Evening star., 1946-10-31

It was with keen dramatic insight
that DR.. Hans Kinder placed the
works of Hindemith and Mendels-
sohn one after the other On the Ma.
tional Symphony program last night.
Finding these two German COM
posers, as far apart - the poles IN
thought and style. at the core Of the
musical fare provided for the
Wednesday night subscribers was an
exciting experience. They were
bounded by two rugged individual
lists. Bach and sibeltus, the former
with his choral prelude, "Wachet
Auf" and the latter with Fiji
landia."
The arrangement tempted some
political reflections, but they have
nothing to do with music except tor
the indirnity suffered by both the
living Hindemith and the dead Men
delssohn during the Mani regime.
The great patriot sibelius provided
also q tirebrand In 'Ffnlandia"
| which is said to have kept burning
the light Of national consciousness
against all restrictions. Mendek-
sohn and Hindemith have survived
the prejudices Of q dark era, the
former to be accepted with renewed
interest and the latter to continue
his noteworthy work toward broad
ening the path Of music's progress.
For the first time since its for
nation, the National Symphony
played Mendelssohn's symphony
No. g." known as the Scotch" SYM
phony. 1t is regrettable, some times,
that narnes. are attached to sym
phonic works and the colorful infiu-
ences surrounding their inception
told at length, for Immediately the
mind seeks to find references in the
music to these facts. Mendelssohn,
as many another composer. does not
need a picture sketched, for one
can listen and discover the values
without knowing the locale or cir
cumstances Of his inspiration.
Perhaps the Scottish melodies
that are constantly present in the
symphony started the spark Of the
composers musical thought. He
was impressed without doubt by
the tragic events at Holyrood and
the effect, the sharpness Of the
first reaction somewhat dimmed, is
to be found in the adagio. The
rest is Mendelssoln in his most
suave vein, enjoying his play Of
fantasy around the foreign mel
odies, and giving q forceful touch
occasionally, as In the stormy pas
sages of the first movement, as
memory recalled scenes and at
mosphere.
Nothing of this kind is to be
found In the excerpts taken from
Hindemith's opera, Mathis der
Mailer" and combined in concert
form. There is no velvet in this
writing. The direct source Of the
symphonic number is the three
paintings of the Isenheim altar by
the 18th century Mathis Gruene-
valid. In choosing the three sub
jects, angelic Choirs," "Entomb-
ment" and the Temptations Of st.
Anthony" the complete form was
there for an orchestral masterpiece.
The composer has availed himself
Of the dramatic progression In his
own Individual manner. 1t Is stark
music, barren of sentiment, yet pow
erfuls in the emotion suggested be-
meath the unadorned statements.
The Angelic Choirs" sing coolly In
the raw harmonic style Of Hi1de-
NTH, but, with a touch Of the Gre
-gorian mode, there blossoms an
ethereal light radiant with . glow
ing spirituality. In none Of the fer
vent musical descriptions Of the
"Entombment" has the great be-
reavement been so poignantly ex-
pressed as In the simple, forceful
way Of Hindemith.
The final portion Of the tryptich
unleases the rich invention Of the
composer in his new system OF writ
ing, who intensifies his effects by
Unexpectedly familiar harmonic res
olutions. The music throughout Is
comparable to the primitives in
painting, to the clear vistas and set
forms and the skillful high lights
LIldL are IllUIt uIlpOTt tdilt tiidu tiic
lack of action. If the color is more
of the Northern school than the
Italian. it's deep hues are filled with
wonderful shadows. The sound
reasonableness of Hindemith's sys-
tenn of composition, the tellingness
of his agreeable dissonances, the
power and descriptiveness latent In
the complete absence Of charm are
becoming more apparent every day.
The orchestra measured up nobly
to the task set before 1t through
DR.. Kindler's clear discernment Of