Evening star., 1933-04-26

! String Sextet, which won the Coolidge
prize Of 1882, and the performance foI
the first time in public of Gustav
Strube's Quintet for wind instruments.
! Martinus String Sextet is by far the
most noteworthy of the new compost
tions heard at the festival. Constructed
with positive feeling for form, it over
flows with exuberance and vitality. Re-
plete with rhythm from beginning to
end, it is alive and glowing with senti-
ment that springs from true inspira-
ton, the strength of which is not di-
minished at any moment. The power
and richness of his manner OF express
sion are extraordinary and one feels
| that here stands composer with a fiery
thread of genius in his musical weaving
| that Is forceful enough to carry him
| to great heights. While distinctly mod
ern in harmoniZation, it is logical In
structure and the color which he evolves
flows from the spirit as well as from
| the brain.
The modern form which he has
| chosen to express himself cannot con-
ceal the fact that the old-fashioned ma
terial from which the claSsiciStS drew
inspiration is his also in abundance and
that the true gift of music-maklng re-
mains the same no matter what the new
notions for expressing it are. His mu-
sic is vital and sincere and his musical
vocabulary rich in expressive terms. "A
perfect sense of dance rhythm, going so
| far as to sometimes touch on Jazz, runs
| through the entire composition. Inc
andantino is the finest Of the three
movements and while having dance
form foundation is also full OF dlgnlhed
power. The final allegretto is short and
spirited and rusheS to climax IN
| Lori m
dience. ,,,.,,
The Kroll Sextet of New York, Will
| lam Kroll and Nicolai BerezoWsky,
| yiolins: Leon Barzin and David Sackson,
yiolas: Milton PrinZ and OSslp Glskln,
cellists, gave it a splendid reading
Sonorous and well-rounded in tone
quality they combine in an excellent
ensemble Whenever the occasion de-
manded one or another of the mu-
sicians to step more to the tore, tnelr
individual artistry was easily recog--
nizable as the underlying reason OF
their perfect unison.
The Gustave Strube Quinet was
played by the Laurent Wind Quintet OF
boston. Georges Larent, flute; Fernand
Gillet, oboe; Victor PolatSchek, clarinet,
Adbon Laus, bassoon, and George
| Boettcher. French horn. The composition
is no doubt a valuable addition to the
literature of this combination OF nstru-
ments and in its technical formatlon
shows a deep musical sense. 1t Is,
however, long drawn out and monoto-
GUS, with little opportunity to 90 any
thing else than to play 1t well. Inc
field of inventiveneSs for the Weu-knoWn
interpretive possibilities of the flute ana
oboe seems not to have been Wloely
explored and the range of expression OF
= v,ctr ont KENT
within rather pedantic bonds. The mu-
sicians themselves did not avail them
selves of any points where pianissimo or
crescendo could be employed to advant-
age. The audience was generous in ap-
probation of what they offered and
persistently applauded until Mr.. Strube
himself mounted to the stage to ac-
knowledge the reception.
The second number played by the
Kroll Sextet was Schoenbergs "Verk-
larte Nacht" Without doubt this earlier
work of Schoenberg's, based on poem
by Richard Dehmel, proves that when
the inspiration is real it will find its
outlet in pure melody. Full of 'stim-
mung," with descriptive phrases OF
great beauty, it was as refreshing and
relaxing as contemplation of the
starry heaven itself. No more exqul-
site Interpretation could have been
given it than that of the Kroll SeXtet,
and the audience stood to applaud the
PLAYERS, until dnlly DR.. Engel appeared
to ask il repetition OF the new Martlnu
Sextet was desired as encore. At the
delighted acceptance of the audience,
hardly any one leaving, the Krou Sex
tet returned and gave second mag
nifiicent rendition of the Martlnu
number.
A DOLPH BUSH, violinist, and Ru-
dolph Serkin, pianist, well known
Throughout Europe for their sonata
program of the Library of Congress
Festival of Chamber Music. Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Foundation.
Opening their program with the
Sonata in G." Johann Sebastian Bach,
after the original manuscript in the
State Library at Berlin, they wen and
held their audience almost spellbOund
throughout the entire evening. and
after their final number, Sonata in E
Flat. Op. II, No. g." by Beethoven, they
had to come out repeatedly to bow
before their listeners would consent to
disperse.
Both artists played without any
notes and they had a remarkable de-
gree OF unison. DCtQ III lOIldl Quauly
and actual playing. Mr. Busch, heard
earlier in the week with the Adolf
Busch String Quartet. is outstanding
as a concert artist, his tones are rich
and virile. and if at times his bow
seems to produce harsh note, it is per-
haps because he is more often heard
in concert halls of much greater size.
Mr.. Serkin's tones were always
rounded and clear His lingering and
pedalling left nothing to be desired
He had his most distinctive moments
in the intriguingly Viennese waltz
touches in the Sonata in E Minor, Op
1922" by Max Roger.
Both artists rose to real height in
the final sonata, the Beethoven in E
fiat, opus IL, No. 3. Seldom has more
perfect ensemble work been heard in
sonata program. The Bach program,
which opened the concert. was played
with due regard to traditions, yet it was
not the gay. sparkling Bach of the pre-
vious evening, when Koussevitsky led
his chamber orchestra in the Suite in
B Major" The Roger Sonata in E
Minor" was, perhaps. the most inter-
esting work. musically. because it was
the least familiar. There were richly
fu M IN ~ ,.rs1 u