Evening star., 1945-07-09
Dorothy Averell
Offers Novelties at
National Gallery
Nv ELENA ma SAYN

The return of Dorothy Averell,
vioDnist, to the National Gallery
of Art last night, gave occasion to
hear several modernistic novelties,
such as Walter PiSton's Sonata, :"
Gardner's "Troubadour, Bales
Poem" the Benjamin Primrose
Jamaican Rumba" and Szyma-
no~ski's "Noctlune and Taran-
tele," which call upon many facets
of technical and interpretative re-
sources.
Miss Averell began her program
with two familiar works: Handels
Sonata in D Major" and Lalo's
Symphonic Espagnole," which
showed her solid violinistic equip
ment of the bow arm and of her
left hand fingers. The singing
quality of her tone, exacted by the
sonata, built on long, broad lines,
prepared the audience for the
more scintillating type of playing
she displayed in the brilliant pas
sages of Lalo's fireworks. The DASH
ing manner with which she acquit-
ted herself of her task received
rewarding approval from an ap-
preciative audience.
Otto Herr, Miss Averell's partner
at the piano, gave her an authori-
tatiye and expert support in the
symphony especially, using the
proper depth and richness of touch
to create an orchestral background
His collaboration was not as effec-
tive in the second half of the pro-
gram, beginning with Piston'S so
nata,' which called for a strong
lead.
Composed in 1899, closely knit,
with the music distributed about
evenly between three performing
factors, the two hands of the
pianist and the violin, the per-
formance of the work last night
suffered from lack of greater assert
iYeness, at the proper time, on the
part of either performer. With
the exception of few phrases in
the first movement and a part of
the last, the violin score seems to
be of little Importance by itself and
is made to fit rather into the gen.
eral pattern Of the whole.
The four remaining numbers gave
the young violiniSt more opportunity
for individual display Bales
Poem" still in manuscript, is we'll
written for the instrument. with
regard for its tonal qualities. Miss
Averell brought forth its elegiac
character with a cantabile sensi-
tivenesS of volume and scored a de-
cided success for the composer, who
was in the audience and was made
to bow acknowledgment several
times.
Benjamin's Jamaican Rumba,"
arranged by Primrose, and Szyman-
owski's 'Nocturne and Tarantelle".
brought the recital to brilliant
conclusion, followed by encores.
YeOman Palmer Gives
Recital at Phillips.
One hour of piano music, with a
program which touched upon stand
ard high lights, finishing off with
several numbers of special diStinc-
ton from the pen OF two American
and one European composer, was
given by Russell Palmer, talented
Yeoman &c U. S. N. r., yesterday
afternoon in the Phillips Gallery.
Mr.. Palmer, who comes from the
far West, is well-knOwn in his ma
tive city of Portland, Greg, and in
Seattle, Wash, where he played in
recitals and made appearances with
symphony orchestraS as Soloist.
After presenting Bach's prelude
and Fugue in B Flat Major" ''Prel-
ude and Fugue in G Sharp Minor"
and prelude and Fugue in E Min
Or" "Chopin's "Fantasie in F Min
or, Op. 49," Rachmaninoff's Prelude
in E Flat Major, OPP. 23," prelude in
G Flat Major, Op. %" and prelude
in B Flat Major, Op. 23," Mr.. Palmer
impressed his listeners by his inter-
eSting selections of modern pieces
as well as by his faultleSS execution.
Three Preludes," playful, pen
sive and fanciful in turn, composed
by Kent Kennan, who has been fire.
quently featured on symphonic
programs, were contrasted by
Critics delicate and flowing THE
Fountain of Acqua Paola' and
Toch's impressive Der Juggier."
Mr.. Palmer is an accomplished
and interesting pianist whose style
appeals for its intellectual and emo
tional properties He was enthusi-
astically applauded and encored, one
of which was La Maja Y el Rui-
Senor" from Granados' "GoyescaS. -.