Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-04-15
Correspondence of the Free Press.
FROM OUR NEW YORK MUSICAL
CORRESPONDENT

No. 7.
MARCH 80, 1859.
NY Ds,, F,es Press;
Since my last, VIC have been little
more favored in the musical way; the chief enter
tainment having been the third Concert of the Phil
harmonic Society which took place on the evening
Of Saturday last This Concert was remarkable
for two things: lst, the production (for the first
tme,) Of Bristows Third Symphony for full Or
chcstra; and I'd, on accoun. of the first ueck-1ay
appearance of Mr.. s. B. Mills, Of whose Sunday
evening performance made mention in prev-
Gus letter.
| Mr.. Bristow ha. certainly taken his stand among
| the composers Of the day; and right proud may
American d;lettanti be Of possessing inhim n devo-
tee to Art, who is not content with having merely
risen to tho usual " notch" required of thorough
musician, but who has striven TO do, and succeeded
in DONG .ome thing towards the furtherance Of the
! interests Of tha, Art which has done so much for
! him.
Thi. symphony of his is certainly great Com
position, not only considered as a network Of Or
chcstra invention, but also account Of its close
connection with, and successful musical expression
of poetic imagery, at once as beautiful as it is
rare. Composers are at length becoming sick and
tired Of first ruling out certain musical phrase
or subject, as it with square and COMPASS and
then dixie cat with in her clutches), turn
ing and twisting it, knocking it first on one side
and then on the other, kicking and cutting it,,
placing it upside down and then right-sde up,
putting its tail where its head ought to be- and the
middle at both ends, (as Pat would say y, and after
all this, olapping boisterous finale thereto with
abundance of fifth and tonic pounding on the in
variable kettle-drums, (those indispensable scape-
goats of the sins Of false ddles and cracked flutes
and clarionets); yes, thank Progress, this idea of
musical aesthetics is fast disappearing, and the
aspirant after Apollo's laurels is beginning to look
moro to nature for materials wherewith to build
the foundation for his intellectual creations, the
only wonder being that the desirable snge has
been SO long making its appearance.
As to the work under consideration, the coinpo-
ser ha. chosen for his subject the beautiful lines Of
Collins in his Ode to the Passions.
A solemn motive in four-four time, is announc
ed by the Contrabassi, which constitutes the
leading idea of the first movement. 1t is in the
minor mode, (as it should beg, and is beautifully
worked up, running through the range Of all the
main instruments of the colossal Orchestra, with
a contrapuntal finish and conscientious adherence
to technical detail which is the delight Of the har
monist and the admiration Of the true musica
student. short but effective fugato near thu
end of the first movement, forms the culminatin,
, point of the previous ideas, and close. in appa
rent re-echo of the opening dignifed theme, ad
mirably illustrative in its sadness of the mourn
full poetry to whose sentiment it strictly adheres
! The second movement in graceful az time
dedicated to
"The gay and flirting Butterfly"
. and the best writing is for the vioins, which ar
admirably handled.
Tho third movement we liked less than any c
the four, and although We are willing to ascrib
it to ouI dullnsss or perhaps lack appreciation
yet would modestly advance the opinion tina,
might be improved by a slight curtailment.
The fourth and last movement is descriptive
the contest Of the passions and fearful hght
is, as all must know who are not wholly un-iu
, passioned themselves The brass is we'll handle
in this movement, nor do think it is overladei
n And We would take this opportunity of remarkin
u how few orchestra writer's, and especially ineIper
n enced ones (of which latter class however NJ
: Bristow is not one) know how to write for tn
|. bra .ch Of the Orchestra. How often have we su
fered through long penance in the form Of thr
or four trombones braying forth their ear-crackir
streams Of unsarthly oounds ru,hlessly GOVERN
up Violins, Violas, Clarionets and almost ev
=, flutes and picolo without mercy In the la
rs movement Of Mr.. Bristow's symphony, efect
le but most decidedly judicious use is made Of 4
d brass instruments, and when nearly al is fnisho
!. there is great calm" Trombones fall from t
D. performers lips like tho fabby sails Of ship
u smooth water, the tornado has ceased the victo
Is declared ON the side Of purity and continen,
and our eyes close involuntarily as our ears op
a. wider in the most luscious aud serene eontentmel
% while the lovely strains of the ever wooing v
az lns flow smoothly on In the strait channel leadi
eventually to the utmost immaginably gra
ful - major Yes, the symphony en-
-. and for somo pages before the end is eondu
, cd, in the key Of sir shdrps Think Of that
,' Pre-Beethovenites and Pre-A -Albrechtsbergians
And yet this great work is despatched by
astuts critic Of the "Timss" with = few wor