Evening star., 1938-10-09

music SpeQ tne OepaTUeu SplTlC OH lG
life had been devoted to music. to con
preting it. Innumerable manuscripts
were found among his meager effects
and these were passed on to posterity
so that the world might marvel, en-
JOY and revere the talent of Wolfgane
Amadeus Mozart
In the midst of short life Of hard
ships, appointments and poverty
Mozart found relief in that extraordi-
nary unfailing musical spring which
bubbled INCREASINGLY within him. 1t
seemed to be surrounded by = magic
wall. through which none of the baser
emotions of this world could penetrate
and no shadow of human tragedy
could darken. 1t remained forever
free, unsullied and freshly sparkling,
casting forth its music in inexhausti-
Bile abundance and unending variety
of patterns. OF all the great COM
posers it was the destiny of this one
man to capture all the joyousness,
the delicacy and the poetic beauty OF
life and imprison it in the imperish-
able frame of music.
One must hear a great deal OF
Mozart's music at one time in order
to realize the amazing quality OF his
genius and its enormous fertility.
An opportunity is given the music
lover to Judge for himself in the an
nual special release by the Victor Co.
of red seal recordings Of European
output which has been made public
this month.
Among the listing OF records en-
bracing every branch OF music by
composers ranging from the early clas-
sicists to the modernists, Mozarts s
music takes a prominent place. And
to hear 1t performed by the most out
standing artists Of the day, Is TO
marvel once again at its durability and
its Appropriateness in this age SO lar
removed from the period for which
it was written. For it carries wltnln
it the things that will never be
divorced from great music, no matter
how sincere a progressive movement
toward q new speech may be. II
holds the charm, the graciousness,
the nobility and the poesy which man
kind seeks in its need for strength
and refreshment.
Perhaps the most beautiful OF these
recordings, from several viewpoints. is
that of the Violin Concerto in G Ma
ior. X. 216," as played by Yehudi
Menuhin with the Paris Symphony
Orchestra, directed by Georges Enesco
Dominating the entire performance is
the bond of sympathy which unites
the soloist, conductor and orchestra.
With one accord these three combine
in the most loving delineation OF every
phase and perfect fashioning OF
form.
In TIT, two years after this con-
certo was written by the violinist-
composer, Mozarts father wrote his
son: You have no idea how we'll
YOU play the violin; if you would only
do yourself justice and play with
boldness, spirit and fire, you would be
the first violinist in Europe" 1t would
seem that Yehudi Menuhin has fol-
lowed the advice Of MozsrtS father.
who surely would have been pleased
had he heard his performance OF this
work Not only is his tone exquisite
throughout, but the sensitiveneSs OF
his phrasing and the tenderness OF his
feeling alternate with robust gayety
that is never without the bounds OF
artistry. BY grace of this artistry the
essential simplicity Of the music
rendered superb and highly poetic.
Not the least of Mozarts legacy to
posterity is the development which he
caused in the concerto form. Another
example Of his genius in this respect
r. the Concerto in c Major, X. 4e7."
for piano and orchestra, performed in
this recording by Arthur Schnabsl and
the London Symphony Orchestra.
conducted by Malcolm Sargent. I'M
mediately there falls on the ear an
utterly new and ingenious theme, as
fresh and spontaneous as though it
were first flash Of inspiration. Mo-
zart tosses,, this delightful melody
about as juggler might perform,
turning it and expanding it and then
giving it out again in all its beauty.
One of the loveliest of Mozart's con-
ceptions is the second movement,
wherein he abandons all the grosser
sounds of the orchestra and gives 1t
mysterious muted tone as background
for the lyric arabesque formed by the
piano.
Mr.. Schnabel, whose fine under
standing of the Mozart style is re-
fected in his playing, has combined
with Karl Ulrich Schnabel in q re-
cordins of the two piano Concerto in
E Flat Major, K. $685." the orchestra
being again the London Symphony,
this time conducted by Adrian Boult.
The two artists blend so we'll in every
instance that their individuality is in
no way apparent. Mozart wrote but
two eoncertos for duo pianos, which
were designed for himself and his
sister This concerto, however, was
introduced to the public with the help
Of one OF his pupils, who played the
second part.
The master had delightful way
with his pupils His natural love of
Joking and fun-making was not abb
sent from the lessons, but under this
agreeable guise, the most serious in
struction was given. From time to
time he allowed some one of them to
play his works in public as in this
instance. The concerto, less interest
ing on the whole than the one in c
ma jor, is nevertheless another example
OF the rare inventiveness of the COM