Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-20
NJ u SIC
RESPIGHFS CONCERT.

That mary elOuS organization, the
Philadelphia symphony Orchestra
yesterday afternoon subordinated its
importance to the presence of a
musical genius of Italy, Ottorino
Respighi. who appeared in the
triple role of composer. conductor
and pianist at this concert, at the
Washington Auditorium. Washing
ton turned out to give him and his
music a hearing. Their efforts We're
richly rewarded. There were those
of the old vanguard of cautious wor-
shipers of the classics who even eX-
pressed audibly yesterday the re-
signed opinion that ''of course, there
are no composers nowadays, etc.
There were all those interested in
the developments of the modern
school-and there are many such.
There were, too. in the audience
Washington's usual glittering array
OF official and diplomatic representa-
tives. Then, on the stage. there was
Respighi-a short. thick-set figure.
with bushy black hair and long, linn
Der fingers, that plucked his mean
ing in every phrase from the or
chestra.
For the opening number Signor
Respighi appeared in the role of COM
poser pia mist. with Thaddeus Rich
concert master. conducting. The work
was concerto in the Mizolydia n
mode The moderate movement intro
duced melodies in brilliant fights Of
notes. alternating with the heavy tug
ging of blurred chords. which brought
Henry Cowell's Tides" TO mind. The
piano led and was echoed by the
strings; again the horns took up
melody. to be followed by the Softest
echo on the strings. swelling into rich
er passages when the piano caught
the melody at a high climax and with
dow -swooping glissa ndo carried
it into mood of the texture of a
revery, with the wind and string choirs
ever ready to carry on the musical
story The second movement, lento.
began with a bell-rnotif and chant
music with the horns and strings
again almost mimicking the piano 8
lead These themes were developed
and embroidered with light, fantastic
beauty. The strings carried their
part 50 lightly they seemed on a
musical lark. Then entered slyly but
quite perceptibly syncopated meas
lrres of jazz type and blue" III theme
and logical finale in the passacaglia
movement. played without pause after
the lento.
Everybody. including the most ira
dition- bound music lover present
showed enthusiast appreciation of
the next number, a group Of old
da1 noes and airs written for the lutte
in the sixteenth and seventeenth cen
turtles and freely transcribed for or
chestra by Sienor Respighi The
first. ballet. opened with piZZicato
announcement by the strings of the
melody. first Very softly. then forte
A charming flute and harp duet dis
tinguished this number. Then came
the rustic dance of music box quail
ity. followed by an air which opened
and closed with pretty fancy based
on the clocks of Paris and with
hvnn-like seniority in the air proper.
The last of the group was a Der
dance, which had an especially buoy
ant air delfcately ornamented.
Finally came the much talked of
Pines of Rome. which Respighi
wrote as a companion piece to his
'F'ountains of Rome" which was in
terpreted here SO ably by the C1eve
land symphony Orchestra a short
time ago The Pines" has been
highly praised by such master con
ductors as Toscannini. Mengelberg
and others. A novel feature of the
work is the introduction of phono-
graph record of an actual nightin-
gales notes in the third part. The
audience at large seemed to be on
the lookout for this portion because
of its novelty. AS a matter Of fact,
it must be said that we have canaries
right here in Washington who even
in their off moments could rival the
particular notes of the nightingale