Can they take it ?

What must they have felt when they actually heard the Hindemith? I have not heard of any outbursts of abuse, or even seen the puzzled looks of the diffident, but myself I found Hindemith lively and musical as ever—a first movement full of verve, a rush of exciting ideas uttered in a musical tongue which admittedly becomes intelligible only to the zealous listener who has lent his ear to plenty of modern music. Then a houseful slow movement with whisperings of some silent tragedy. (Here the effect on the audience was plain to the ear; heads were bent to catch every sound in a delicate texture.) And finally a very lively ending-movement, again with a rush of ideas and tricks to please.

It was a help to have a rough "thematic analysis" done beforehand, illustrating the main themes and figures, and what happens to them.

The third sonata was the same Brahms sonata that was played at the last Vandewart-Davies recital in town, Op. 99 in F. It is music for voluptuaries, for all its many passages of extreme technical difficulty—Brahms in the mood for which he was frequently chastised by G. B. Shaw in his music-critic days. But it was played much better this time than last, and every-one was glad to have heard it, particularly, no doubt, those who had a bitter taste left from the Hindemith.