Evening star., 1940-08-19
BY ALICE EVERSMAN.

For the Sunset Symphony" last
night at the Water Gate, the man
agement drew into the limelight two
Washington artists by choosing DR..
Kurt Hetzel as guest conductor
and Betty Baum, pianist. as soloist.
DR.. Hetzel as conductor of the
Washington Civic Orchestra, has
done remarkable work in initiating
that group of serious musicians of
more or less amateur status to fine
appreciation of the great symphonic
masterpieces. Last evening his
sound musicianship and positive
conducting technique, brilliantly
demonstrated in his directing of
the National Symphony Orchestra,
brought quick and genuine re-
Sponse from the audience.
In like manner Miss Baum won
prolonged ovation by her perform
ance of the Arensky Concerto in
F Minor, Op. q" and several floral
tributes and the outspoken enthusi-
asm of the orchestra members added
to the feStiveneSS of the occasion.
The charming young artist COM
bines poetic feeling with sparkling
technique and possesses real fair
for the presentation of brilliant
work such as the concerto Miss
Baum can be complimented for
making the Arensky work known
as it is one that should be more
often included in pianists' reper-
toire, provided they possess the SEN
sitive appreciation of its beauty as
does Miss Baum.
Was Popular in Russia.
The concerto is one of Arensky's
first attempts at orchestral compo-
sition. 1t proved a popular num-
Der on concert programs in Russia
and was the means of arousing the
interest of TschaikoWSky in his
talent It's chief fault lies in its
lack Of originality of material, sew
eral passages bringing to mind other
works written for the same COM
bination. But the handling of the
material is smooth and skillful and
there is freshness of spirit and a
dramatic feel for the best pianistic
effects.
Miss Baum played it superbly with
special stressing of its romantic
character and of its purely virtuosic
opportunities. Her work was clean
cut throughout and thoughtfully de-
tailed from both the interpretive
and technical side, and in it she
revealed herself as a gifted and
serious artist
Combines Two Extremes.
For his program, DR.. Hetzel COM
bined two extremes in type OF COM
position. placing Rossini's overture
to La Gazza Ladra" side by side
with Brahms symphony No. 4"
and Wagner's prelude to "Lohen-
grin" between the ArenSky concerto
and Bizet's "L'Arlesienne Suite No.
2" without bridging the distance.
The fluent music of Rossini is well
suited for a summer concert even if
its form and themes are very OBJ
vious.
In his reading of the Brahms
symphony DR.. Hetzel showed indi-
viduality of analysis that resulted
in several markedly beautiful pas
sages. Particularly noteworthy was
the Interpretation of the second
movement which, in DR.. Hetzels
hands become DOipnantlV moving.
Whenever a sustained melodic mo-
ment offered, the smooth, full legato
and expressive tone which he drew
from the orchestra was deeply i'm
pressive The first movement on the
whole was less clearly defined and
the spirit of the different allegri
too uniform to fully emphasize the
gay character of the third and the
passionate surge of the fourth move
ment. The nobility Of the symphony
was constantly felt, however, and