The works of two Jewish composers, neither of them particularly Jewish in their use of thematic material, were presented by the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra before an enthusiastic and demonstrative audience at Lewisohn Stadium, Friday night: Arcady Dubensky’s “Fugue for Violins in Nine Parts”, and Boris Levinson’s “Fantasy on Two Hebrew Folk Tunes” and “Oriental Tone-Picture—A Night in Bagdad.” Willem van Hoogstraten conducted.
The Dubensky “Fugue” is a terse and brilliant piece of writing, worked in the classical manner. The style is distinctly the style of eighteenth century Europe: sharp, clear, incisive. It is significant, in this connection, that Mr. Dubensky refers to himself as “one of the American composers who have followed the traditions and forms of the old classical school.”
Unfortunately, like most works which endeavor to capture essences of alien and outworn cultures, it hangs up on things academic. It is not our soul … and one suspects that it is not Mr. Dubensky’s soul. Yet it is fine work; it develops with strength and clarity, etching with a finely-drawn quality its abstract tonal patterns.
Mr. Dubensky was summoned from his place in the violin section of the orchestra to conduct an encore.
The Boris Levinson works also were effective, but in an entirely different language, and perhaps just as far removed from things either original or Jewish. The first number, “Fantasy on Two Hebrew Folk Tunes,” is about as devoid of Jewish flavor as it is full of Rimsky-Korsakoff. Rimsky stalks through it, hot-bloodedly, colorfully, with scimitar swinging and tambourines jingling. It is stirring. It is melodic and powerful. But it would be closer to accuracy were it retitled “Fantasy on the ‘Scheherezade’.”
Mr. Levinson’s style is by no means a straight line affair. In his second work of the night, “Oriental Tone-Picture—A Night in Bagdad” he goes Debussy. Here we have modern dissonances. We have myriads of chromatic descents and gently drooping melodic lines. We have the nuance and the delicate shading of the subtle French master.
As a technician, Mr. Levinson is superb. The fact that he studied under Rimsky-Korsakoff at the St. Petersburg Conservatory accounts for a great deal, his facile command of the orchestra for one thing, and the full, rich, Rimsky color for another. Whether, in the last analysis, this is for better or worse is a matter of taste.
Robert W. Marks.
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