The Washington times., 1922-11-08
STOKOWSKI
. .WELCOMEDnY
GREAT CROWD
Orchestra Concert Resembles
confIagration In a Great
Fireworks Shop.
By WILLIAM MOORE.

When Leopold Stokowsh brings
his Philadelphia Orchestra 70 wash
ington he IL expected TO give some
thing novel-and Russian.
The crowd Of symphony fans that
crowded the new President Theatsr
to its very portals yesterday were
not disappointed. They heard the
novelty. And II was Russian!
II you can imagine . conflagra-
tion In gigantic fireworks shop
pinwheels fixzing. firecrackers slut
tering like machine guns. and sky
rockets sizzling-you will get some
idea OF the pyrotechnic outburst
from the pen Of the young Mr., Igor
Strswinsky. labeled "Feuerwerk."
"Poetized realism" said one critic
Of the Strawinsky effort.
"Futuristic racket" was the opin.
ion Of another, and more cynical.
critic.
One could vision ''pinwhe eels In the
swiriing woodwinds, showers OF
sparks thrown off by the violins and
harps. soaring Rockets In the long
upward sweep of the. strings with
their eliminating explosions In sud.
den chords Of pizzicate and muted
brass. and a final triumphant bomb
at the end"
Slavic Melsncholis Rules.
When the climax Of the fireworks
display had been reached one ex,
pected the audience to give vent to
long-sustained "Ah.h-h!" as II over.
whelmed by the beauty Of the grand
set-piece.
with the exception of the Tire
works" affair and the stirring over.
ture, civilian Tell" (the latter
played with all the old.time Sto-
kowski verve and skilD. the program
was saturated with Slavic melR IN.
cholia.
Moussorgsky's entr-acte from "Kho.
wantchina" was given with all the
heart-breaking sobs the artists could
wiring from their instruments.
The opening suite. by Lully, drew
much applause from the audience.
The woodwinds and strings played Q
delightfully."- pastoral passage In the
prelude from "Alceste." The march
from "Thesee" was executed with
mobility and martial fire." while the
dainty menuetto from lie Temple dc
la Paix" was sprightly and struck d
responsive chord in the audience.
Vivildi's Concerto Crosse In d
Minor" contained a spirited and elab.
crate prelude and final movement
and a peaceful although plaintivs
intermezzo.
civilian Tell" Gets Ovation.
But II was in the rendition of Ros.
sini's William Tell that the au.
dience responded with greatest spon.
taneity. Stokowski. standing like q
blond god on his pedestal. was in his
I element. With ease. yet forcefully,
he directed. The various instruments ts
responded to the slightest crook OF
his finger or wave Of his baton. The
audience applauded continuously for
several minutes following the CON-
pletion of the popular overture.
The soloist Of the concert was
Nine. Charles Cahier, an American
contralto who has won great praise
abroad and who concertised in this
country several years ago with strik.
ing success.
Her range 10 remarkable. the deep.
est notes being as clear and distinct
as the notes in the upper register.
She II q technician. although she
does not sacrifice warmth and color
for her technique.
Nine. Cahier sang with great sue.
cess the aria 20 Pretres de Baai," /"
from lie Prophetic" by Meyerbeer.
and Tschaikowsky's aria, "Adisu
Forets." from Jeanne dare"