New-York tribune., 1922-02-10
Ravel's Musical
Curiosity Given
By MenSselb1'rs.. {.
- -
LA ' alse" as Rendered bv
Philharmonic Orchestra
Appears BurIesquc on
Waltz Form Development
" Weird Pictures Suggested
Tadpolcs Seem TO rig@Ie OH
Pro:oplasmic Mud Floor
of Antediluv:an Subccllar
By II. E. krel.bicl

An orchestral curiosity Ivy Maurice
Ravei. entitled LA Nalsc.' was pro
duced by Mr.. Mengeibcrg at concert
Of the Philharmonic Society in Car
rcgic Hall last night. We are under
the impression that it was conceived
as u musical burlesoue-o of the few
kinds of wit or humol to which music
lends itself. though wnen It Is at
tempted with refinement its apprccla
ton calls for considerable intellectual
sopnistica on the part of the hcarer.
/, was set down or the program as a
"Cnoreographic Poem,' though an in
formative note on the program told Us
that when it was played III Boston
Philip Hale that the composer. when
he played an arrangement OF it for two
pianofortes in Vienna in 1920. had re
marked that I've had no enact idea OF
choreographic production, This IS
bit cryptic. We do not know whether
ii means that Mir. Eavel had no definite
plan in his GiNd as to how the p'ccc
should be "mimcd' that's the word
since we were educated by the Russian
Rallct-or whether he had made no
plans fol its stage representation.
Twice Withdrawn From Programs
That the music has seemed momen-
tous to our orchestral conductors may
be gathered from the circums tance that
it was announced for performance by
both the Philharmonic and Boston
orchestras, bat withdrawn from the
programs at the eleventh hour .witho out
explanation. Perhaps it was because
Mr.. MonteuX and Mr. Mengelbcrg did
not want to risk 1t uHti th"y were
cocidcut tEat 1t would Yecei|c what is
caNed Virtuoso performance; such
performance as it djG indeed receive
last night
We have called it husicSQuc mcai,-
ing by the term that it WAS designed TO
show what couId be by parodying the
grace full dance form whose development
is associated with the onco gay and
eareirce Austrian capital. SO as to make
it sound Ike analogue to cubistic cari-
catuie in painting. ii would be simple
enough to compose ceorco ographic
scenario for it. All that would De
Ncrossary would BE- 10 O,iug on the
scene o horde of Ne strange cyVa-
lures tina, earth mas produced or the
human Imagination invented. VINO hau
ntVer heard the lilt OF walt by Ian
nsr or tho Strauss family. or seen tne
csacefgl symmetrical. unGulgtin- pose
ard movements Of the Ganco. and let
them attcmgt to dance each IN h S own
way Nh triplo time. Perhaps 'hc pro-
ression would BEGIN with prehistoric
uan. Cor there WIS something Ike q
tory OF evolution n the music.
1t began. IS 50 much OF the new
nusIo beg eina. or tAe pro,oplasm.o ,ud
hool Of tAe anlediluVian subceliar. In
the tonal : me there wrlggled tadpoles
fn} t. re- showing nov q uinle
rhN.hmed head and anon tail Funny
l,ttic organisms were ErAoua4ly ueVol-
, srel aad NON we discovered tnat they
Ne'e waltz notlv Of the sind that a
ration sgo had been combined into
lovely and aHurin. shapes. Bat they
spoke babel o., harmonic tongues and
bad 20 be animated every moment or
.wo b! q harbal3c noise. startl.g " tA
an explosion which sounded ike that
OF snip of the line. from TIE cave
men Wao labosod in the southwest
confer o. the stage. When the act vi
lies We're fairy ut theiI height we mad
darce. wn c.. except TO those able
20 appreciate the fan OF the bu.esqae,
must have sounded like a dish Of
scrambled waltz in whose concoction
tre c0ok had been somewhat indiffur-
ent as to The ago OF the eggs and the
quality and sind OF the other inared.-
eNts Introduced.
Splendid joke of Its Kind
II was a splonoia joke ci it, Kind.
Bat tho conduct o. the auaieH"e was
such as to leave US pcrolcXad concern
.n- its attitude Had it been accepted
Us rcal music? If Mr.. Mcngeibers had
followed II with The Beautiful Blue
Danube, or "Viliago Swallows" or
"Talcs From the Nicnna Woods - 81,