New-York tribune., 1922-11-22
|Elgar Concerto
Introduced by
|StokowslSi Band
Jean Gerardy Plays Work
for VioloncelIo Capably,
Though Fault Is Found
With Orchestral Reading
Brahms Symphony Given
Philadelphia Organization
Also Presents Hungarian
Rhapsody (No. 1 of Liszt
By H. E. Krehbiel

Sir Edward Elgar's violoncello con-
certo was the principal feature of the
concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra
in Carnegie Hall last night, not be-
cause. 1t is finer composition than
Brahms's fourth symphony, which pre-
ceded 1t, but because 1t was new to Us,
Also because 1t WIS played by Mr. jean
Gerardy, for whom there has long been
warm place in the hearts OF New
York's music lovers. The composition
under some circumstances (other than
those which confront a daily news
paper reviewer) might furnish forth
food for Considerable and interesting
discussion. 1t seems to have done so
in England, where there are many per-
sons of intelligence who rank him
among the greatest of contemporaneouS
composers. One critic was quoted, in
the programmatic notes, as saying that
if Sir Edward chad completely realized
his own standpoint" he would not have
employed so large an orchestra. We
fancy that the composer was entirely
conscious of his point of view, and
that, though he may not have achieved
his ideals fully (few real geniuses ever
do that, he knew whence he set out
and whittier he tried to 60. What we
fear he did not do was to create music
which contained enough beauty and
variety of thought to justify the labor
spent upon it. Also that, though he
has displayed ample capacity and will
ingness to go his own gait regardless
of conventions and traditions, he
seemed in this work to take especial
pains to avoid things which we're palpa-
bly, proper--to avoid them not because
they would not have been attractive,
but because some one would have
said they were too obvious. He did
not strain for effects, but to avoid
fects. The sobriety of mood which
dominated the first movement seemed
to us not the. calm poise of nobility
(though he labeled it nobttmente), but
something dangerously near a sober
sidedness which produced a mood of
monotony-one as devoid of eXaltation
as it was of depression.
Tranquility, peace and loveliness
spoke out of the slow movement, but
when at the close we thought we
we're about to be launched into a
spirited finale our mind and emotions
we're left suspended in air. Perhaps
this was not the composers wish. but
Mr.. Stokowski's whim--a whim like
that which he tried to enforce upon
his audience at the first concert this
season, when the audience had to COM
rel pauses between the movements
which the composer wanted, but the
conductor did not, 1t was compulsion
by applause; All amiable sort of COM
pulsioh, but oompulsion, neverthe eless
Last night we felt that the Adagio
was emUtianally and formally linked
with the final Allegro, but our feel
irgs were left lowering in midair like
Mahomet's coffin. Then, again, when
we thought we were in for a SYM
metrical dance time theme, which we
would gladly have accepted, even if it
turned out Gas it threatened) to be
rather commonplace, we were abashed
and made ashamed of our Ingenious
ness at thinking that a modern COM
poser would be guilty Of a melody
which might be mere tune, or that
the suggestion of bit Of fugato which