Evening star., 1947-10-16
By Alice Eversmon

1He QfSt concert OF the season Dy
the National Symphony Orchestra is !
in many, respects the most impor-
tant to the local public, for it is
the occasion for just pride in a civic
accomplishment. The l7th season
Of the organization That has brought
musical honors to this city opened
last night in Constitution Hall and
began, at the same time, the We'd !,
nesday night subscription concerts
The distinguished audience well
coined the orchestra founder and
permanent conductor, DR.. Hans
Kinder, hale and hearty again after
a severe illness, with prolonged ap-
plause. There was short wait
ending with another burst Of ap-
plause as President Truman and his
party entered the presidential box,
adding giamor and significance to
the evening by his presence.
To what degree the patrons of the
symphony can rejoice in its musical
progress is the dominating thought.
The first number is enough to estab-
llsh this. In the free transcription
DR.. Kinder has made OF Sweelinck's S
"Chromatic Fantasy the orchestra
disclosed finer coalescence of tone,
a more directed elasticity In inter-
pretive effects and greater appre-
citation Of artistic restraint. DR..
Kinder has made Of his group
more pliable musical agent and the
result was apparent throughout the
program.
The remarkable Sweelinck work
mas many mighty moments which
the conductor has voiced in the full
power OF the orchestra. 1t has
brave studiness and great dignity.
yet there runs through it simple
unatfectedneSs that hardly prepares
one for the sweeping strength of It's
development. This introduction to
great Dutch composer who has
much of the Titan quality of Bach
was impressive through the under
standing arrangement by DR.. Kind
! ler, who underScored particularly
the composers use of pedal point.
The special feature of the pro-
gram was the return of the eminent
violiniSt, ToSsy SpivakovSky, as SOLO
ist. The friendship of the orches-
tra's conductor dates back to the
! time when SpivakovSky, as a child
of six entered the Koenigliche Hoch-
Schule fuer Musk in Berlin to begin
his studies and met Kinder. a
youthful professor of music in
the 'Scharwenka Conservator. The
collaboration of the two in the per-
formance of Sibelius' only violin
concerto was of the highest order.
Sincerity and musicianship are
the keynotes of Spivakovsky's play
ing. He has a magnificent technique
that handled effortlessly and flaw
lessly the bristling difficulties of the
work and smooth, eloquent tone
He has further seeking mind as
proven by his power to invest the
concerto with poetry and feeling.
This Is not an easy accomplishment
! for, while written effectively for the
instrument by a composer who had
hoped once TO be virtuoSo on it,
it has not the equable line of many
OF the old favorites. 1t has great
dynamic changes and a virile elan
that Mr.. Spivakovsky graspe d
thoroughly. His was performance
beautifully balanced between the
lyrical and the dramatic. with in
stances of expertly turned phrases
and brilliant yiftuosity.
+, 1t is not until the final Allegro
that the composer strives for real
blending OF the violin with the
orchestra. In other movements,
meager Accomplishments are fur
niShed and glimpSes of the Sibelius
Of seven symphonies are had only
in the orchestral tutti On the
whole, it is bright work lacking
the austerity of his later compost
ton and with many songful mo-
ments. The Adagio Is one of these
and Mr.. SpivakOVSky gave 1t its full
emotional appeal The resounding
applause at its conclusion, recalling
the artist several times, brought an
encore. For this Mr.. Spivakovsky
chose the "Bourree" from Bach's
second unaccompanied sonata.
There was a hushed beautiful in
terlude in the orchestral program
between the Sweelinck Fantasy"
and the Brahms Symphony No. A.
in the world premiere given Philip
Henry's Pacific Nocturne." It is a