Evening star., 1933-11-22

The result was several of those
precious and rare moments when the
blood is stirred and one catches the
breath with a new vision of beauty,
when the music speaks of wonderful
things which neither time nor trouble
can change and which came home
again to the audience last night through
the dynamic conviction of Mr.. Or
mandy. This is how Mr.. Ormandy
conducted Brahms symphony No. l
in c Minor" and he could have chosen
the hearts of his listeners.
In this first of Brahms four SYM
phonies what he has to say predomi-
mates over his expert manner of say
ing it and 1t was this human character
of the composition which Mr.. Ormandy
never let his audience forget. Com
poser and interpreter were eXcellently
matched and the glowing vividness of
Brahms, his inexhauStable flow OF
melody, orchestral song in the second
movement, his poetry and sublimity of
idea, and his command of instrumental
tone color were underScored, one by one
in Mr.. Ormandy's reading. He was for
tunate to have under his baton an ar
chestra like the Philadelphia whose
well balanced tone and fundamental
training were pliable material for him
to manipulate. He was able, there
fore, to extract frcm each phrase its
full beauty, building one upon another
SO expertly and with such fire that they
stood revealed in fresh magnifcance
that left one marveling again at the
greatness of Brahms genius. 1t was no
wonder that after such q performance
the audience spoke its pleasure and re-
called this new conductor time after
time to receive its enthusiastic ap-
probation.
The first two numbers which fol-
lowed the intermission, Debussys
Il Isle Joyeuse," arranged by Molinarl,
and Ravel'S lie Tombeau de Coupcrin"
are not the type of compositions that
look on music. He is SO vital and alive
thao the mystic elusiveneSs of DebuSSy
and the delicate character of this work
OF Ravel eluded him and he was not
quite able to confine his form to the
narrower scope and the infinitesimal
contrasts that give the f1eeting quality
to both the French composers works.
This was entirely temperamental diff
ference which Mr.. Ormandy's fine mu-
steamship could not conceal but which
will be modified in time. Ravels mod
ernization of the moods of Couperin
hold still the faint tinkle Of the ,clavi-
Gin and the dainty nuances of which 1t
was capable, but that very echo of a
long distant period was too robustly
conceived by Mr.. Ormandy. The frau-
ty of the Debussy atmosphere was also
missing, its absence hardly making up
for the general excellence Of the per-
formance.
When Mr.. Ormandy reached Enesco's
"Roumanian Rhapsody No. / in A
Major" he was again at home and more
perfectly so than many another could
have been. Enesco has taken his in
spiration from the folk songs and
dances of his native country and woven
them together in a skillful arrange
ment. The basic melody and its ampli-
f1cation were excellent, differentiated in
Mr.. Ormandy's reading. while he per-
mitted his temperamental sympathy to
have free play from every angle. It was
a splendid presentation of EneSco as a
composer in which the native fire was
not diminished in the Interpretation.
A fitting climax for a program full of
interest, it further served to convince
the audience that here, in the person
OF Mr.. Ormandy, there is a personality
to be watched as he progresses toward
the exclusive circles of great orchestral
conductors.
THE seldom-hear music Of the
harpsichord was presented yester-