Evening star., 1926-12-04
M u SIC
THE LENOX STRING QUARTET.

The second in a series of three
monthly pairs of concerts by that well
balanced chamber music organiza-
ton, the LenoX String Quartet, was
inaugurated at the Library of Con-
gress Auditorium last night with the
usual capacity audience in attendance
and Mrs. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge,
founder of this fine music-giving insti-
tuition, among the most attentive of
the listeners. The members of the
string quartet are: Wolfe Wolfinsohn,
first violin; Edwin Ideler, second vio-
lin; Herman Borodkin, viola, and EN-
meran Stoeber, violoncello.
In a program of one modern, one
semi-modern and one satisfyingly
classical work on the program it was
without hesitation that the audience
at large handed the laurel wreath to-
the memory of Franz Schubert, the
Viennese whose buoyantly singing
melodies and clever musicianship had
that subtle undertow of vital reason
for being which the other compost
tions both seemed to lack. They. too.
were clever and the Hungarians duo
for violin and cello had an abun-
dance of melody. Even Mr.. Reiser's
work had a fascinating grooming
lullaby type of melody, Vet both
lacked the effect Of the composers
knowing exactly where he was going
and why. In their dallying over
single phrases until they became
monotonous and in the use of con-
siderable repetition neither of these
works are as convincing as the Schu-
bert number. All three composers in
dulged in that inviting pastime of
playing with one short phrase at one
time or another in their compositions,
but how differently they handled the
matters and how varying the result!
In the first work. Quartet in r
Minor, Opus 49, by the American,
Alois Reiser who is conductor of the
Mark Strand symphony Orchestra i'll
New York City. the opening move
ment introduced the lovely grooming
melody with interesting handling of
it's variations in the midst of discord-
ant phrases that sounded not unlike
the chattering at a bridge-luncheOn
heard from some distance. In the sec
ond movement, "Andante Motto sos
tenuto." Mr.. Wolfinsohn was provided
with the much-repeated phrase which
sounded like the creakinS of an in
sufficiently CREASED wheel OH a cart
travelling over frozen roads. There
was a touch of the Oriental in the
third movement, "Poco Nivo ed Ener-
gico," and an amusing pertnesS to the
final Gallo phrase which closed the
last movement. 1t is modern, rather
amusing work, first played six years
ago at the Springfield festival, but
the writer knows at least one hearer
who will flee from ever sitting
through the persistence of that phrase
in the second movement again.
Zoltan Kodaly provided a delightful,
sophisticated version of what are
generally recognized as Oriental types
of melody and rhythm in his duo,
which is his seventh work. Mr.. Stoe-
ber became quite the hero of the
hour in the splendid way in which he
handled the cello. part of this work.
He has a mellow, rich-sounding in
strument and Is an artist. Mr.. VOL
finsohn does not seem to be his equal
on the violin. The almost voluptu-
Gus invitations of Mr.. KOdaly's work
did not find so complete response
from his bow as from Mr.. Stoeber's.
One could not help but wonder what
Fritz Kreisler and Pablo Casals would
find to bring out in this work. 1t is
an amusing dialogue of pizZicato pas
sages thrown with seeming careless
ness. vet definite pattern, from one
instrument to the other and back
again. IneT0 are COlOIl III cdEiCttluIcS
of the Oriental sort Of thing that
make one feel Mr.. kodaly was hav
ing a grand time laughing up his
sleeve when he wrote the compost
ton.
Mr.. Schubert's Quartet in A
Minor is so lovely and so complete
in all it's parts and their relation to
one another and to the ears Of the
audience that there is no need to
dilate upon it's beauties. 1t showed
the abilities Of the quartet as an ell
semble group to finest advantage and
proved a completely charming final
number.
This afternoon the program includes
Hugo Wolf's Italian Serenade." Han
deps Sonata in G. Minor" for violin
and piano. and Charles Martin Loef-
fler's Music for Fourstringed Instru-
ments.' written in memory Of Victor
Chapman, an American aviator who
fell in France. II. +.