Evening star., 1933-10-15


programs achieve the happy mixture of
all the elements that are the ingredients
from which music is fashioned-the
romantic, the fantastic, the spiritual
and thoughtful and the grandiose. With
Bach and Beethoven to stir the pro-
found depths of musical consciousness,
Tscnaikowsky to immortalize the suf-
1ering OF a sensitive soul, there are
Kim rsky-korSakof and Goldmark to
depics the fairy tale romance and
Werner Josten with his austere and
beautiful pictoriZation of the intimate
moments that heralded the coming of
Christ
Josten's Concerto Sacro," work of
modern composer, is serious in concept
dealing with a theme impossible to
handle impressively without deep in
spiration. Modelled on the old form of
the concerto crosse it is written with
1t was chosen by the Juilliard School
OF Music from among 80 works pre-
sented for consideration as the finest
American symphonic work of the year
and published by them. 1t was first
performed by the orchestra of the
graduate school of that foundation and
few months later, DR.. Howard Hanson
conducted second performance of
the work at the Eastman School of
Music. Although Werner Josten was
born in Germany and studied there, he
has since taken such an active part in
American musical life that he is con-
sidered as belonging completely to this
country. Mr.. Josten has published
some 40 songs besides other compost
tions, the most notable of which is per-
haps the symphonic poem THE
Jungle" performed last season by both
the Boston and Philadelphia Orches-
tras.
1t is rather coincidence that promi-
nent on the programs of each orchestra
is story from the Orient. the perfec-
ton Of poesy and fantasy that has
been the precious gift of the ancient
East to the youthful West Goldmark's
overture, "Sakuntala." with Which the
Philadelphia Orchestra will open its
program and Rimsky Korsakoffs S fairy
like "ScheheraZade." the final number
played by the National Symphony.
--&e&ve sprung from such genuine creative
posers rests solidly on the popularity
of these compositions with concert
audiences It was the overture to "Sa-
kuntala" that definitely revealed Gold
marks genius as a~cemposer and 1t has
ever remained one of the most promi-
nent of his works and a favorite
number for the play Of orchestral in
depreciation. In the musical form In
which Goldmark gave expression TO his
inspiration. the charm and mystery OF
the Orient makes itself felt through
unforced, natural color and harmonies
that are unspoiled by any attempt to
make them unqualifiedly Oriental.
The poem of "Sakuntala" is one OF
those gems of literature of which pass
ing centuries or progressive civilization
cannot alter or diminish the beauty.
A product of the century before Christ.
so it is said. it Is the masterpiece of
the greatest dramatic poet Of Sanscrit
literature, Kalidasa, who was spoken OF
as one of the nine jewels" of King
Vikramaditya's crown. Many centuries
later the poem had power to arouse the
profound admiration Of another poet,
the great Goethe. who recorded his I'M
preston in lyrical verse:
'Wouldst thou tell of the blossom OF
Spring and paint the ripe fruits
of the Autumn,
All that NAV charm and delight with
fullIess and Joy manifold,