Madame Lili Kraus Receives Standing Ovation At Benefit Recital
By F. P. Hulme
The world-famous pianist
Lili Kraus gave her annual
“Music in the Mountains”
Benefit Recital in the Burnsville
First Baptist Church July 19,
and the echoes of the applause
from the packed-to-overflowing
audience must still be swirling
around the town square. When
she entered, radiant in gold
brocade, she was given a
standing ovation of several
minutes, and at the conclusion
of the concert an »veti longer
ovation paid tribute to this
remarkable woman.
Mme. Kraus had as assist
ing artists two members of the
Celo Chamber Players, Frank
Ell, clarinet, and Joel Lipton,
viola, in Mozart's Trio in Ei flat
Major, the only clarinet trio
from that composer’s hands.
After a subtle and sophisticated
reading that still retained the
freshness and wonder of the
music, it was astonishing to
hear Mme. Kraus say there had
been only one rehearsal of the
trio.
Both Ell, who is the music
director of the Celo group, and
Lipton were in excellent form
and confirmed again the strong
impression they have made in
previous appearances in the
area. The emotional exchange
and the tonal balance among the
players was chamber-music
playing of an extraordinary
quality, and most admirable was
Mme. Kraus’s refusal to over
power her colleagues, as too
often happens in piano trios.
Her disciplined brilliance gave
dynamic impulse to the more
lyric contributions of the clarinet
and the viola.
For her solo recital Mme.
Kraus began with Bach’s
Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue,
which she prefaced with fascin
ating and helpful comments, as
she did with all the numbers of
the evening. It is no exaggera
tion to say that the great pianist
report U.S. Senator
FROM A
JESSE ★★
■ HELMS
11- ’
WASHINGTON—There is a deluge of unwise and dan
gerous legislation flooding onto the Senate calendar these
days. And, as is always the case, this kind of legislation
is given the most appealing titles, so as to deceive the
American people into believing that the Federal Govern
ment is going to solve all the problems of mankind.
I suggest tha»t citizens keep their hands on their wallets
when politicians promise to "solve” problems. It's these
very politicians who caused the problems in the first
place.
INFLATION —The awesome inflation the country is now
experiencing is the result of political tampering with
America's economic principles. I have discussed in these
reports many times the enormous Federal debt that the
Congress has run up over a period of nearly 40 years.
Within the next twelve months, the Federal debt will be
in excess of a half-trillion dollars!
That's because the politicians have been buying votes
with promises of something-for-nothing from the Federal
treasury; they have passed laws to pay able-bodied people
not to work; they have rushed through bad legislation to
shackle the free enterprise system; they have dished out
countless billions of dollars in so-called "foreign aid" to
countries that couldn't care less whether America survives.
AHEAD —In the months and years ahead, unless the
trend changes, we can expect socialized medicine, and the
nationalization of a number of our businesses and indus
tries. If this sounds like a dire forecast, just wait around
and see what happens.
As this is written, it appears likely that the Congress will
pass a so-called "Legal Services Corporation Act." This
legislation has been widely and falsely advertised by the
major news media as a worthy piece of legislation. In
fact, however, I predict that it will lead to the constant ‘
harassment o f countless thousands of citizens by lawyers
drawing Federal checks.
Several of us have been fighting this legislation, but
we've just about reached the end of the road—unless
something miraculous happeps. There are just too many
liberals, and too few conservatives, to hold back this un
wise legislation much longer.
CPA —By the time this report is published, the Senate
probably will be engaged in debate on another measure
which also has an appealing title —but which is exceed
ingly dangerous.
It is called the "Consumer Protection Agency Act." My
colleague, Senator Ervin, has properly described this legis
lation as an attempt to "coronate a Caesar within the
Federal bureaucracy."
In a formal report to the Senate, Senator Ervin and
three other Senators commented: "With deference to
Shakespeare, we say to -other supporters of consumer
rights that our support is no less than theirs; that we
rise against this Caesar, not because we desire consumer
protection less, but because we desire good government
more."
These four Senators are members of the Senate's Com
mittee on Government Operations, which cleared the bill
for consideration byjhe full Senate. There are, at most,
about 20 others of us who will join these four Senators
in fiehting this legislation on the Floor of the Senate.
A filibuster is likely.
Ralph Nader has already attacked every Senator who
has spoken out against this bill. And, needless to say,
most of the major news media will publicize and endorse
Nader's reckless statements. But this is, nevertheless, very
bad legislation, which the people will eventually learn
to their sorrow. By that time, it will be too late. They
will be in the chains of yet another Federal bureaucracy,
talks almost as well as she
plays, and from her lifelong
intimacy with these classics she
helped her listeners achieve
special insights. Her playing of
the Bach item was powerful and
free, revealing the intricate
architecture of the chromatic
modulations and building stead
ily to a shattering climax.
Six German Dances of
Mozart were, in contrast, lightly
appealing, superbly performed
but not intrinsically as compell
ing as the remainder of the
program.
Two Brahms compositions,
Rhapsodie in G Minor (Opus 79)
and Intermezzo in B flat Minor
(Opus 117), gave Mme. Kraus
scope for poignant and passion
ate interpretation. She express
ed the noble yearning of this
romantic music without in the
least sentimentalizing it, with
prismatic tonal effects and
cunningly shaped phrases pos
sible only to a mistress of her
art.
For the concluding Schubert
Wanderer Fantasia, Mme.
Kraus amused her listeners by
recalling that the composer, in
despair at his inability to
perform the work as he thought
it should be done, once cried
out, “Only the Devil can play
this piece!” With a charming
smile she asked, “Well, have I
committed myself?”
On the contrary, she played
it like an angel-or perhaps
several angels, since this
“ali-but-unplayable” mas
terpiece, better known in Liszt’s
version with orchestral accom
paniment, challenged the ulti
mate in her technical and
emotional reserves, and she
reached heroic heights in her
triumph. Even so, the most
affecting moments, for at least
one listener, came in the
meditative “slow movement,”
where the performer seemed
almost to disappear, leaving
only the creator and his
anguished question about hope.
The Wanderer is a tremen
dous experience for pianist and
*★★★★★★ ★★★★ ★ BURNSVILLE PLAZA, BURNSVILLE ★★★★★★★★*★★*
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audience, and Mme. Kraus was
wise not to close the evening
without some lessening of the
musical tension. Her single
encore, the celebrated (notori
ous?) Sonatina in C Major of
Mozart, was beautifully or
dered, radiant and raring, an
affirmation of the life-principle
which permeates everything
this great and generous pianist
plays.
THE YANCEY JOURNAL JULY 25, 1974
.'5 ■
A reception, with refresh
ments by Women’s Club of
Burnsville, gave Mme. Kraus’s
admirers opportunity to express
more personally the gratitude
and appreciation which had
begun this memorable evening
with that standing ovation.
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