Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-20
Nj U S &c
THE CLEVELAND STRING
QUARTET.


A chamber music group new tt
Washington audiences, presented pro-
gram in the Elizabeth Coolidge Founda-
ton Hall in the Library of Congress
Saturday afternoon. Although the
weather was so uninviting an audience
that taxed the standing room capacity
of the auditorium attended, and showed
considerable enthusiasm.
The Cleveland String Quartet is COM
posed of Josef Fuchs and Rudolph
Ringwall, violinists; Carlton Cooley,
viola player, and Victor de Gomez,
violoncelllist. They were assisted In
q quintet by Arthur Loesser, pianist.
on this occasion, the Cleveland
String Quartet may be said to have
shown earnest, intelligent cooperation
in the necessary qualifications for good
ensemble work. They did not seem
particularly inspired The opening
quartet, Mozarts written in E fiat
major OK. 428; 1889, seemed rather
heavy and the tone color contrasts were
given with emphasis. The minuet was
the happiest of the four movements
for Interpretation. If there is one out
standing quality to Mozart's music 1t Is
a charming buoyancy.
The quartet showed to much better
advantage in the modern String
Quartet in Major" written in 1926
by Vittorio Rieti, young Italian. who
was born in Cairo. The first, allegro,
movement of this work, had tantaliz-
ing suggestion of jazz in its Syncopated
rhythmS and oft-repeated phrases. The
nocturne was subtle and charming and
the finale was very interesting in the
way in which 1t developed earlier
themes.
"Quintet for Piano and Strings"
written by Ernest Bloch in 1928, sug-
gested the bold decisive manner char
acteristic of this composer. 1t is a
work that should be heard several
times to give the nearer real compre-
hension. The mysterious quality OF the
second "andante mistico"-
offered perhaps the loveliest moments of
the entire afternoon, the players SEEM
ing to catch most happily the inspira-
ton of the composer. The finale was
brilliantly played. Mr.. LoeSser is noted
for his ability as an interpreter of the
moderns in ensemble work especially,
and he showed his usual facility in
reading what was obviously most
exacting score. II. +.
A SONG RECITAL.
An audience of about 200 attended
the song recital presented under the
auspices Of DR.. Hugh Roberts, president
of the Washington College of Music, at
the college buildings last Friday night.
DR.. Harold Dudley opened the pro-
gram with Handel's "Where'er You
Walk" His baritone voice sounded to
advantage in this number. Betty Gray
gave an interesting vocalized arrange
ment of Chopin's "CeHo Etude," made
by Mime. Litvinne of the Conservatory
at Fontainbleau, France, where Mrs.
Gray studied last Summer. She also
showed artistic merit in her singing Of
Arensky's But Lately in Dance"
Philip Mclean, tenor, gave Fox's "The
Wanderer" with dramatic color. The
diction was unusually cleaI in Adele
Delano's singing of two charming num-
bers. Ensemble work of marked accord
was shown in the duet from MaSsenet's
"Thais," sung by Lucy Street and
Joseph Barbecot. Following this, Evelyn
Sheridan met the dramatic demands Of
Puccini's ''Un bel Di" admirably. Mr..
Barbecot appeared in two Russian solos
to good effect and later sang the Diaz
arioso, "L'Arte Immortelle," with char
acteristic dignity of style. Mamie Rouse
gave charm to her Interpretation Of the
famous jewel song from Gounod's
Faust"
In decided contrast was Alice Huber's
mezzo-soprano voice in the Salome air
from "Herodiade" by Massenet; 1t may
have lacked In dramatic intensity, but
1t was generally good performance.
Lucy Street, holder of Robert scholar
ship this year, sang the Duparc LIN
vitation au Voyage" with sincerely fine
effort.
Catherine Benson played accompani-
ments for all the singers with sympa-
thetic and musicianly style.