Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-26
By Eleno de Soyn

The fourth program of the regu-
lar concert series by the Philadel-
phia Orchestra in Constitution Hall
last night brought with it a novelty
in the form of Samuel BARRIERS
second symphony. The work re-
ceived its first local performance
under the direction of Alexander
Hilsberg. associate conductor and
concertmaster of the orchestra
Nathan Milstein, violinist, soloist OF
the evening, closed the program
with Tschaikowsky's famous Con-
certo in D Major"
The varied opinion on the merits
of BARRIERS symphony, premiered by
Serge Koussevitzky at the head Of
the Boston Symphony in 1914, ex-
cited a certain amount of curiosity.
On hearing it last night, one could
not help but think that the work
seems to reflect the historic conflict
which shook the world at the time
it was composed.
The anguished outcry with which
the symphony opens and the dra-
matte intensity which pervades it,
leave little doubt that the composer,
consciously or subconsciously, made
the event a theme for his SYM
phony. His connection with the
Air Force at the time strengthens
this supposition. There are mo-
ments in this opus when one
gets distinct impressions, which
suggest aspects of horror, revolt and
herceness. There are also many
moments Of serene contemplation
resignation and sorrow. 1t is not
difficult to imagine that flights at
dawn by the composer-f1yer per-
mitted' him to view many a beau
tiful panorama in the countryside
which he tried to reproduce in
beautiful sound. He must have
been also witness to desolate sor-
row, so tellingly expressed in vari-
Gus sections of the work. While
the first movement is given over
mostly to the portrayal of a con-
flict-the walls of the hall fairly
trembling from the terrific impact
of the drums suggesting a cannon
ade-the second expresses con-
temptation. Yet its idyllic nature
by no means ends there, but finds
it's counterpart at odd moments in
other movements. These episodes
relieve the tension of a reigning
chaos which seems to be the key
note of the work. It's other distinc-
tive features are the original end
ings, different in each movements
The appearance of Mr.. Milstein
in TschaikoWsky's concerto, played
in collaboration with Mr.. Hilsberg
was not unlike the occurrence last
week, when another pair of violin
lists, Erica Morini and Georges
Enesco, occupied the center OF the
stage in the roles of soloist and
conductor. Such a combination is
always a happy one from the ar
tistic point of view. The perform
ers had this time another bond in
common, their study under Leopold
Auer in Czarist Russia, the man to
whom the work. played by Mr.. Mil
stein, was originally dedicated.
1t was Auer who contended that
some of the passages in the concerto
were mpleyable and did not decide
to give it a hearing until 1t was
performed by Adolf Brodsky, to
whom the concerto was subsequent
~ dedicated. Whether it was to
justify his earlier remark or wheth-
er he was unable to master its
technical difficulties, Auer made q
new edition of the concerto, with a
number of simplifleations and even
changes, cut up the last movement
and exhibited q good measure of
bad taste and a lack of good judg-
ment. Unfortunately. his edition
has been adopted for concert per.