Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-28
WeII-SchooIed Critic
One Mon in Paul OIefskys Audience
Today Will Know KodoIy Sonotu
News Of Music
By Doy Thorpe

By Doy
A recital of music so rarely
performed it would be a shame
for interested listeners mad
vertently to miss it takes place
this afternoon when Paul
OlefSky plays Bach and Ko-
daily unaccompanied cello
sonatas at the Phillips Gallery.
The Bach solo SonataS de-
mand the ne plus ultra of the
performers art, and the Ko-
daily is perhaps the most in
teresting modern work for the
instrument. Mr.. Olefsky's
careful musicianship, catholic
taste, and easy technique
promise an hour Of music Of
high order
If familiarity with the music
under discussion is an advan-
tage to the reviewer, I have
certain qualifications for
speaking Of the Kodaly sonata.
In 1949 was q passenger on
the French liner, MarseillaiSe,
from the port Of its name to
Yokohama. Soon after sailing
passengers were informed by
the cabin stewards that they
were all loyal members OF the
Communist Party, and that in
protest against the presence OF
the King of Cambodia, who
was on the boat, no bed linen
would be changed during the
voyage.
A day or two later, seeing
that this hardship was being
borne with the equanimity Of
helplessneSS, the stewards be-
gan putting fresh sheets on
the beds, but ostentatiously
though apologetically they
threw the shuttle board equip
ment overheard each night. In
the mornings, the captain
would ask the ships carpenter
to make new discs and paddles.
and as the carpenter was a
party member he was able soon
to arrange for q new form OF
protest.
StickIer for Rules
This materialized in throw
ing to the fishes the entire
stock of the ships photograph
records, used to broadcast a
four-hour concert every after
noon over the public address
system. The heart of the
purser was broken by this
Communist coup, but not IL
reparably. An Indo-C l.
nese aboard, knowing the
purSer to be a music-lover and
also a Stickler for company
regulations which prescribed
monograph music every after
noon, gave him his only record
which he had bought in Paris.
1t was the Kodaly sonata for
unaccompanied cello, and the
delighted purser played it no
more and no less than four
hours a dav over every loud
speaker of the Marseillaise.
The Kodaly sonata is not
generally wen-known. It can
perhaps be described as a piece
for cognoScenti. Still there
are in India two nuns from
Maine who may not know
The Stein Song" a British
consul in Hanoi who may be
unfamiliar with God Save
the Queen" two score French
officers in China who may
never have heard Malbrouck,
a Spanish hemp exporter in
Manila ignorant Of the click
of castanets, and 80 or 40
inf1ltrated Communists whose
pulse may not beat quicker for
the "Internationale." All of
them, however. together with
q music reviewer of The Star,
have one thing in common. We
know the Kodaly sonata for
unaccompanied cello.
EEizobethon Music
EliZabethan England pro-
duced writer's in every field of
literature who, if they were
not overshadowed by Shakes
peare, would be universally
recognized as among the best
that have written in the Eng
lish language. This observa-
ton is a commonplace. It is
no less true that English mu-
Sicians during the time of
Elizabeth were looked to by the
world as leaders of their art.
This leadership has at various
times been held by almost