently
been completed. He reaffirmet
the fine impression which he made las
season, but again he chose a worl
which manifestly did not show him t.
the best advantage. ETe is one of tht
rev planlStS VINO appear TO rCcognl2'
that the instrument has limitations
and as a result he does not try to imi.
tate either the fullness of the orchcs
ira nor the singing, sustained tone o
the string instruments. His touch il
crisp and the resultant tone clear ant
fine in quality. He played the dificul
| concerto beautifully and received Sh'
| hearty reception which such fine per
| formance deserved.
The concerto itself is typical o
Rachmaninoff in it's melancholy and il
the beauty of its themes as we'll as il
| its orchestration. Here is one compose
who is not afraid to write real melodie
nor to develop them along general,
classic lines, although there is NOR,
than one incursion into the domain o
modern harmony. The concerto, how
ever, on a single hearing does no
seem to reach the standard of the tw,
earlier ones, except in the first move
ment, which is one of the best Rach
maninoff has ever written. 1t is yer,
long and some of the last two move
ments are not particularly interesting
1t is scored for the full resources o
the modern orchestra, including bass
drum and cymbals. AS whole it wa
well played but there were place
where soloists and orchestra did no
seem to be in perfect accord as to time