Evening star., 1948-10-15
By Alice Eversmas

One of the most auspicious sea.
son-openings Of the sNational Sym.
phony took place last night in Con.
stitution Hall, where . capacity
audience warmly greeted Or. Hans
Kinder when he came to the podium
to conduct. Besides starting the
Wednesday night series-albeit on
another day-the concert had sew
eral particular points Of interest
There was, hrst and foremost, the
appearance OF Fritz Kreisler a
50, DIST, who was given . standing
ovation by the public and the
orchestra members Of some dura.
tion. A work by the Danish COM
poser, Knudase Riisager, had its
American premiere and Sibelius'
symphony No. l"'was heard again
after q two years silence.
Although new faces are to. be
seen among the orchestra person.
mel, and the beginning Of q season
means first the welding OF the di-
verse talent into q woodworking
ensemble; the orchestra played with
notable finesse. It has q firnl yet
mellow sorority and already q plia-
bility that presages fine interpretive
work throughout the winter. This
group of players that belongs to
washington starts its 18th year q
well -integrated, musically knowing
unit with q solid block Of artists,
members for many seasons, rs Its
keystone. DR.. Kinder can be salts
led that, in the comparatively short
preparation time for this concert,
his intentions and his musical feel
ing could be set forth in SO polished
. manner.
The reception accorded Mr.. Kreis-
ler when he took his place for the
performance Of Mendelssohn's vio-
lin concerto must surely have
warmed his heart. Despite the fact
that such O reception is no novelty
to him, its spontaneity and genuine
ness could not leave him unmoved
It may have had q somewhat un-
nerving effect. for the great and
popular artist did not reach his well.
known stride fully until the second
movement. A wrong turn in the
Anal measures Of the first movement
caused the climax 10 suffer, but In
q hardly noticeable way. AS soon a
the andante was reached, the lovely
|Kreisler tone Allied the hall and
the unmatchable Kreisler sense oi
rhythm rshone in the concluding
allegro. There were some lapsei
from pitch, but what does that
really matter when there Is 50 much
sheer beauty of sound and 80 many
artistic means Of pointing up q
phrase? The Mendelssohn concerto
has been given countless polished
and unpublished deliveries, yet the
Kreisler touch cannot be equaled
The ending, with the orchestra
urged on to q fiery finish by the
soloist. was the signal for an out
break Of applause that continued
long. It was Mr.. Kreisler's only
appearance here this season and
the audience was loath to let him 60
30 strong was the wild and ele-
mental atmosphere Of the north
created by the Sibelius and the
Riisager works that 1t overshadowed
the refined Purcell suite" and the
Three Romanian Dances" by Bar
tok, with which the orchestral part
Of the program began and ended
The primeval strength Of Sibelius
First, Symphony" is still awesofne,
although its speech is now familiar
and It Ia relieved, unlike his iater
symphonies, by obeisances to other
COMPOSERS .lYst Nitleths nnetseqstnd
Of tie clarinet. and ~ Wing III ffiff;
a depth Is touched never sought by
any other composer. There Is ma
ture and mystery, old legends, fierce