Evening star., 1942-02-26

wOrKS CnlS season Cnat nave DTOdut
the sympathies of his patrons. 7
have been drawing cards in them
selves and last nights selections
gave precedence to two American
composers, a fact that received the
cordial Endorsement of those at
tending the concert.
OF special local interest was the
performance OF Richard Horner
Bales Music for Strings" Mr..
Bales resides In Alexandria, Va, and
Is already known to the symphony
audience both as composer and
conductor. He served in both ca
pacities again last night. directing
the orchestra in Dr. Kindler's place
for the reading Of his work. Chosen
In a recent contest for a compost
ton for string orchestra by the Arts
Club of this city. it was played
for the second time, its premiere
having taken place in Philadelphia
IN November.
1.-The two sections of Music for
Strings" form a compact and not
overly long work, original in char
acter and strongly stressed in mood.
Mr.. Bales has achieved decided
contrast between the light and dark
hues Of the string instruments and
uses 1t in an effective creation OF
mood. The reiteration of single
note In the cellos forms an anchor
from which scars the more ethereal
toned violins in a pure, lyric song,
gaining forcefulness and accelera-
ton toward the climax. The pastel
coloring, the skillful handling OF
indefinite but potent themes give
an elusive character to the first Sec
ton that is deeply poetic. The
later resolution into more pro-
nounced expression is designed with
dramatic intent and with individual
ism. The audience was outspokenly
cordial in its appreciation and the
young composer was recalled several
times.
Following Mr.. Bales work was
John Alden Carpenters Adventures
in a Perambulator, composition
with a program highly imaginative.
Having discovered the detailed and
amusing notes concerning the diff
ferent section with such intriguing
titles as EN- voiture," 1.-The Police
man." THE Hurdy-gurdy," "The
Lake" Dogs" and Dreams" it was
inevitable that the chief concern
would be as to how the music would
express them. Sometimes the exact
counterpart of some portion OF the
story was thought to be here only
to find that later theme described
1t better.
The anxiety to fit the story to
the music is the pernicious result Of
q too concise description and while
Adventures in a Perambulator"
might have been enjoyed for It's
musical sake alone with the listen
er's imagination stimulated by few
suggestions, one felt duty bound to
find q musical synonym for each
idea in the notes. The charming
facile writing of Carpenter Is al
ways a delight and the music of
this work is of the same pattern.
1t could be appreciated the more
with only the sub-titles themselves
to set the picture.
Shostakovich's excellent mixture
of storm and peace which is his
symphony No. 5" formed the ma
1or and concluding work of the pro-
gram. The tremendous power re-
leased in the mighty passages of
the first movement and the beauty
of subsequent melodies, the pulsing
life of the entire work and its
sureness of inspirational guidance
has placed it high in the ranks Of
great creations by living composers.
The orchestra played it superbly,
stressing its many graceful points
in an elastic manner and its stirring
outbursts with dramatic fire.
In all this blaze of Goth century
effort, the program opened modestly
with Beethoven's "Egmont Over
ture" Not in this overture, dra-
matte as it is, does Beethoven ap-
proximate the turmoil of Shosta-
kovich and, looking back over the
program, as one does. over the
changing times, the regret remains
that the present forms of expression
of emotional issues cannot be voiced
so smoothly and refreshingly as
Beethoven contrived to do.