The Washington times., 1929-01-30
PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA
RECITAL

with the heralding cry OF a
cock. in a trumpet blast above a
g major chord in brass and
strings, the Philharmonic Sym
phOny Society OF New Yerk,
launched into the festival over
ture, .Chanticleer," by Daniel
Gregory Mason, at It's second con-
cert, this season. at the National
Theater, yesterday.
Having completed that number
in an admirable fashion, the or
chestra, under the direction of
Fritz Reiner, guest conductor Of
the afternoon, observed the same
mood in Resphigi's delightful
suite, "The Birds which was
surely the favorite OF the en-
thusiastic patrons.
The quaint Prelude" depict.
ing clucking hens in the sprightly
runs of the violins and a cuckoo
in the chants of flutes and basoons
over the graceful melody OF wood
winds and oboes, opened the suite.
Muted strings humming against
the counter song OF flutes gave
life to The Dove" with twitter.
ing scalework of violins lavishly
scored against the melody Of oboe.
flue and cello.
Many might have considered the
program overemphasized with
feathered subjects, but the humor
of the Hiyacious The Hen,n per.
mitting some Of the finest violin.
ing heard in Washington this win.
ter, was readily caught BY the
delighted audience whose hearty
laughter at the conclusion Of
the number, was sleadened only by
the tumult OF applause.
More tender and. too. more re-
served was The nightingale. 4
soft noted swayfng melody Of the
love bird harmonizing with violin
and French horn duets entwined
IN q whispering song Of cellos.
The Cuckoo" alternated dainty
rlute solos with choruses OF wind
instruments and the strings. which
eliminated in q general carrying
out Of the entertaining motive 81
the orchestra, In full.
AZ was this suite that brought
Mr.. Reiner back to the platform
many, many times and won sne.
cial ovatiOns for the yiulininfs
Two choral preitides orchestrated
s bN Arnold Schonberg made the
inlrd part Of the program. They
we're Schmuche dich, d Iiebe
Seele and KonnF1. Colt Schop.
Ter, helhger Geisf, Z BY Bach. The
FIRST. one OF the hest known ana
most beautiful OF Bach ! work Il
based on 4 Eucharistic hynns the
second was also Orieinallv cnn.
posed for church music. So rieh
and round were the tones 81 the
orchestra as il wended its golden
way through the opus. that it
almost continually resembled an
organ. This similarity was mar.
ticularly marked In the MAG.
nificent final bar sc the second
piece. and the superb playing Of
the celIist.
One wondered during these ex-
4traOrdinary exhibitions II the
musicians were each So perfected
In technique and expression that
as an organization they have
reached the stage of delicate ma.
chinery and could go on without
conductor. But close observa nee
Of each mans watchfulness 81 that
signaling batoh revealed that IN
the mastery OF Reiner lay the
power that brought such glorious
music to life,
6 The scythian Suite tAIa ana
Ilollil. by Prokofieff. was i diff.
cult opus Of surging barbarlc
emotions. rendered beautifully. as
only the New York symphony
Orchestra knows how 10 play such
q work.
A. g finale the musicians Of
fered .Escales, : by jacques Tbert.
g group Of Impressions of Medi.
terranean ports, Of which IVA.
lencia, vivid and harmonious ii
its tonal colors, reaped further
laurels for the famous ymphony
Orchestra and the distinguished
F'ritz ReIner.
MADELEINE ENSIGN.