The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-04
AM SFM EYIs.
The Pini Philharmonic Corc.rt.

symphony by Liszt, intended to give express
son ia music TO OF the strange and wonderful
scenes written OF BY Dante In his great poem, was
played on Saturday evening, at the PLilharrpynic
concert Tho enterprise that leads the direction OF
lie Phil armonic soeiey to give these modern y.
duetions 10 conimendabe. IL s easy 10 say that Ne
mphones Of the old masters better and more
erJoyahie, but all musieay inclined persons are
rxious to know what the modern men are about,
lBd tie wilder and the more eItraysgAnt tie music
uty write IL, the greater naturally is the curiosity
70 tear It.
Tue music Of 1lsHt to. Dante's "HeI" and
Purgatory" Ia to our thinking the worst that the
Composers Of this school can do. We are thankful
10 elieye that in this symphony they have their
course 10 its very end and exhausted their powers
o. psTversion. Having lived through that hour OF
agony during which this symphony lasted and
capped with reason not Oyortrrown, we can safely
bid defiance to Li.zt, Wagner, and their fellow mad
Of the schuol Of the future. The principle on
which this musical monstrosity was constructed
Was evidently TO md out precisely what snsets the
aes, CONF sd made Otto produce lovely and
,atisf, ing results, aud to them IL WAS like
playing one of BccthOvcn's symphonies backward
In tie fret place II wa necessary that the whole
composition should be made tunelese, and in the
next pace, FAR as possible, was to set time at
de1Itce. In other words. the accent was to be
thrown on such unexpected parts Of the bea, that
tho musicians should seem to be playing 10 time
and the contucor to direct another. The tortures
Of the damned were to be illustrated. and this con.
Genial theme gave List famous excuse for uhheard.
of beleyimen. OF his orchestra shrieks from the
'ruIFets, cries Of shrill anguish nom the pecolos
sroaRs Of disiJess fr0m tie bass tuba, throbs of
pain rom the kettle drums, screams Of sharp tor.
ture from the claslng eymbals, yells Of
dcmpniac roce from the uombones, sishs
and sobs from the softer wind instru.
nents, we're oil heard At once In Wild carnival OF
dscord. and a climax To this orchestral fury the
violins were sent wgilipg and complaining In ehro-
wusical scale Till il seemed Us though Beclzebun,
"r ce OF devils, must have stood at the COMPOSERS
right and While 10 scored this work ME al
mi Of LisZt nnsv er such suggestions OF dIscord
~ lho reply that tue uuer this statement " the
more tie &c ius Of the author Is Demonstrated, for
The horrors OF the neither wor d were exactly what
10 intended 10 paint, AID the hidenus the re.
suit tae bet or the picture The WONDER is that
~ zts ianiliT spilit did not inspire him to compose
Tor eacr cass oi instruments In separate key. The
elect ol cen onac eonusion and horror at which be
aimed would q en- certainly have been attained and
us audence 0ent Rowing win Al gulsh out Of tie
house. Even now 1t h not 100 late, and Biz. berg
naLn wien he next per orms this work, might
have All tue VIOLA parts wrltien, say in the KEY OF
G, the second vlOlins In g sharp major, the
,!ols 10 D ni,.r. Ie double ba,'es aud
md the minor scales. TIE doors might then be
closed on the audience the orchestra tied down TO
viteI 70 witness the result The picture OF tie in.
eTnal re- ions that would II en be presented would
beyonn doubt strike terror in the ear, Of the
lou est sinner. In act We know OF nothing better
calculated 10 Gi u obduTae Ia repentance than this
work Of Liszt'-, for u any person could fully be
brought to realize that his puuis heren tel
wond consist In being compel cal oreyer TO listen
% tie s,uUhunJ that we heard for an hour on
rttu d1y .ht tncre is, We venture to say, no man
i!Nlng bold enough 10 contemplate unmovol such Il
i ,tn, ~ Hro would not at once take measures 10
NADINE rafe2, Rosa earg Beethoveen's noble
ARIA Al P"hto," In the spirit Of cxal'ation IN