Evening star., 1933-11-26

gram this afternoon at pm. Soloist
Edward johnson. tenor.
Tragic - d Overture" .....-.. BIahms Brahms
Aria from from Carmen" LA Fiieur Que Tu ~
M'Avais Jetee". .................. .Bizet
NDntcraeksr, D1S5 SUITE; .IcnalKo"sKS
Danses Characteristioue:
Danse Russo. Trepak.
Danse Russo, Trapak.
Danse Arabe.
DanSe Ghinoise.
Danse des Mentions.
Valse des Fleurs.
tAll WagnerD
Vorspiel to Act l. "Lohengrin" Wagner
"waither.s nI;h Preisiied' from Act III. Die
Edward johnson. go " "''''-
Ride OF the Valkyries" .......... Wagner
TINE "Tragische Overture" by
Brahms, like the one for Die
GeScnopfe des prometheus," by
Il Beethoven, which we played at
our previous Sunday concert, is
equally rarely performed. During my
six years activity with the Philadelphia
Orchestra, and in the 600 concerts
given during that time, it was never
played by that organization. and a
perusal of all the programs of visiting
fails to show record Of performance
in this city This is all the more as
tonlshing If one considers Brahms
great popularity with the average music
lover and concertgoer Of today. But it
is still more astonishing when We con-
s'der the esthetic value Of this overture
1t Is, of course, not an obvious. easily
app ehended value, but the very inti-
macy, the quality Of dark golden Splen-
dor III the orchestral color. the depth
OF the dramatic accents, the hidden
but intensely glowing fire of the main
Theme, Its rugged continuation and,
again, the yearning the melancholy of
the contrasting themes; in short, all the
typical Brahms qualities are there to a
degree.
The form IS more extended than is
usual in an overture; in fact, it is near
ly twice as long. because after the first
part In the usual ABA form (the first
theme, the second theme, the develop
ment and the return Of the first theme)
there Is a lovely middle section. oboe
over soft staccato strings. followed by
a short fugal part, and then the entire
nrst part returns later on, thus making
an extensive work Of the length Of one
OF the Brahms first symphony move
mentS.
am deeply grateful to the other
visiting conductors that they have over
looked giving this work to the WASH
lngton public. as it Is now my happy
privilege to do so.
The "Nutcracker" suite by Tchai-
koWsky was an enormous success with
both public and press from the very
hrst hearing Strange to say, this was
not always the case with number OF
that composers works which often
/ alterWard became more popular than
any other compositions in the same
forms. Neither the "PathetiQue" nor
the Fifth Symphony" found immediate
favor. The Piano Concerto" (now the
taVorlte vehicle among pianists for their
frSt attempts at climbing ParnassusJ
was strongly condemned by as eminent
an authority as Rubinstein And Auer
then professor of the violin at the I'M
perlal Conservatory, n0tWithStandino
the fact that the violin concerto was
originally dedicated TO him. called il
"unplayable'; whereupon. Tchaikowsky
in anger rededicated it to another vio-
linist. Adolph Brodsky. who eventually
played 1t and made success with it,
The reasons for the immediate and
deserved popularity of the "Nutcracker'
suite are obvious. THESE seven dances
| and their overture are charming to q
degree. They are Tchaikowsky at hi.
best-not the later Tchaikowsky, full
| of the self-pity which becomes oc-
sky Of the perhaps lesser known bu'
more equilibrate works like "Eugen,
! Onegin.' ''Pique Dame" Ctwo very fin,