Evening star., 1950-02-10
BY Alice Eyersmon

- FhhSS @FStStuau
-Four members of the Boston
Symphony who have formed the
Boston String Quartet made their
initial appearance in the Library
OF Congress last night. The cham
ber music group has as violinists,
Alfred Krips, assistant concert
master of the Symphony, and
Sheldon Rotenberg; the violist is
Joseph de Pasquale, first chair
man OF the Bostonians, and Alfred
Zighera. assistant to the leader, in
the cello section. Their concert
last night was presented under
the auspices of the Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Foundation.
These musicians have the art of
playing together down to a fine
point. Their respective tones are
very beautiful and their musician
ship is the kind that hears the
sound of their instruments as one.
Taken together with impecca5le
intonation, perfectly timed at
tacks and an unanimous interpre-
tive aim, their playing of Barber's
Quartet, op. IL" and Debussy's
Quartet in G Minor" had all the
finish of experienced artists.
A greater freedom of the kind
born of personal abandon would
have added the final touch to
their otherwise splendid perform
ance. This lack was felt in the
Debussy Quartet" which did not
quite reach out to that plane of
intangible beauty where the COM
poser is at his best. One missed
the sympathy with the composers
delicacy of conception most in the
Andantino, where the opportunity
for creation of atmosphere is in
the hands of the performers. The
two first movements were stated
In rather atter-of-fact way
and certain effects, as the use of
szorzandi, were too brusquely and
too evidently set forth.
If the Elusive element in De-
busy was not so satisfactorily
indicated, the romantic quality
of Samuel Barber's Quartet, op.
II" was fully visualized. The dis
tance between this work and his
latest Sonata for Piano." played
here recently by Horowitz,, is
great. In spite Of the composers
following of the accepted rules of
his craft, his individuality stands
out strongly in the earlier work.
1t is lovely for its virile quality
and for Barber's rare gift of max
ing the instruments sing con-
stantly. They are played one
against the other most skillfully.
He has a greater penchant for
the darker toned viola and cello,
giving them exquisite measures in
the third movement and in the
second after the violin and viola
have sung beautiful duet. Even
when mingled, they are made to
preserve their individual quality.
Mr.. Krips' lovely tone led in
this work, to be matched by the
rich color Mr.. de Pasquale draws
from the viola and the remark
able sorority of Mr.. Zighera's s
cello. With MIR. Rotenberg a most
able partner, the performance was
of the finest. Mozart's Quar-
tet in D Minor, K. 421" opened
the program.
Sesqui Concert Given.
The fourth of the Freedom
Sings staged by the Army Band
under Capt. Hugh Curry's direc-
ton, in cooperation with the
Sesquicentennial Commission, was
given in the Departmental Au-
ditorium last night. The soloist
of the evening was the American
pianist, Richard Gregor, whose
first number was the opening |
movement of the Schumann
Concerto in A Minor"
In some respects, the Con
certo" lends itself well to the /
band arrangement but it's su-
preme poetic character cannot
be completely captured. Mr.. Gre
gor has the style and the sensi-
tivity to underscore it's imagina-
tive content with eloquence and
to meet it's technical demands
with 'limpidity of tone. His per-
formance could have been in
fused with more ardor and might |
have been sketched more broadly |
under other circumstances. He
Is a pianist of both insight and
refinement, with an admirably |
polished technical equipment.
The bands major number
among the few that could be
heard, was the Overture" to
Weber's "Oberon," directed with
notable color effects by Capt.
Curry. The program speaker of
the evening was Senator Russell
of Georgia. The Army Band
Chorus, led by 1t. Samuel Loboda,