New-York tribune., 1920-11-06
Song g Recital
Vies for fI01l0rs
w itla Concert 1
Mr.. lllingworsh Is Praised
for Excellence OF D;ction.
i'm English Presentation
of German Compositions
Only Forty in Audience
National Symphony Orclles-
ira Under Bodanzkv
Heard to Poor Advantage
By II. E. Krehbiel

A song Iecital shared Yesterday
afternoon with concert by the Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra and was
1ar and away the more interesting and
valuable entertainment of the two II
was given in the Princess Theater by
Mr.. Nelson 11ingworth, who is con-
nected officially with the musical con-
servatory maintained by the Australian
government at Sydney. and was lis
tened to- not merely heard, by about
forty persons.
The program was made UP of six
songs by Schubert, three by Loewe, six
by Franz, two by Brahms and four by
Schumann, ali classics from the Ger
man repertory, though they were sung
IL English
The fact that every word Of them
was so distinctly uttered by the singer
as to be understood without an effort
tells part OF the story of the singers
excellence in the field which he has
apparently cultivated with sincerity
and deep devotion.
Words Lose Charm
1t also invites discussion Of the
question whether or not songs of this
Kind ought to be turned into the
verracuIar or sung in the tongue of
the composers but that would lead
us into wider excursion than is prac-
tcaoie or advisable just now.
1t is enough to say that for the
hearers who were unfamiliar with the
poems in their original form the use
Of an ineligible language must have
been gratifying, while to those thor
oughly familiar with the German idiom
and gcnius the songs lost some Of Their
ii sGch iyyics as Rel.stab's "Aa ent-
/ n2lt.' Gocthc's "Erlkonig' and He.ne'~
''Ich groilc nicht."
The frs OF these ia fall Of poetic
words, which played their part in The
inspiration Of Schubert. but lost tle;r
descriptive character IN the paraphrase.
Consider swift running stream" as an
equivalent for "Rausc bender Strorl,'
With or without Schubert storm toss d
musicl Aeine's 'lch grolle nicht" de
hcs translation into any language, and
anything 1cebler and more destructive
Of the ideS. than "Ihe grief is thine
can scarcely DC conceived
But one must not continue in TINS
Inc OF thought; as has been int.mated,
i. would lead as far aGeid. For 4he
-Csa N strength ana rr0pEiaty Of verb
Il cXprt ssi m thorc vas me.suroa5i
compensation in the fnc d.ction q the
singer and the original English o4 the
ok ballad Edward "a set by Loewe
though even oerc We should have en-
joNcd NOR the old Scottish text.
The iaMilar songs drcW q fresh in-
lerest FROM Mr. llngworth's interpre-
r-, ~, ffs -
somewhat from the singers desire to
give them dramatically cmotiona. read
Il g, waere5s thcir purely musical
value was sometimes impaired, even
swAmped IL. the sub ectiv- slngcr; bat
sNoh ballads IS Edward" "..rl!1ing
Loewe's settinG) and The Two Cren-
ad4ers' (Sch 4mann) were delivered
with lower that grippea tie i'm ri-
nation and emotions of the hearers IN
degree that no song singer al recent
years has eNertcd.
Vocal Charm Lacking
Great vocal charm Mr.. LHngwor.h
has NO, but he has inc connlan1 of
he clements Of singing, is gif,ed with
warm imagination, 4 large Inteiii-
Eence and Intense earnestness Per
thps hle feelings occasionally 2 carried
aim p ittie beyond pure llricism and
oo far 'Nto the domain Of dramatic
aodon, for which he is lacking IN re
spect Of graceful pose and gea.ure, but
IN his most aaWng moments he not
my retained control over hs voice q
bass Of good resonance and extended
range, but kept tense the attention
and emotions OF ms listeners.
1t is iong since We have been able 10
say anything ike this Of q singer Of
German Lieder
A. the orchestral concert Mr.. Bo-
rz''v brought forward Schuma mn 3
symphony in D minor suite fer viola
and orchestra by Ernest Biocn and
DschaIaonsisI Is overture-tantasia, Ro-
meo and Jalet'
OF The first and lat Of these p'ecce
nothing need be said so far as the