Evening star., 1948-03-15
By Alice Eversmon

The Sunday symphony audience
had an opportunity yesterday in
Constitution Hall to hear. Georges
Enesco after his successful first
appearance this season on Wednes-
day as guest conductor of the
National Symphony. He was hon.
ored in the warmth of the greet
ing given him, listened to with
something like reverance, and &C
corded an ovations with the climatic
ending his own "Roumanian Rhap-
sody No 1" gave the program. A
significant local debut took place at
yesterdays concert; that of the
young pianist, Menehem Pressler,
who played Chopin's Concerto in
r minor"
The reason that Mr.. Pressler's
name Is Of Importance in the group
ing of the many fine young virtuosi
before the public today is that he
stands in a class by himself as an
iterpreter Of music. He is a poet
of the piano, one caught up in the
glory of music and feeling privileged
at being able to express what he
finds there. He sees into it far
deeper than many older artists and
the bloom Of it is still fresh for
him. Gifted with such responsive
nature, he simply lets himself go
and plays as he feels. This is
something new In this mental and
materialistic age.
The youthful artists development
will be followed with interest. AL
though sufficiently equipped tech
nically to cope with any problem,
he needs to acquire still more tonal
power, brilliancy and variety than
he showed yesterday. But since
these have been the chief aims of
most Of the younger generation of
pianists, his special qualities are all
the more extraordinary. He can
make the piano sing and he can
move his listeners by his genuine
reaction to beauty and romance as
he did in the Larghetto and in
the songful passages Of the first
movement even If tinge of senti-
mentality was present.
He does not, as yet, thrill with
scintillating bravura playing or with
the abandon that can reach out
over the orchestral volume. One
hesitates to stress these elements in
the fear that, in seeking them. he
might lose what is so much more
valuable. Yet they would imbue his
natural bent with more brilliant
coloring. Guided by his innate feel
ing he would be able undoubtedly
to use them for the same expressive
ends as he does in fashioning the
melodic line.
AS 1t was, his treatment of the
first and third movement was also
POLITICALLY inclined with gracious
ness and charm throughout But
the pointing up of phrase by ac-
cent and shadings, and sometimes
by the addition of tonal weight, was
not so evident in spite of the
f1uency of his delivery. His ability
in the latter direction was further
displayed in Toch's THE Juggler,"
which he gave as encore after be-
ing recalled several times by the
unabating applause. Unassuming
and personally inspired, he bids fare
to be an increasingly interesting
exponent Of his instrument. His
success yesterday foreshadowed
this.
Besides his first "Roumanian
Rhapsody" which took on quite
another character under his direc-
tion, Mr.. Enesco programmed for
the orchestra the Overture to
Mozart's Marriage of Figaro" and
Beethoven Symphony No. g." The
great work of the Bonn master was
read with an amazing wealth of
detail, all Of it divulging the peculiar
sensitiveness of Mr.. Enesco's ideas.
His tempt might be open to question
at times and also the restraint of
the climaxes while the urge through
the movements was not always
strongly felt. This latter was more
pronounced in the opening and
closing sections, often more vigor-
ously stated than in Mr.. Enesco's !
plan.
His reading Of the Scherzo was
different also. In place of the
rushing, tumbling effect, he set iti
forth with an air of mystery and
grace that gave it quite another
complexion. The Marcia funebre,"
as he conceived it, was infinitely
sorrowful without too much stres-