Evening star., 1950-10-29
By Alice Eyersmon


The festival of chamber music
by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge
Foundation in the Library of
Congress opened yesterday after
noon with program by the Hun
garian String Quartet. The fes-
tival this year celebrates the 25th
anniversary of the Coolidge Foun-
dation and is the 18th presented
in the Library which, in turn, is
celebrating its sesquicentennial.
Interest in the series of programs.
which continue today and tomor-
row, is widespread and many mu-
sicians of note from out OF town
were present in the distinguished
audience yesterday.
The focal point of each pro-
gram is the new composition to
be given it's premiere. The after
noon number was the Quartet
No. 4" by william Schuman which
was commissioned by the Founda-
ton. It is striking work, COM
pactly and expertly written, yet
falls just short of complete
rounding out Of its purpose.
The first movement is as at
mospheric as Debussy's "Pelleas
ct Melisande" and resembles it
particularly in the duet between
the first and second violins. The
Allegro has a hard whimsicality
about it, strong and purposeful
but without humor. The same
note of tragedy and impression
ism continues in the Songful
measures assigned the first violin
in the third movement, against
an agitated background Of the
other instruments, and the con-
Guiding Presto. in dance rhythm.
has rough boisterousness about
1t.
The rather sombre and dramatic
content of the quartet" would
have registered its forcefulneSs
better in other hands than those
of the Hungarian musicians. They
are superb artists and have cul-
tivated a very particular Subdued
quality of tone, extremely beau
tiful in itself but not capable OF
expressing the heavier effects in
Mr.. Schuman's work. Their define
alton of the first movement was
exquisite tonally and interpre-
lively.
The artists. Zoltan Szekely and
Alexandra Moskowsky, violins,
Denes Koromzay, viola. and Vii
mos Palotai. cello. have developed
q remarkable ensemble. Their
general style of playing presents
the chamber music idiom to per-
fection. The poignant sentiment
in Beethoven's Quartet in F Ma
joh, op. 1876" has never been so
beautifully set forth and the same
special feeling went into the de-
livery of .Schubert's Quartet in
G Major. op. 161," with which the
program closed. The virtuosity of
the Hungarian players was felt
in the swift, brilliant account of
the final movement of the Schu-
bert, yet elsewhere in the work,
the want of strong dynamic con-
trasts was felt.
Seldom have four musicians
played together with such una
nimity of idea. That their COM
bined tone is gagged properly to
the original intention of quartet
performance gives a freshness and
an ease to it to which the public
is rarely treated. Not too much
drama or SenSuousnesS is allowed
to enter into the Hungarian four
some's concept and the result is
sheer beauty. If one expected
greater differentiation in mood at
times, as in the Schuman, the
total effect was. nevertheless, one
of enchantment.
The evening program covered a
wider territory and was arranged
around the presentation of Ravel's
"Chansons madecasses" and Nous
sorgSky's Songs and Dances of
Death" by Jennie Tourel, mezzo-
soprano. 1t was at the late Hans
Kindler's suggestion that the
"Chansons madecasses" were COM
missioned by Mrs. Coolidge but
only one of the three was ready
for the special concert arranged
in the Hotel Majestic in Paris.
DR.. Kinder played the cello in
this presentation.
The Madagascar poems which
form the text reflect the languid
atmosphere of Africa. Ravels
music is an astounding setting
in the way it captures the thought
yet in no way matches the words.
Extremely difficult in matters of
intonation. it requires a singer
such as Miss Tourel whose COM
mand of exact pitch is unshak-
able. Her singing was impeccable,
especially of the weird AQUA,
AQUA" and highly dramatic. She
was accompanied by Julius Baker.