Evening star., 1943-11-29
BY ALICE EvERSMAN.

recital yesterday afternoon at Con-
stitution Hall where he appeared
under the auspices Of Dorothy Hodg-
kin Dorsey. The list Of renowned
violinists is long and many oppor-
tunities are had during the season
to hear several of the most dis
tinguished players. 1t would seem
that a standard has been set and
that nothing more could be added
to it yet sometimes violinist de-
velopes an entirely new approach
thereby creating fresh interest in
what can be accomplished with the
instrument. This Szigeti did and
each of the numbers Of his long
program bore the imprint of it.
This does not stand. however, as
an unqualified Endorsement OF Szi-
geti as an artist above all others.
In his playing yesterday he did some
magnificent work. particularly in the
Bach "Chaconne" in the interpreta-
ton Of which he stood head and
shoulders over all those who have
essayed it. Here his personal atti-
tude and intelligence registered in
compelling fashion but the same in
terpretive style applied to other
works did not have the same result.
Performance Uneven.
Splendidly endowed as he is in
the mechanics of his instrument and
in his musical thought. his per-
Torrance was uneven. At times he
drew a tone of ethereal sweetness
that was purity itself and again
blurred it with an unsteady bow that
also, in some passages, was iron
firm. Dramatic moments were
sometimes brought out with freedom
and power and again became stri-
dent and forced while cantabile sec
tions would be noble or sentimental.
Though these results alternated
throughout his playing, the fact that
he had his own ideas and had
studied and thought about them
considerably was apparent at all
times.
His concentration on the exact
effect he sought in each phrase
made him a master of the time ele-
ment. Nothing was done in a hasty
manner even in the speediest pas
sages. What he desired he attained
despite the fact that one could not
always be in agreement with him.
The most remarkable performance
Of the famous "Chaconne" was his
and was a revelation of what is in
herent in the work and what the
vision Of an artist can do with it.
Szigeti played it slowly and with
all its intricate harmonies clearly
defined. It's pattern was unfolded
with infinite care and with such
thought as to nuance that the at
tention was absorbed every minute
of the lengthy composition, some
thing no other violinist has been
able to accomplish. The graduation
Of dynamics he used was fascinat-
ing from the whispered pianissimo,
particularly exquisite in runs, to the
most majestic forte while the whole
delivery was ideally smooth and
rife with all the beautiful effects
that perfect command OF the in
struments resources can bring.
Preparation Sensed.
This same approach as applied to
the Franck Sonata in A Major"
however. was not so satisfying. For
one thing, the effects which Szigeti
seeks never take one by surprise
for one senses the preparation, fol-
lows the idea and knows what will
be the development. The soft, ap-
pealing vibrancy of his tone so ar
resting in the Bach-and earlier in
the Grave of the Tartini- Szigeti
Concerto in D Minor" on a
sentimental character in the Sonata.
The underlying pulsat ton of passion
was missing and the severe atten-
ton to details lost track of the
work as q whole. At the same time,
the value of his particular search
for a thorough exposition of the
compositions content was impress
sive.
The delightful "Rondo in D Ma
jor, op. 10" by Schubert in Fried
berg's arrangement led to Joseph
Achron's "Stempenyu" Suite, dedi-
Gated to Szigeti and played by the
violinist In memory of the composer
who died a short time ago. The
Suite, In three parts. "Stempenyu
Plays" SLOW Dance" and Past
Dance has an overtone of Hebraic
melancholy simply and powerfully
expressed in the first movement and
present also In the following ones.
The final group consisted of works
by modern Soviet composers open
Ing with Kabalevsky's "Improvisa-
ton" The composer, two years
older than Shostakovich, has some
thing Of the latter's quality in his
writing.
The Grunes' arrangement for vio-
lin OF the amusing Polka from
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