Evening star., 1942-03-02
List Poem
Features
George Washington
Glee Club Joins
In Program
BY ALICE EVERSMAN.


The dramatic tone poem which
Is Liszt's Faust Symphony" was
resurrected from the National Sym
phony archives to form the prin-
cipal orchestral number of yester-
days program. Six years ago almost
to the day, DR.. Kinder played it
for the first time and then aban-
doned it until the concert yesterday
was scheduled. For the great finale,
the George Washington Glee Club
again assisted the orchestra with
William Hess, tenor, as soloist.
Preceding the symphony the
program was made noteworthy by
the appearance of Rene Leroy,
f1utist, in MoZart's Concerto in
D Major" The composer has writ
ten with as great care for the
effective display Of this instrument
as for others more familiar to him
and has contrived this work so as
to show the musical intelligence Of
the performer more than his vir-
tuosity. It is In just such interpre-
tive problems that Mr.. Leroy has
such superb mastery. The range of
coloring, the elasticity of phrasing
and the expressiveness that he, put
into the presentation Of the con-
certo made it richly hued and full
Of variety holding the attention with
his finely constructed artistic plan.
Ovation For Leroy.
The fullness, power and beauty Of
his tone operated with sure effect
in the second movement following
a cadenza brilliant in its technical
demands. Again In the final move
ment, the feet, controlled ripple
of runs and trills testified to the
fine mechanical equipment of Mr..
Leroy not the least of which Is
a sustaining breath of amplitude
and inexhaustible strength.
Although the flute as q solo in
strument Is rarely heard and for
many in the audience, it may have
been a first acquaintance. the mas
terry Of the artist and his knowl-
edge Of the flutes resources en-
Unused to an ovational point and
there was every evidence that an
additional performance by Mr.. Le-
Roy would be welcome. There were
no encores. however. In spite of the
continued applause.
There is hardly another conductor
who finds the amount of drama and
fire in Mozart's music as does DR..
Kinder. His reading of the over
ture to THE Marriage Of Figaro"
was the best of the orchestra's per-
formance not excepting the Faust
Symphony"
The two extremes Of Wagner's
creative art as exemplifled in THE
Ride of the Valkyries" the lovely,
dreamy "Traeume" followed, the
latter exceptionally successful in the
capturing of mood.
Glee Club Sings Well.
The George Washington Glee
Club joined the orchestra in the
presentation of the pilgrims
Chorus" from "Tannhauser" with
DR.. Robert Howe Harmon, conduc-
tor Of the club, leading both the
singers and the orchestra.
DR.. Harmon has a gift for preserv-
ing the freshness and natural quail
ity of the singers in his glee clubs
and of masking the training of these
young people by spontaneity in
performance. Yesterday the well
blended tone of the club carried
forcefully over the weight of the
orchestra in a vocal rendition that
many an.opera company might envy.
The same finish was present in the
finale Of the Faust Symphony"
where Mr.. Hess beautiful lyric voice
took the solo part.
It was inevitable that some time
or other Liszt would be inspired to
write musical version of Goethe's
poem. Liszt would understand it
better than many another and proof
of his sympathy is to be found in
every measure of this work. So
clearly has he allied the music to
the characters that it might be con-