The Washington times., 1937-01-07
By CARL L. DENIES

ana JtLe LIem III ULpHuOeLLcnL OF
By CARL L. DENIES
Richard Crooks, Metropolitan
Opera Company baritone, has
been receiving instruction from a
magician-not that he wishes to
forsake the operate stage for the
conjuror 's-but that he may be
able to make quick change in
his role of Faust.
Crooks now appears as the old
man with a false beard and wig
fastened together so that with one
quick sweep Of the hand both may
be removed and the costume is SO
arranged that he has but to give
one vigorous tug on a cord and
it drops, revealing the garments OF
youth. Edward Johnson, Amer
ican manager of the Metropolitan,
|. is certainly putting on finishing
touches in every way possible.
The Musical Art Quartet gave
a most enjoyable chamber music
concert last night at the Library
of Congress Auditorium before
the largest and most enthusiastic
audience we have as yet seen
gather there. Folding chairs filled
the lobby and every seat was
taken.
Sascha Jacobsen and Paul Ber-
nard, violins, Louis Kievman,
viola, and Marie Roemaet-Rosan-
off, violoncello, the regular mem
bers of the quartet, used the
famous Stradivarius instruments
of the Whittall collection recently
given the Library of Congress.
The Musical Art Quartet
showed a decided unity of pur-
pose in the opening presentation,
Mozart's Quartet in D." The de-
lightful abstract work was given
reading in warm and glowing
notes. Sascha Jacobsen, together
with Frank Sheridan at the piano,
brought a salvo of braves and ap-
pIause from the audience in their
Interpretation of the Sonata in
E Flat"
Mr.. Sheridan plays with an
ease that gives the illusion that
the tones are literally flowing from
his fingers, and when his work is
matched with the exquisite tones
Mr.. Jacobsen drew from the
Stradivarius, the result beggars
description.
Deeper emotions were stirred in
the presentation of the Quintet
in G Minor" in which work Will
liam Hymanson, viola, was added
to the quartet. There we're more
contrasting moods in this COM
position, ranging from the most
delicate expression Of the muted
instruments to the full power of
the ensemble, and ending in a
movement filled with great rejoic-
ing.
The Washington String Quar-
tet Milton Schwartz and Paul
Brightenburg, violinS; George
Wargo, viola, and Howard Mitch
ell, violoncello) will give the first
of a series of chamber music re
citals this afternoon at 5 o'clock
at the Sulgrave Club, 1901 MaSsa-
chusetts Ave.
The program follows: quartet
in D Minor" (Mozart); Quartet
in D Major, Opus 18, No. 3" (Bee-
thoven), and Quartet No. 2, in D
Major" (Borodin).
The Philadelphia Symphony
Orchestra gave the Rachmaninoff
program Tuesday night at Carne-
gle Hall, New York, which will
also be heard in Washington at
Constitution Hall next Tuesday
night. This double tribute to the
great composer-pianist was re-
ceived with spectacular showing
of appreciation by the audience.
Olin DoWnes, critic of the New
York Times, says: ". The Second
Piano Concerto in c minor, which
Rachmaninoff played with utter
magnificence and a driving energy
had a compelling effect upon
the players of the orchestra and
the audience. The result was
crash of applause that sounded
like the crack of a whip after the
last chord and that turned into
a long and thunderous ovation"
"He of course played the piece
like the past master that he is,
with the authority of maturity
ana the fire and impulse of youth
in its plenitude of physical
power. He sat at the piano with
his customary undemonStrative
dignity, by his attitude discourag-
ing applause between movements,