Evening star., 1947-01-29

Eugene Ofmandy, MS SpfalneQ arm
cured and himself refreshed from
q much-needed vacation, took up
the baton again to direct the Phila-
delphia Orchestra last night in Con-
stitution Hall in the third program
of the regular series. He was given
warm reception and the applause
following each number was tribute
to his art. The performance was un-
usually spirited, proving that even
conductors can return with renewed
vim after a period of forgetting
their musical tasks.
The conductor provided a novel
program, Gaping it off with the
Beethoven violin concerto IN which
the distinguished French viollnlst.
Zinc Francescatti. was soloist. This
was a clever arrangement for the
concerto was so finely presented
that it was worth waiting for. Surely,
Mr.. Francescatti would have been
an artist after Beethoven's own
heart had he lived in the composers s
time, for the same sturdy yet high
minded spirit animates the violin
ist as it did the composer.
Mr.. Francescatti's tone has such
beautiful volume, is so rich and
vibrant as to place htm in a class
by himself. His playing has sin
cerity and directness about 1t that
captures the attention and great
vitality that keeps every note glow
ing. Yet it is not just these dis
tinguishing features that gives in
dividuality to his performance but
the way in which they are servants
of musical integrity and emotional
responsiveness of superior order.
His first approach to the unfolding
of the concerto wss arrestlng ano
from the opening broken octaves
the design followed a pattern clear
in the artists mind to the gay end
ing. Mr.. Francescatti plays this
work with affection. particularly IN
the larghetto where each measure
was a masterpiece of expressive
enunciation In the first movement
he conveyed the form more clearly
than is usual and contributed a
special beauty to it by his refined
phrasing and incidental effects. A
virtuoso of powerful fingers and
bow arm, he allowed this quality to
stand by itself only in the cadenza.
Mr.. Ormandy provided perfect
accompaniment. The orchestra's
splendid volume, having its finest
moment in the introduction, was
nodded to every shade OF the
soloist's discourse, remarkably etfec-
tive in the pianissimo passages OF
the first movement and an answer
ing voice in complete accord in the
seccno. A thunderous acclaim from
the audience was the reward for the
soloist and the fine support given
him by the conductor.
The purely orchestral playing,
confined to the first part of the
program. included the Scarlattl-
Tommasini ballet suite, "The Good
Humored Ladies'" Roussels Con
certo for Small Orchestra" and
Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
So few of Roussels works are pro-
grammed that it assumed i'm
portance over the others. The
idiom in which the Concerto" is
written is not easily assimulated on
first hearing but the keen SEN
sitive personality of the composer Is
at once apparent. There IS some
thing exquisitely fine in this writing
in spite of it's dissonance, an alert
quality that sketches in a telling
point with quick, sharp stroke and
needs only few means to attain
it's aim.
The polyphony of the first move
ment is it's striking feature with
each instrument contributing its
particular individuality in the
dialogue. The andante has a lovely
mysticism that might be reflex
of thoughts born on the oceans
calm and delicately expressed IN
half voice. In fact, the composers
love of the sea can be traced in