Music: Deep River Antiques

The program listed eight artists, performing works by composers from the 9th Century (Notker Balbulus) to the 18th (Gretry), but the busiest person at a concert given last week in Deep River, Conn. was an earnest lady in a brown evening dress named Lotta Van Buren. She delivered explanatory remarks. She plucked twangy notes with a crow’s quill on a monochord. She strummed on a psaltery which looks like a large, shallow cigar-box with strings. Standing up, she tinkled on an octavina. Sitting down, she bowed away on a viol, played a virginal. She blew into a black wind instrument called a recorder. Lotta Van Buren had so performed twice a week since July, would continue through September. She organized the Deep River Festival of Music, furnished the old instruments, trained her young performers to old music, much of which she had dug up in the Library of Congress.

A talkative, Wisconsin-born musician in her late 40’$, Lotta Van Buren is the ablest authority on old instruments in the U. S. She studied piano with Harold Bauer, turned to lecturing in schools and colleges, accompanying herself on portable spinets and virginals. Seven years ago Yale University gave her her first big job —restoration of its fine Steinert collection of 50 antique instruments. Since then she has done similar work for Barnard College, the Beethoven Association, Cooper Union, many a private owner and John D. Rockefeller’s picture-postcard Williamsburg, Va. Miss Van Buren has a notable collection of her own including a chest (set of six) of viols, one of which was owned by Handel. A thoroughgoing purist in restoring instruments, she also makes reproductions, would like nothing better than to see oldtime, easily playable instruments placed in a widespread number of homes.

Lotta Van Buren’s capable players include a medieval-looking brother and sister, but otherwise the group lacks the main characteristic of old instrumentalists —family solidarity. Bearded, bad-tempered, 77-year-old Arnold Dolmetsch of England, a famed researcher and maker of fine instruments, plays, somewhat badly, in ensemble with his wife, his two daughters, his two sons, his in-laws. Better known for their records (Victor) than for concerts are Ben Stad, Dutch-born Philadelphian who began as a violinist, and his American Society of the Ancient Instruments. This is also a family affair, composed of Mrs. Stad, a son, a brother-in-law and a close friend named Jo Brodo who plays the quinton (five-stringed treble viol).

Best performers of all are the French Societe des Instruments anciens, founded in 1901 by Henri-Gustave Casadesus. Composed of some Casadesus brothers, friends and Mme Regina Patorni-Casadesus, this group has made several U. S. tours. But for all their smooth playing the Societe members disappoint experts in one notable way. They play their viols like violins instead of holding them between the knees, sawing resonantly as old-time players did.