New-York tribune., 1922-12-10
Ernest HutchesOn and Al
fredo Oswald Offer Re
citaIs Marked by Dignity
and Pleasant Originality
Jeritza Adds to Laurels
sDie Tote Stadt" and ''Tra-
viata" at Metropolitan
Complete Days Events
Rv II. E. Krehbiel

Acolian and Town halls respectively
and Nine. Jeritza and her colleagues
were presenting the opera, "Dic Tote
Stadt" az the Metropolitan Opera
House. We are led 70 this form Of
statement touching the opera because
of a strong conviction that II there
were no Nine. Jeritza in New YORK
there would surely be no lyric drama
like Korngold's version OF bruges
Norte" on the local boards. The lady
Nae 40 completely identified herself
gith the largely lugubrious, ingeni-
orsly eclectic yet fascinating creation
OF the young Viennese composer that
u the charm of her personality renders
her audiences all but obliyious to its
weaknesses. And so each repetition Is
for her a new triumph, as was emphat.
ieally attested yesterday when, as AZ
the FIRST performance this season, sne
had the excellent help Of Mr.. Harold
and Mr. Schatzendorf, not 20 mention
1 the less important persons In the cast.
To dispose Of the two operate repre-.
sentations Of the day, either one Oh
which attracted at least three times as
many listeners as cid all the concerts
/ combined, II may be mentioned for the
sake Of the integrity Of the days rec
ord that "Traviata" was repeated IN
the evening with the cast Of ten days
/ before. save that Giordano Paltrinieri
and Italo Picchi were substituted for
/ Angelo Bada and Paolo Ananian IN the
respective roles Of Gastone and Doctor
/ Grenvil.
Recital Devoted 20 Sehumann
Though the pianoforte recitals Of the
afternoon aroused less popular inter
est they were both dignihed and inter,
esting affairs. Pursuing has historieai
/ scheme Mr. Hutchieson played pro-
gram composed exclusively OF compost
/ tions b. SchumaHn. Its one eonVeh-
/ tional feature was the concluding
number, the Symphonic STUDIES. RE
l ceding these were the eight iantas,le
nieees called "Kreisleriana" and the
/ thirteen "Kinderscenenen.' Both arc
familiar music TO the lovers OF Sehu-
/ mann. but II is not often that they
I are played in public by so serious
minded and well equipped an artist as
I Ni Hutchoson.
Though the large, luminous and
romantic eyes Of the composer look out
unmistaka5ly from the first set OF
pieces (the two are closely related
ohronologically. as any one might guess
from hearing gthemJ' 'it IS not gwen 20
every one 70 Understand its relation
ship with its singular title. Jchannes
Kreisler was q creation Of b. l. a.
Hoffman,, who has been well nance
The German Poe. lie was conceived as
. a crackbfaincd chapeimastcr VINO wore
a coat Of the color Of c sharp minor
topped with an Z major collar. bon
mann, who was among the irst cIltics
who manifested q full appreciation o.
seethoven's genius Che has been dead
q hundred years and three monthsi'
was also a critic who mad provision
/ Cf the program artist Of to-day, whose
verbal commentary has hunaiee
I times the volume Of the music which
/ It IS supposed 90 expound. once thA
/ fantastic chapolmaster was about 70
play what his auditors supposed wonid
be sonata like that in vogue before
/ beethoven. By accident the ssniters
/ from his candlestick fell into MS
I pianoforte and broke dozen strings
The candle went out, and IN the gloom
| Krpisler began to strike one chord
after another and FIJI the spaces be
| tween with a maniacal monolOgue end
ing with Dead Deadl Dead" Not O
/ melody, not a phrase, but mad rhap-
sody punctuated by an occasional
/ harmony. We can imagine such com
poser to-day without di1ficulty. Schu-
mann saw his romantic!sm in lovelier
and more genial light His "Kreis-
leriana" is a set Of rhansodic httlF
pieces. full Of whimsicalities, but re-
plete with melodie harmonic and
rhythmic charm.
The "Childhood Scenes" are Ike
them In a sense, but more definitely
suggestive Of things and emotions for
which be found such designations as
"plsying Tag" "In Dreamland"
CaTrsumerei")' "The knight Astride q
Stick" "Rittu vom Stickenpferd")
"The Child Falling Asleep" and "The
Poet Speaks" 10 seems like a waste
Of time 70 say these things, but
sehumsnn's titles can only be under
stood II one remembers that they were
invented after the music had been com
posed, which means that the musical
thoughts preceded the descriptive
titles. That is one reason why pianis;s.
young or old, lay or professional, ought
10 familiarize themselves with the lit
erature upon which Schumann fed be-
fore attempting to interpret his music.
Mr.. Hutchison has evidently done this
and saturated his own soul with that
OF Sehumann. Therefore, his playing
yesterday brought rapturcus delight .
a houseful Of people familiar with good
pianoforte music and good pianofoTte
playing.
> OF an entirely different type. Mr..
Oswald's program was quite as uneon-
ventionsl. He played at first prelude
and fugue by Frescobaldi, which
brought back 10 students memories Of
a style common TO all keyboard instru-
ments-the organ as well as the harp
sichord. Then two pieces by Domenico
scarlstt, with whom the harpsiehord
manner came 10 fruition in Italy.
After Beethoven's Sonata Apassionata
there we're shorter pieces by Cesar
Franek and H. Oswald. and finally the
pianoforte manner Of to-day was
reached In pieces by Chopin and Ru-
binstein. Clarity, taste, intelligence
and sound feeling marked the perform
ance.