Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27

memorative events. The first VIII
be the appearance of the Lener
String Quartet of Budapest, Hun
gary, to give the fifth "FounderS
day" program at the Library OF
Congress, concentrating the es-
tablishment there of the Eliza
beth Sprague Coolidge Foundation
Hall for chamber music. This Will
be the first appearance in America
of this string quartet. The group
has it's first concert in New Yor;;
at Carnegie Hall November II
The members are Jeno Lener, hrSt
violin; Joseph SmilovitS, second
violin; Sander Roth, viola, and
Imre Hartman, violoncello. They
will play Mozart'S Quartet in B
fiat; the largo from Haydn's
String Quartet in D" Gin memory
of the first chief of the music di-
vision, Oscar G. Sonneck. who died
october 80, 1929. and Schubert S
Quartet in D minor"
There certainly is nothing Ill
this program to disturb those who
love the claSSicistS and dread or
abhor the modernistS.
It might be of interest to WASH
ington musicians planning to at
tend this event to know that Mr.
Lener will play a StradivariuS in
strument called the Gratitude"
said to have never been heard pre-
viously in this country. Following
is the story of this violin: .
1.-THE story of the acquisition OF
this violin by Mr.. Lener began
three years ago when, in the work.
shop of a violin maker named
Fiorini, the members Of the group
saw original sketches of a richly
ornamented violin made By
Stradivarius, one of five instru-
ments intended for the King OF
Spain.
According to the notes Of Orisi.
a Cremonese monk and friend of
Stradivarius, the latter was so
pleased with this violin that he
refused to turn it over to the
Spanish King and kept 1t until his
death, in 1877. Later the instru-
ment came into the possession OF
the 'nfante Don Carlos, who be-
came Charles w of Spain, and was
kept in Madrid. The violin after
ward came into the hands of g.
collector, John Blow, and from
him into those Of j. Adam, a Lon
don collector, whose collection was
acquired 10y Count Gratitude.
after a year and half OF
search the LenerS found the violin
in the possession Of Hug & Co. OF
Zurich. The firm would not part
with it, but finally granted M.
Lener an opportunity to play it.
After the performance the COM
pany decided to let the LenerS
have the instrument.
1.-THE 'Graffuhle' StradivariuS is
described as of large and elegant
shape, colored with orange red
varnish. Around the edge, both
TOP and bottom, it is inlaid with
ivory and the sides are ornament
ed with a hunting scene. The
head is said to be one of the finest
StradivariuS ever cut, and is also
richly inlaid in the sides and
back"
TT is interesting, too, that last
= yeay another string quartet
from 3 I'D apes played the
Founders day concert. This
was the Roth String Quartet
which won sensational approval
in all American appearances in its
initial tour of this country last
season and is now started, after
an appearance here, participating
in the recent Coolidge Festival OF
Chamber Music, on a second sue
cessful tour.
The first Founders day concert
in 1925 was the final program in
the initial festival in the little
chamber music hall, which since
then has been the scene OF pro :.
grams by many distinguished
musicians. For that program the
Chamber Music Society Of San
Francisco, composed of Louis Per-
singer, Louis Ford, Nathan Fire
stone and Walter Ferner, assisted
by Marie Romaet RoSanoff, pian-
list, presented Howard Hanson S
Quartet, opus % Q925)"; De-
bussy's "Quartet, opus TO-" and
Schubert's Quintet, opus 1853,
which was written the same year
that his quartet to be played
Wednesday was written.
Alfred Cortot, pianist, and Jo-
seph Szigeti, violiniSt, gave the
1925 program, and Wanda Lam
dowska, harpsichordist, was the
artist Of the Founders day concert
in 1927.
TT is a very different type CT
entertainment from the above
chamber music that will be Of
fered for the opening musical
event at the Constitution Hall
Saturday night. Three Of the art
lists to be presented in this. gala
event are too we'll known in fire.
quent appearances here to need
introduction. They are Anna
Case, Sophie Braslau and Efren
Zimbalist. The one dramatic art
list, Cornelia Otis Skinner, too
hardly needs much comment
especially in a music column
Hans Barth. the pianist, who Will
play three different instruments,
the harpischord, the piano ano
uuarter-tone piano Of ultra-mod-
ern designs making his Wash
ington debut in public in this pro-
gram. Moreover, he is going u
give the first public performance
here on quarter-tone instru'
ment.
The following data concerning
this quarter tone piano may inter
est those who have not previousl!
read of the actual construction o
this novel and revolutionary in
vention. The authorized descrip
ton says: