Evening star. [volume], August 01, 1955, Page A-10, Image 10

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
THE EVENING STAR, Washington, D. C.
MONDAY. AtJGCST 1. lUSB ,
A-10
NEWS OF MUSIC
- - \
Cathedral Choir Sings
Dirksen's New Canons
By DAY THORPE
Men'. Choir of the W.ihlnxton
C»thedr»l. Rlcherd Dlrksen, conduc
tor. Evensong Service. Program: Ch»-
conne In C minor for orgen. Buxte
hude: Itm eel recedjt Igneus. Dlrkten:
Eleven Cxnons for Peelm 101. Dlrk
gen: Fugue In C for orgtn. Buxtehude.
Two years ago. Richard Dirk
sen, associate choirmaster of the
Washington Cathedral, became
Interested in the 10 canons writ
ten by Joseph Haydn on the
texts of the commandments of
Moses. These canons are multi
voiced rounds which, as the mu
sic progresses, reveal each frag
ment of the tune in a multitude
of settings. The skill of the com
poser makes each highly artifi
cial musical vignette a subtle
commentary on the text.
Mr. Dirksen gave a perform
ance of the Haydn Ten Com
mandments with the Cathedral
Men’s Choir. This summer he
himself composed a set of
eleven canons, written as a sort
of homage to Haydn, on verses
from Psalm 101. Their premiere
was the feature of yesterday's
evensong service at the Cathe
dral, with the men’s choir con
ducted by Mr. Dirksen.
The pieces are exdfellent; dis
ciple must have pleased master,
enjoying Eternity in the Elysian
Fields. Each melody is well
turned. natural, and affecting;
none shows that In making it
Mr. Dirksen was handicapped by
the artificial and arbitrary laws
of canon. “O let me have un
derstanding in the way of God
liness !”, “I will takp no wicked
things in hand; I hate the sins
of unfaithfulness,” and “There
shall no deceitful person dwell
in my house” are three of the
texts which in succinctness and
adaptability to pictorial musical
treatment are typical of all. As
-their inherent sententiousness is
put to good use by their great
verbal polish and wry humor,
so Mr. Dirksen’s settings have,
every one. point and precision
together with infectious musical
appeal. Moreover, the work is
Sot an unrelated series of 11
ttle pieces. It holds together
as surely as a good set of vari
ations.
Also on the program were Mr.
Dirksen’s fine setting of “lam
sol reeedit igneus." heard in the
Cathedral in previous years, and
two Buxtehude organ works, well
played by the composer and con
ductor of the day. The Cathedral
Choir sang the- difficult vocal
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warmth.
Olefsky-Lettvin Duo
Skillful and Exciting
By IRVING LOWENS
Paul Olcfaky. cello: Theodore
Lettvln. pleno. Phillips OAllery. All-
Beethoven prosrsm: Sonata No. t in
P. Opus S. No. 1: Sonets No. 4 In C.
Opus 102. No. 1: 12 Variations on a
Theme Irosa "Judas Maccabeus" by
Handel: Sonata No. 3 In A. Opus SB.
If a more exciting and skillful
cello-piano team than Paul
Olefsky and Theodore Lettvin
is playing in public today, this
reviewer is not aware of it.
These two young virtuosi, each
of whom evidently inspires the
other to ever greater interpre
tive and technical feats, were
heard yesterday afternoon at
the Phillips Gallery in the first
of two concerts devoted to the
complete cello and piano works
of Ludwig van Beethoven. The
jam-packed gallery was filled
! with the sound of some of the
’ most beautifully performed
chamber music it has been my
■ privilege to hear in many a day.
To say that the ensemble
i verged on the miraculous and
that the artists established the
most intimate rapport would
not be to overstate the case.
Theodore Lettvin, who made
his Washington debut last week
in the same hall (playing Mo
zart with Gordon Btaples), dis
played a nonchalant command
over the resources of the pi
anoforte which was positively
breath-taking. One could easily
exhaust the standard critical su
perlatives In describing his mag
nificently effortless technique,
but to my mind the real mark
of his genius is his stylistic com
prehension of the music he so
exquisitely performs. Fantastic
ease of passage-work and a tre
mendous and completely con
trolled dynamic range are all
very well—but this pianist makes
music.
Paul Olefsky, now associated
with the Detroit Symphony Or
chestra. Is much better known
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those familiar with his art from
previous recitals must have been
astonished anew at his utter
mastery over his instrument.
Os the four works offered by
the team, three were of the high
est musical caliber—a single so
nata stemming from each of the
composer’s three periods. Each
was performed to perfection in
such away as to illumine its
past and its future. Each was
a superlative and definitive read
ing. The added starter, a set of
variations on Handel’s “Hail, the
Conquering Hero Comes,’’ was
pretty much of a potboiler, but
it is a measure of the pair’s ar
tistry to report that even this
made highly satisfactory listen
ing.
The artists conclude their brief
Beethoven cycls tonight. Those
Washingtonians who will be un
able to attend—or to get into
what will no doubt once again
be an overflow audience—will be
pleased to know that Messrs.
Olefsky and Lettvin are cur
rently engaged in recording this
music for Washington’s Quod
libet Society. If the recording
is anything like yesterday’s live
performance, it should be high
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'll Trovature' Lively
At Amphitheater
Son Carlo Opera Company, n Tro- *
ratore. Verdi. Carlo Moreico. conduc
tor: piusto Bourn, state director.
Carter Barron Ampthitheater. Cast:
Leonora. Herva Neill: Axucena. Nell
Rankin: Inex. Jacqueline Camlnlta:
Manrlco. Kurt Baum: Count dl Luna.
Cornall Mac Nell: Ferrando. Louie
Searro; Ruts. Adrien La Chance: A
Gypsy. Thomas Scott.
The San Carlo Opera Com
pany continued ita Carter Bar
ron Amphitheater run last night
with a lively presentation of
Verdi’* “H Trovatore” several
musical cut* above the fare pre
sented on previous evenings.
Any genuine resemblance be
tween San Carlo opera and
grand opera as It should be
mounted is strictly coincidental.
Mr. Gallo’s unique form of en
tertainment might perhaps be
called “ole grand opry” to dis
tinguish it from the real thing.
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DIAMOND S JBWBLBf APPRAISED
If you happen to be In the mood
for a good laugh, fine, but if you
come expecting to be moved to
tears by the drama of the situa
tion. you’re in for some disap
pointment. Instead, you’ll find
that regardless of how “grand”
|is the opera, your risibilities are
being tickled by something or
other—be it singing, costumes,
sets, or so-called acting.
Despite the humor of the Gallo
method of presenting opera,
which thrives on lack of re
hearsal, there was some tolerably
decent singing heard from the
stage, and in‘the last two acts
something very nearly approx
imating genuine opera. This was
hardly surprising, considering
the quality of the principals. It
4 V
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is a pity, however, that con
ductor Moreaco and the cast
couldn’t get together on tempi,
particularly during the first half
of the show; those favored by
either would have been fine
with this reviewer, but to hear
both choices at the same time
was pretty excruciating.
Herva Nelli, one of Toscanini's
favorite sopranos, showed once
again the silken voice, fine sense
of vocal timing, and sound
musicianship which have dis
tinguished her past singing.
Nell Rankin was a last min
ute replacement for Claramae
Turner in the taxing role of
Azucena and was more convinc
ing, both vocally and hlstrion
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ically, as the villainous gypsy
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Male honors went to Kurt
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the most of their many chances
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