Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-12
A TScHAIKoWsKY CONCERT
symphony Pathetlque the Feature
OF Philadelphia orehestra's Fri
day Afternoon Appearance

IdE pROGRAM
symphony Nc. g .'patheuaue" .Tschaikowsky
Overture solsmneiie. "isi2i'.. .Tseha aiEowsky
The Philadelphia Orchestra and the
conductor, Mr.. Stokowski, always at
their best in q Tschaikowsky program,
gave three of the great Russian COM
poser's finest orchestral compositions at
yesterday afternoons concert. As
usual, the announcement of tie B minor
symphony CPathetique) alone was sufi-
cient to pack the auditorium to the
doors.
The concert opened with the sym
phony, and rarely has it been better
performed in this city. 1t is work
OF strong contrasts, both in mood and
In orchestration and dynamics. AL
though the prevailing tone of feeling
and of color is pathetic almost to NOR
bidity. its tremendous emotional appeal
cannot be denied, nor can the wealth
of melodic material of the highest order
nor the poignant harmonies. Contrast
is one Of the effects which both the
leader and the members Of the Philadel-
phia Orchestra produce best, and with
Mr.. Stokowskps intense reading OF the
work, as he reads everything by Tschai-
kowsky, it is little wonder that the
effect produced by the symphony was
one of the most profound of the season.
The symphony was superbly played,
the tone of the orchestra seeming to be
especially good and the ensemble un-
usually fine at certain points, such as
the blending of the horn tones into
those of the muted trombones at the
close Of the first movement and many
other places too numerous to mention.
With due attention to the many solo
voices of the orchestra in the symphony.
Mr.. Stokowski yesterday achieved the
best ensemble that he has produced this
season. At the close of the third move
inent the audience gave both conductor
nnd orchestra vcritable ovation. 1t
made the biggest popular "hit" of any
of the movements.
In strong contrast to the dirgelikc
symphony came the "Nutcracker" suite.
one of the few orchestral compositions
of Tschaikowsky which has nothing Of
sadness about it. Like the symphony,
the suite was magnitiCcntly played, but.
as the composition demands, from an
entirely different angie. it being work
for solo voices rather than an clabo-
rate ensemble. Mr.. Van den Becmt,
who played the celeste very effectively
in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,
and Messrs. MaQuarre. La Monaco and
Fischer, first, second and third flutes of
the orchestra. who did splendid work in
the Dance of the Flutes, were obliged
to acknowledge the applause which
greeted them at the close of these num-
bers. The horn quartet, one of the
best choirs in the Philadelphia Orches-
tra-or any other. for that matter
did its usual excellent work in the
Dance Of the Flowers. The Nutcracker
suite is an outstanding example of what
can be done with effective orchcstration
without the use of musical ideas of the
| first order. Nevertheless, it is one of
the most charming Of the smaller mod
ern orchestral compositions.
The concert closed with the ponder
Gus and at times noisy overture,
"1S12," which was also we'll played.
Mr.. Stokowski placed the extra brass
instruments on the stage yesterday in
stead of having them in the prosccnium
boxes, as heretofore, with Il gain in the
unity Of tone.