The New York herald., 1922-01-11
Plays Symphony
in COLOrS ON a
Mobile Organ
Neigh hborhood Playhouse Pre-
sents a Novelty in Exhibition
of New Invention.

The Neighborhood Playhouse. which
las been the home OF experimental in
entertainments in the past. at last at
tained the distinction last night in an
Offering which was at least novel ana
quite different. 1t was the first public
showing OF a mobile color organ" Ii
was thus described on the program
This is a new instrument, invente
by Thomas wilfred, by means of which
silent compositions Of moving color and
form are played in rhythm TO the vision.
lust az music is played for the hearing
Four compositions were presented. win
the inventor at the instrument.
With the house in pitch darkness
colored images were thrown on
translucent screen, somewhat resembling
colored motion pictures, except that the
illumination tame from the rear OF the
stage instead Of in front. The images
were morphous--sometimes they were
lust a mere smudge Of light, again they
were like the glowing beams Of a search
light. They trailed across the vision
slowly like comets. they sprouted from
below like gigantic iridescent mushrooms
of light they poured down from above
like molten laya.
At times they suggested incandescent
draperies of gauze TRANQUILITY weaving
in and out. Again they suggested coral
islands growing and glowing. or jets OF
pure and radiant flame. These spurts
of color would clarity, would grow In
tensely brilliant and presently would ebb
away into nothingness or would ascend
and SLOWLY dwindle out OF sight upward
on the screen, with a hint Of angelic
figures about them.
The screen was divided into three
vertical sections by two thin upright
bars. and from the two side panels
would billow waves or fountains Of lam
bent light while in the center an IL
Illuminated arc would expand. This trio
of impressions would flow together,
changing form and color exquisitely. In
a moment they would be caught up m q
chromatic sunburst; they would blend.
would stream off into nebulous clouds OF
luminosity spiral into distance and die
away. It was like watching the pris-
matte shifting of the phosphorescent
gardens of the sea.
But the predominant sensation was
visual. Some may have made mental
music while this milky way OF co.or
creanned and darkened before them. But
gent individual reactions. both physical
and esthetic. to color that the pastel
harmonies inspired by this display were
in every case different. Moreover. the
instrument seemed unable to vary Its
tempo. All the images seemed to move
at TIE same gradual pace One could
pick ont q resemblance to music In the
repetition OF sliding color motifs, and
finale IN climacteric burst OF Eues.
But the tone poems" that could be
played seemed fixed and limited. There
seemed 20 be no scope for extemporizfng.
The Offering might more justly be called
a symphony of colors, and be presented
simply as novelty in tints. While the
background shifted from delicate Iaven-
der through ultramarine to purple. the
fronds OF light in the foreground seemed
restricted principally to flame orange
and emerald green. 1t cannot be said
that the process is exactly new, for
Scriabine has written such a color COM
position. and Mrs. Mary Hallock Green
walt Of LOG Morningside Drive claims To
have been pioneer ten years ago In man.
| ipulating light and color as a fine art OF
emotional and abstract expression. in
time succession and for the interpreta-
tion OF music But while WIlfred cannot
be said to have initiated new art by
the fusing Of two old ones. he has un-
ques.ionably developed a remarkable
novelty. The intelligentsia will jus,
| love It.
| The rest of the program of these
"midweek interludes," as they are called.
Is quite up TO the exceptional mark of
this piece de resistance.