The New York Times/1918/11/11/Composers Greet Vidas at Debut
COMPOSERS GREET VIDAS AT DEBUT
French Violinist, Rumanian Born, Wins Real Success at Carnegie Hall.
SYMPHONY SOCIETY PLAYS
Levitzki Assists in Repeated Program at Aeolian—Lydia Ferguson at Punch and Judy.
Score one for France! There may be a famine of G-strings, as reported in New York, but there's no lack of fiddlers, and the latest of these—welcomed by a great audience in Carnegie Hall yesterday afternoon—was hailed as "the first Auerless violinist" after a season or two of constant prodigies from Petrograd, a record that was fast becoming proverbial in a phrase from Mr. McAdoo's most famous lines, "every Auer on the Auer."
Raoul Vidas, violinist of France, pupil of the Conservatioire—a child of Rumania, turned Parisian since his second year—broke the tradition momentarily yesterday, as Guiomar Novaes of the pianists once shattered the Leachetizky legend not so long ago.
Vigas, strangely mature at 16 years, intelligent, musicianly, struck his first note in a classic not of France but composed by the Italian-born Corelli, and entitled "Folies d'Espagne." It is thus that the musical repertory since the war is attempting to get itself "unscrambled," for all the world like Europe's little nationalities that first breathe freedom's air today. In Edouard Lalo's "Concerto Russe," as wholly unfamiliar as it was informal, rather a "suite" of Slavic airs and dances, the young player showed his tone quality in the songlike middle movement, his rhythmic verve in the final allegro, that earned an encore. Rhythm, indeed—clean-cut, cameo phrasing—is his foremost trait.
Three composers in the boxes heard their little pieces that followed an andante of Tartini. Jacques Thibaud's arrangement of Wieniawski's "Saltarelle" had to be repeated. Raoul Laparra's "Intermezzo" led to Fritz Kreisler's famous "Prelude and Allegro" from Pugnani, given with individual authority and power. Besides the Sarasate "Jota Navarraise," there was Ries's "Perpetuum Mobile" for a muted encode, wherein the accompanist, L. T. Gruenberg, finished gamely after the printed music had scattered on the floor.
Violinists present, besides Kreisler, Heifetz, and Thibaud, were of New York's own, Kneisel, Efrem Zimbalist, Maximilian Pilzer, Bernard Sinsheimer, and many more, of both the young and the "old guard."
Other Concerts of a Day.
The Symphony Society adourned from Carnegie to Aeolian Hall yesterday for the second of its midtown matinés, repeating a program already reviewed in yesterday's issue of The Times. There was a capacity audience for Walter Damrosch's men and for the piano soloist, Mischa Levitzki.
A matinée at the Punch and Judy, announced as Lydia Ferguson's second recital in New York, disclosed the young artist in costume in "A Day in Brittany," a day of charming old airs, from "Les Belles Mannières" to "Le Petit Mari." Miss Ferguson in her own right showed a pleasing voice in earlier classics from Mozart, Homelli, Gluck, and Horne, as well as modern songs, including "The Withered Leaf," dedicated to her by Louis Edgar Johns.
From pupil to teacher, it was interesting to turn last evening at the Maxine Elliott Theatre to another the Yvette Guilbert's receitals, the more imitated, the more inimitable. Through the solemnities of Guilbert Jaeckel packed the grimaces of Yvette Hyde. Yet the serious note of the "Legendes Dorées" touched on age-old faiths, on golden legends of the saints, with artistry as sure as that of the bold "gamin" pieces. Mme. Guilbert made a speech on the war.
"Tyltyl" in a Tone Poem.
"Tyltyl," in a tone poem, is the theme of Eric De Lamarter's music for "The Betrothan," Maeterlinck's sequel to "The Blue Bird," which Winthrop Ames will produce at the Shubert Theatre for the first time on any stage next Thursday. It has as its "leading motice" that of the Veiled Figure which dominates the love quest of the young hero. There are the Six Sweethearts, each of whom has a motive; the Fairy Berylune, Destiny, Light, the Turning of the Sapphire, the Miser's Gold, and, of course, Tyltyl, the hero, represented musically. The orchestra required will be unusual for a theatre, including flute, oboe, clarinets, bassoon, horn, trumpet, harp, three violin parts, viola, 'cello, double bass, tympany and traps. The conductor the Theodore Spiering.
"Verdun's" Heroic March.
Of two Philharmonic novelties Thursday evening, both are French in suggestion and one in authorship. The symphonic poem, "Sarabande," by Reoger-Ducasso, is written for orchestra and an invisible choir of male and female voices. The work will have its first performances in America next Thursday and Friday. The other novelty is Sir Charles Villier Stanford's "Verdun," a solemn march and heroic epilogue composed in commemoration of the glorious deeds of the French Army at Verdun—"They shall not pass!"—and is dedicated by the English composer "to the French musician, Charles M. Widor, and the great country to which he belongs." This will be the first public hearing of "Verdun" in this country, aside from a private festival last year at Norfolk, Conn.
Orchestral Novelties.
The Philadelphia Orchestra at the first of its five Carnegie Hall matinées, on Nov. 19, will present Chausson's "Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer," never before heard in New York. The work is in three parts, the first for voice and orchestra, entitled "La Fleur des Eaux," the second an orchestral interlude, and the third "La Mort de l'Amour." The soloist is Margaret Matzenauer.
Three "Tanagra Dances," new in the current New York Symphony programs, are by Paul Vidal, Professor of Composition at the Paris Conservatiore and conductor at the Opera Comique. The dances are from a ballet in two acts, the wordless "book" by Jean Richepin. They are entitled "Danse des Menades." "Danse d'Aphrodite," and "Danse de Crotales."