, 1873-10-11

THE FIFTH THOMAS CONCERT.

THE FIFTH T1loatAs CONCERT.
Among tho ploaRantest souvenirs Of tho
various Thomas HoasonB In tlis city aro tho
nights which ho aots apart for tho compositions
Of certain maBtors. Many pooplo will romombor
the Beethoven night at Tar,soll Hall, on tho
14th Of November, 1870, whom tho "paHtoral
Symphony" tho "Third Lconore Overture" tho
"eeptettc, ,Op. 20, "and tho "Choral Fantasia" woro
performed; also tho Wagner night, last wintor.
Last ovoning was devoted to Beethoven again,
with tho exception of two numbers, tho Mozart
bass aria, "hfentre tt Lascio, sung by Mr. Witt
ney, and Joachim Hungarian Concerto, played
by Mr. LissoEaann. Tho grand foaturos Of
the programme wore tho Eighth Symphony"
and the four ovortures to "Fidelo," which havo,
never been played hero before in ono pro-.
gramme, and ono Of which, tile fret, has never
boon given here at oil until now. Perhaps no.
questions aro asked 80 often, In reference to-
Beethovon's works, as those touching tho origin:
OF those four ovorturoB, and tho reason why
there arc 80 many Of thom, and "a thoro Ina,
been much confusion In the minds even Of mu-.
slcans with roferonco to tho overtures, faw
Introductory words concerning thom will bo Of
interest Just at this time Tile opora itself was:
written In 1904. and vas performed for.
tho first timo In tho Theatre An.
unaor Beethovon'a own direction. Il was sat 1t:
frat called "Loonore," but when 1t was reuoi-.
clod tho nainc was changed to "Tidelio." Tho,
four oysrturoa arc tho :" Loonoro No. /, in g
oop,'F a. oR 'sG EaonoIs ms0pS3e Ns No. in s.o
Minor, op. a." With ''e tho S'' first % ovor- T.
ture, Dcetlsovon himsot waa not satisfied.
and, before tho opera was performed, ho testcd
It IN tho Of al
noissoure, who decided that 1t waB too ucht,
and it. was therefore laid aside, aud never
made isa apppeatancs again during Dootho-
tho finest melodies 10 las ever ever writton. writ II.
Other musicians. however, havo hold this over
turo in very high estoem. The first time that it
was ever performed in England, Mcndossoln
conducted it. il 1874, and Bsrlioz introduced It
when tho opera was first performed, and wab ro-
garded az fully character'zinc tho dramatic Sub
tects Of the work, but 1t was 80 difficult for tho
wind Instruments that Beethoven waB ve1od at
and threw It aside and prepared the third, whiol,
| ia tho most massive and exciting work Of the
four. In tho third there is tho samo thomo in
tho introduction and in tho allegro movement,
tho two oyorturea are entirely different. As the
second was too hard for the wind instruments,
| so the third aas found to be too hard for tho
vlolins, which could NOT obtain tho requisite
precision. It vas furthcrmoro objected to it
that, although 1t was worry brilliant, 1t was too
long. Beethoven would not curtail It, however,
but laid it aside and wrote the fourth which WAS
published with the opera in 1916, aud which is
usually played now with tho orora. It haa
never been, however, 30 great favorite as the
second or third, ard porlapB mover will bo. It
IL very seldom TINT an opportunity ig offorcd Of
hoar1lg these four ovortures at ono time, and for
this privilege Mr.. Thomas has oasailed one more
debt Of gratitude upon tho lovers Of music in
| thiA city. AlEhntrh fIAv all min n fha
| subject, the themes ale very diversified. and
there is little in common between them which
would strike tho ordinary hoarcr, e1copt, per-
P the the aosny sf1's q on snmst po peal fog w
therefore bear boing upon ono programme, and
hereafter all doubts al to which should bo play-
cd might 10 solved by playing all four. Inst
eevoning tho, third wa! tho favorite, Judging
! performance. After tho fourth, hlr. Whitney
| aang SOLEMN and majestic nriotta Of Dootho-
ven's called "In Questa Ton1ba,'" which Was nd
] mirably adapted to As grand and broad method.
added greatly to the eHect especially in
his resonant low tones Tho COMFORT
elosod with tho Eighth Symphony" which, el-
though tho shortest, is unquestlonaby ono OF
ons a 0lt L & not @ nS % lore Ssoss f fer
many years, excepting one movement, the aI1u-
gretto, which has become familiar, Al this orchcs-
tra has played it every Heason it has been in the
lily 4HV AlEGIO IEuMGgluh VI IL UtAu0 q DfEuk
in tho continuity Of tue performance, al tha
audience insisted upon repetition In most un-
,nistakabo mannor. Tho quality OF thia orches-
ira has mover boon tosted in 4 more satisfactory
ma,inor E. than in tho playing Of tho fnala
to Alr. Thonas' yory rapid tempo. At tho close
Of the performance tho audience greeted bIr.
Thomas with the hoartioBt applause, and, az tho
audience was tho largoht Of the scason, it may 10
presumed that classical music is getting firm
foothod in Chicago.
This afternoon the programme will be as fol.
lowB:
Overture. ....."..............--
fas: 1atsr,ns:zzo, "M,slsum,ner Nights
Set'ias March, D's seqsest5. HsaoF'''N'
Mr. Myrbn ". Nhitncy.
Solo for Harp-Gra1'd studio, I'd amt-
''N'''' '$' Ts. 4. iockrooa +A'''" "''"f'
Rhapsod!e Hongroiae, No. 2"................. Liazt
PART SECOND.
Introduction ehpss epra na .s ftSh: fnsv;n Wagner
Fantasi. for Violin" Lombart .vtouxtcmps
WITT. .,,,,,, 3r. 3,.... ); +, Jaeo1shOn.
lMsr. as 31.n,,
Overture" 11unyaii iaszio ""y .Erkct
Tho programme for this evening il sopeti-
ton Of tho ono played at the first concert, al
follows:
4!es!etto-" Esa;h Symphony bssi9sysa
tAdsptca for ofshf:tra b. Hector nsrio;z|
Aria" 1t Is Enough" ~" EllI!h Il -; MendslHsohn
Symphonic poetn-" 1.cs pfcl'es Llszt
Overture" William Tell ,noastni
t,s ta,'tial slas Dan'.s :s!rsass
Bong" 1oched ~ tae crad!e ot ' tle Deep" KniytA
| Polka NIuzurka-" Lob der Frauem,"( e,u,,,a.