Adventure in Music

• Watchlist

• 1944
• 1 hr 2 mins
• Music

• Watchlist

• Watchlist

For music lovers, this is sheer treat; for others, instruction and experience, if they will see and hear. It is assembled at once with taste and skill, compiling ten vignettes of musicians performing classical works. The duo-piano effect, the harpsichord, the piano, the cello, and the string quartet are each given expression: and the selections are chosen, it is apparent, for melody and for the opportunity to demonstrate the virtuosity of great artists. The photography and direction are distinctly sympathetic ; they avoid monotony of viewing stance, and in so doing, they choose angles interesting and illustrative of skills. Particularly noteworthy are closeups of pianists' fingers, and feet; and of Emanuel Feuermann's fingering of cello strings. The photography is clean and sure; the lighting expert but not obvious, and the sound, almost perfect. In order, the performers, and their selections are: Vronsky and Babin, two pianos, "Polovtzian Dances"; Mr. Feuermann, "Rondo"; Jose Iturbi, piano, "Sevilla" and "Fantasie Impromptu"; Coolidge String Quartet, "Fugue"; Mildred Dilling, harp, "The Fountain" and "Men of Harlech"; Vronsky and Babin, two waltzes, and "Flight of the Bumblebee"; Mr. Feuermann, "Spinning Song"; the quartet, "Andante"; Miss Dilling, "Fireflies"; Mr. Iturbi, on the harpsichord, "Suite," by Rameau; on piano, Liszt's 11th "Hungarian Rhapsody." It will be seen from the names of the performers that this is a positive draw for the musically literate. Seen at the Little Carnegie theatre, New York. A crowded house applauded at the conclusion of several selections, and exclamations of appreciation were heard frequently.