New-York tribune., 1922-06-04

/ Morning Post" that. IN his opinion,
/ Nicolai Medtncr. who may visit Amer
iea mex, year is the greatest of the
Russian school of composers; "a man
vho says much that Is original. and
/ set whom one can understand. He
carries on the traditions of the past.
There has been no one like him since
I Rimsky- -Korsasof.
In the same interview Mr Raehmani-
nof. speaking Of Russian modernists,
said:
Il am not a conservative. No; but
am not able to 90 so far IS some of
my contemporaries. stop, 50 TO speak.
half way.
Let me take scriabirc from among
my own countrymen. There is much
in his that | admire. he did hns
work What chef d'9uyfe. for in
stance. ia the Fifth sonata, But the
Sixth have never been able 70 appre-
eia,e as some do Seriabine was M
friend, and he often played it 70 me-
himself. But | said 10 him then what
] say 20 YOU now-it - bfyond ny
power Of appreciation.
II is the same to-day vith me- a.
regards Strayirsky admire his inn
mense talent His power over the
orchestra is consummate lie has com
posed mastery things: Pctrouchka.
for instance. is q brilliant work. But
he has nov travelled along a road where
At present cannot follow him 1t Is
not that do not IKE his most modern
compositions; 70 IS that Do not under
stand them.
incidentally the Russian composer
pianist won the hearts Of Londoners
when. having been asked what kind Of
music hc would prefer % hear at
reception given in his honor b. the
Music Club NJ fh' Grafton Galleries.
hc replied ~ short rrogram Of con
temporary British music
Nr. RachmauinoT gave two recitals
G.. Queens HAL. receiving after each
orc lauda.ory comments in the London
press The reviovcr for The London
Times" wrote in part a. follows.
"Mr Rachman'nof's recital on satur-
day had an element Of surprise. The
object - n piano recital So usually 20
show what the piano or the pianist can
do: and ;he comparative narrownoss
Of this purpos, condemns us 90 hear
the works suitable FOR % over ard over
again. But Mr. RachmannoF played
such things ss Mozari's Sonata IN A.
Beethovcns in = minor end Men
delssohn's 'Rondo Capriccioso. These
could hardly be chosen for any reason
but that he wished 20 show us what
beautiful music they are. which he
certainly did
Another interesting event of last
months London concert season was
the return Of the veteran Battistini.
The Times reviewer reported that
while at the age Of sixty-fye or 50
the famous singer scarcely has the
voice Of twenty-five, ne has wonder
ful amour, Of it. The Morning Post
wrote as folows:
Songs that are much 100 familiar.
in the hands Of the incompetent, were
sung By signor Battistihi at Queens
Hall last night in a way that is much
too unfamiliar. One OF the least dem
onstrative Of singers. he held his audi
ence as at his first rccital-by the
sheer perfection Of his method. His
tone was entirely under his control
He shaded and colorcd it as he wished
and his wishes were directed by a ru-
sical intellect that expressed itself
with dignity. His Interpretation Of
Besthoven's Adelaide was better than
the pastoral or passionate versions
usually heard. II had nobility. as had
his singing Of Lasciate me morire,'
the last OF a series Of extras which
postponed the interval. His program
was again drawn chiefly from the
school Of music that helped TO foster
the great singing tradition which
Signor Battistini represents, and
rightly so, for his style does not lend
itself to triviality or forced declama-
tion-or, rather, it is strong enough TO
dispense with such devices to catch the