Evening star., 1924-02-09
ORIENTAL SUITE
| FEATURES CONCERT
Music of Eichheim Played at
Freer Gallery by Festi-
val Musicians.

The second IF the three concerts of
exquisite chamber music. planned on
the order of the famous Berkshire
Festivals and presented by Mrs.
Frederic Shurtleff Coolidge in the
auditorium of the Freer Gallery of
Art, held the close attention of 800
privileged music lovers - yesterday
afternoon with a program that began
with the mellow music of Beethoven
and finished with the ultra-modern
Oriental Impressions of the Amer
lean composer. Henry Eichheim.
Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Con-
gTeSs, gave 4 short predatory address.
welcoming those present and stating
that, although the greater part of
the audience on each OF these three
days is different from that attend
ing the other concerts in the series.
we assume that it is the same and l
merely wish to announce that the
order of the day will now proceed"
The Elshuco Trio, composed of
AurSlio Giorni. pianist; William
kroll. violinist, and Willem willeke,
Major, giving the first movement,
allegro vivace con brio" light.
graceful treatment that gave way to
rich, dramatic largo" movement.
presto" finale. Mr. Gierni is an ex-
cellent pianist and Mr.. Krolls violin
blended with Mr.. Willeke's vibrant
cello tones unusually Well. The COM
position suggested the beauty of the
chamber music concerts when the
great blind composer was living.
The second number was an unuSu-
ally interesting composition for
string quartet. by julius Roentgen.
Dutch composer, brought up in the
knowledge of and love for the old
romantic school of Schumann. The
Festival Quartet of South Mountain.
composed of Mr.. kroll, first violinist:
Karl kraeuter. second violinist; Hugo
kortschak. viola, and Mr.. Willeke.
celliSt, played this selection.
1t opened with a two-part move
ment, moderator quasi lento. allegro
tranquilio," in which soft melodies
blended almost imperceptibly into
one another. Then came a vivacious
second movement. followed by the
wistful notes of an old Dutch song
in which all four Instruments played
with unity of soft tone that might
have come from one instrument
alone: In. the finale, allegro pas
sionato' the colorful melodies ended
with delightful pizzacato passages.
Oriental Sketches Striking.
The striking feature of the after
noon was Mr.. Eichheim's group of
oriental sketches, conducted by the
composer. Washingtonians have
BEEN fortunate in hearing some of
these sketches which were presented
last spring in the final concert by the
Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra
with sir. StokoWSki shortly after his
return from abroad. They We're i'm
pressive then with that fine. organi-
Zation but the beauty of their pc
culiar atmosphere was enhanced yes
terday when played by a much small
er group. In these works nearly
every one of the eleven musicians
had solo bits and each gave his share
artistically, each sketch was unified
in impression.
The two Japanese selections were
given first. sketch and a nocturne.
The first was vivid with description
and the second was perhaps the most
melodi1us of the whole suite. En-
tenraku,' the Chinese .elegy, seemed
filled with human walls. which the
violins portrayed, mournful pipings of
flute and oboe, and the portentious-
ness of the inevitable, expressed by
of Peking" was filled with the music
of street cries, ending with the chirp-
ing of a lone cricket. or whatever
they have in japan that takes the
plase of srickets' xtrame,v The chiness ne
piece, suggesting alarm clocks and
various other mechanical sounds, yet
given musical Interpretation and
softening of these motifs.
Lenox Quartet to Play.
The suite as whole is exceeding
ly programmatic, inviting pictures
and comparisons. It piques the Curl
osity even while one realizes that. as
the notes say, "Mr. Eichheim is not
an impractical visionary, an enthusi-
astic amateur, nor a man wishing to
excite attention by eXtravagant opin-
IONS He played the violin for many
wears in the Theodore Thomas Or
chestra and the Boston Symphony
Orchestra He is thoroughly ground
ed in the classics"
The fine musicians who presented
Mr. Eichheim'S suite included Miss
Marie Miller, harpist; Georges Bar
rere, fiutist; Pierre Matthew. oboe;
Messrs. Kroll. Harmati, Kraeuter and
Wolfinsohn, violinists; Nicholas Mold
avan, viola: Mr.. Giorni. pianist:
Messrs. Glassman, Borodkin and
Goettich. XyIophone and percussion.
This afternoon the Lenox String
Quartet will present Francesca Mali
piero's "Rispettie Strambottf'; Lionel
Tertis. famed viola player, and Harold
Bauer, noted pianist. will play Ernest
Rloch's "Suite for Viola and Piano
forte" which won the 1919 Berkshire
prize, and the Lenox Quartet, assisted
by Hugo Kortschak and Willem Will
leke, will give Eugene Goossens'
"Phantasy Sextet.