Music

It is much simpler for a conductor to recognize the Russians than for a statesman, and infinitely more entertaining. Leopold Stokowski, unaffected by such mundane affairs as debt settlements, the belief in churches militant and the soap-boxing of an ideology, recognized four different Slavs in a magnificent concert last Tuesday evening in Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Orchestra embellishing on this occasion Liadow’s “Eight Russian Folk Songs,” Shostakovitch’s First Symphony, Glinka’s “Kamarinskaya” and Moussorgsky’s “Tableaux d’une Exposition” in the Ravel orchestration. The frenetic, utterly glamorous manner of Shostakovitch, “white-haired boy” of the Soviets, was the feature of a brilliant evening.

Simultaneously, at Town Hall, Leo Ornstein, once an outspoken devotee of left-wingish cacophonies, but now more restrained in his tastes, played Ravel, Chopin, Franck and Schumann for a large, appreciative audience. Whatever quarrel one might pick with this pianist’s interpretative ideas, tribute must be paid to his technical ability, which gives him an advantage when it comes to tackling such redoubtable stumbling-blocks as the Schumann Fantasy.

The night before, a meteoric phenomenon burst before the eyes of a Town Hall audience. Ruth Slenczynski, 8-year-old pianist, joined the ranks of authentic prodigies. After a collection of compositions which would have taxed most adults, she tossed off three Chopin Etudes with a speed and brilliance productive of an ovation in the old ovationary tradition.

A week ago Saturday night, Arnold Schoenberg, given a concert of his works by the League of Composers and a reception thereafter at the Town Hall Club, right over the concert hall, seemed a bit amazed at it all. At many past concerts his works have been hissed. Here there was applause, typical clutches for the right hand of the hero and fervent “How do you do’s !”

Sunday evening, Jascha Heifetz, playing at Carnegie Hall, seemed to have reached the zenith of his career. Added to the old wizardry of the Heifetz manner was a new warmth, particularly noticeable in the rendition of Bloch’s “Baal Shem”.

Isidor Achron for years Heifetz’s accompanist, gave his first New York recital the night before in the same auditorium, proving himself a none-too-fiery performer, albeit a well-grounded one.