New-York tribune., 1920-01-14
Concert Throne
Likes Novelties
By Beethoven
An Unfamiliar Trio, Piano.
forte Sonata for 4 Hands
and a Dubious Cavotte
Have First Hearing Here
s'Unlucky l3th'' a Factor
Last-Hour Changes in Pro-
gram Fail to Mar the
Offerings of Association
By II. f. Krehbiel

The audience in attendance in the
thlrd concert Of the Beethoven Asso-
cation at Aeolian Hall last night was
company of enthusiasts who were in
delightful communion with the per-
formers and the spirit of the composer
20 whose music the concerts of the
ASSOCIATION are devoted. Circumstances
compelled change in the program ana
also IN the performers, out that die
noI matter, and when Harold Bauer
III announcing the misfortunes which
lne unlucky thirteenth day of the
nonth had brought, said that Mrs
Walter Rothwell, who was to have
sung Two groups of songs, could not
sing the violoncellist of the Litz
puartet was down with the influenza
put llliam Willeke would plav in his
Steao IN the string quartet, which was
luckily the twelfth and not the thir-
teenth, he was heartily applauded
ne received second round of
psaudlts when he stated that in place
t "l sne songs, Mr.. Letz land his humble
S, ssil would play the variations and
nnale OF the "Kreutzer" sonata. Like
WISE "hen he said that Beethoven had
composed a gavotte for the occasion
oefore in public. and that it. piece
Tor planoforte, four hands. would be
1nsef1ed III the fQur-hand sonata which
WINE. >amaroff and he would play. and
re hoped the audience would ask to
heard 1t q third time We thourht
90 oeiighted, indeed. were the listen
ers with the graceful bit of musical
archaism that they would have gladly
nave heard it third time. We thought
~ pi'N, however, that Mr.. Bauer did
not dlVN lge the history of the gavottc.
"nicn' slnce there is no such work
publlshed or known to the biocraphicai
and critical students of the master
must nave been played from manuscript
copy ''> : P'
We confess that We are extremely
Sheptcal about the authenticity of the
music. Beethoven had no interest in
planotorte music for four hands. The
."o movements of a sonata in ID which
NINE Samarof and Mr.. Bauer played .
lew small pieces, marches, and two
Nolumcs OF variations are the only com
positions of this kind of which the most
careful research has ever found a
lrace. Inc sonata was composed and
published in the winter of 1862 In
1924 Diabelli, the publisher. beeeed
hard for another four hand sonata, and
agreed to pay Beethoven his price of
80 ducats for it, but though Beethoven
neld out promise he did not fulfil it.
" men the composer made his demand
Tor 80 ducats he admitted that he felt
no inclination to write such music. and
agreed TO do it only TO show his good
will eNN
AS for the gavotte played last night.
IL proved to be dainty trife, alto
ggether Haydnish in thought and style.
ne sonata, with which it was associ-
ated, While Mozartian, still breathed
some Of the spirit of the mature Beet
hoven, and the contrast between it's
two movements, and the gavotte was
most strikingly brought out by the
juxtaposition Of the pieces.
The concert began with Trio for
plaEoforte, flute and bassoon, which
though composed between 1885 and
1890, was not published until 1888.
Nothing definite has ever been learned
about its origin, but there are circum-
stances which make the theory plaus-
lble that Beethoven wrote it for the
family Of Count Westcrhelt. in
Bonn, who was Equerry to the Elector
family to this day has it that
of Cologne. This gentleman played
the bassoon, his daughter was a clever
pianist, and his sons. though an anna
teur, a virtuoso on the flute. A tradi-
ton handed down in the Westerholt
Beethoven wrote music for them, and
it is known that besides this Trio
Beethoven also wrote Romanza for
the same combination of instruments
while in Bonn. The Trio sounded like
amiable domestic music last night and
was enjoyed as such.
The gathering was one of genuine
music lovers and so numerous that it
IS safe to say that the concerts of the
Beethoven Association are already on
an assured footing. The players, be-
sides Nine. Samaroff Mr.. Bauer and
Mr.. Willeke. were Andre Maquarre.
flute; Richard Kruger, bassoon. and
Messrs. Letz, Harmati and Krener, OF
the Letz Quartet.