New-York tribune., 1873-03-17


AuOws p,prL
Tapi@s from semramids G Bel ragsio1 ROssin
Mile. Heuriette Corradl ,,,,
coocertsick for piano with orr hestra.. Won "eDer
Mr. Richard Holman
-,o,, 20 T,,pte,s Diyina Commedia" ...Liszt
The Haydn symphony has never been played before
the Philharmonic Society. How fresh aud delightful
Old master after the severe intellectual
nasio which Of late years has crowded kim into the
r.ckground The oxford symphony is not, we suppose
what would nowadays be called great work, aud yet
,isa model Of elegant construction spontaneous mel
osv and ingenious scoring, work which only one or
two musicians who lived could have equaed The
two adagos are exquisite in sentiment ami the hnai
presto is an irresistible bit Of gayety equally relnAiA
able for its spirit and its refinement
The audience reserved their interest however for the
Dante" symphony which regarded As one OF Liszts
eatest and most scientific works. II was played pS
the Philharmonic Society just three years ago. Au "
then discussed at some length the theory VI ' OOP
sitiOn which 70 Us a radically iaSe oe ~. r.
tpg TO illustrate the Inferno ana fWEa'oiio Va W
uDiv1pa Commedia" 1t deals with supJect Wic Is in
- :, .uso,I renresentation. II it could portray
"a st attempts 70 do the torments Of the damned the
hreks and curses OF the evil spirits the en
nest which drives the reprobate TO ana ro IN eVerna
,rnes ii u could even symbolize the anguish Oh thaV
middle state where the noorpOreal part OF man Is sup
,sed 70 be purged by fire from the remnant OF earthy
sDer.ectoD IL would not be music at all; 1t must be
nothing more than horrible succession OF diseoras
r,,nte made the lower world the mere theater upon
,rhieh he brought the personages OF MS orama anu
nied olr minds rather with the story Of his actors
,s,n their condition But the musician has not TINS
r.ource He can only indicate vaguely general state
torture and remorse not the narrative Of an individual
oaracer LisYt therefore has failed OF necessity 10
reproduce the poetcalOr shall we say the orthodoXt-
tasa OF Hell. and has failed, but less con
.D,cuously 70 portray the Catholic Purgatory. The
tod ha mad
n the first two divisions Of Dantes poem Nevertheless
he has produoed one OF the terrible tone pictures
aver paiuted Perhaps there OF his works more
irving 70 the unsled listener none more vexed Win
oroblems OF counterpoint or more abrupt IN meiouc
brases: a irst hearing Of the symphony s indeed for
most people painful task but the impression LEFT by
nothing less than awful. In its dDa effect upon the
mind if surpasses every other musical composition with
b,cb we are familiar except the Ninth Symphony OF
beethoven The Inferno opens with tremendous pas
sag. for the tuombones supposed TO typy the lnscrp
ton over the gates Of Hell;
Per me 81 "a nella eita dOlents:
per me 81 "a neP efcTgO dOtOre;
Per me 81 ra ira Ia per1'ta 9eI'te;
and then the rumpets and horns peal forth the everaS
ing curse:
Ldsciate OQni sperdasd UOi en- entrdte.
The uproar and commotOn Of the succeeding allegro
usnoo broken with wild cries and groans the shrek
of ions the scream Of and basseons, IS doubtless
the nearest approach which music can make TO repre-
sanitation OF fearful state where the concord OF
sounds must be forever unknown. out of this dismal
byss Lsz brings forth not the yell Of the demons, but
che wall OF OF suffering and sOrrowing souls There is
an interval OF comparative rest disturbed only by nt
r uneasy movement the muted violus and the harp
and In the midst Of il the bass caronet and flutes take
p an exqusitely mournful dialogue those pathetic
Zines Of the poet, NessHn ma0gior doiore. etc
There is no greater
Than 70 be mindful OF the happy time
In misery"
This leads to the Gnddnte amoroso, indescribably
sorrowful strain in which viOns, voIas and cell in
turn seem TO burden Of agonzng remniscence
The whole passage is marvel OF poetic expression,
beautiful yet terrible and laden with grief that is be-
SOnd earthly experience The sudden recurrence OF the
lnfernal tumuit brings back from this extraordinary
revery with a shock, ana the movement closes with
fearful repetition OF the curse. Leave nope behind ali
We who enter here"
In the Purgatoro the purpose OF the composer was 10
onbine with the expression OF pain, penitence, and
sssrlness some rays Of hope aud something OF the
beauty OF prayer choral theme the motive Of which
borrowed from Gregoran chant succeeds the short
Introduction and is followed 1--WE quote from the descrp-
tive programme by second theme QameHtOso indca-
re Of seaccusatiOn, patient resignation, and mex
pressibe sorrow. a fugue movement IS introduced
Iamentiug weeping, entreating-commencing with one
goioo gradually developing into chorus OF voices
t1numerabe striving with ever increasing feryOr IN
prayer At the climax OF the fugue, the principal theme
originally introduced after the manner OF ehoraIe
stands out boldly, and after shrlnks back as 1t
were in humility and cOntriuon, and, accompanied
by paintive recitative, disappears altogether" We
are only confirmed in the opinion expressed Of this
portion Of the work three years that IL Is both
vague and mOnOtOnOus. As triumph OF scientific skill
and ingenuity in the resolution of harmonic difficulties,
n a deeply interesting study TO musicians; but the
average musical public. which cares nothing for the
neft untyng OF hard knots the score finds the con-
saat Of phrases tedious and the sentiment far
lss pathetic than IN andante Of the Inferno.
At close Lisz introduces soprano and alto chorus
The Of harps that Paradise is near
Tie Gregorian chant arises, Mdgnifeat aHirRG DeG
DOriAurl. Ny soul uoth magnify the Lord 2" ana
the symphony closes with an Outburst OF JOY,
as heaven opens and the purified souls
sDtsr into their reward. Here is true gran
aeur. almost equal 70 the lurid terrors OF
the Inferno But after ALL it leaves US uncOmfortably
perpleIed The day has gone by when Liszt and Wag-
ner could be decried mad fanatics. The new music is
gaining ground IL has conquered the allegiance OF for
udsbe sect Of connoisseurs 1t IS played and sung IN
every city the civilized world fausr listen TO 1t
whether like it not and the wisest Of us have
resolved Ike it if possible at least 70 pre-
tend 10 like IL If we can do more. And yet 1t is
rather ssddening 20 think that the symphony OF
the future is TO be like this - 'Dante"-pOetc,
Imaginative fOrcble and thoughtful as IT is, but so ter
n5y hard and srOtesque II Is saddening to be told
That there shall never be another Haydn that the world
shall gladdened with the bright fancies and
graceful sentiment Of a new Mozart; that even the
heaites 5chumann are fashions Of the iTrevoeabe
past. that We shall wrestle with melodies as If they
were Greek suffer all the pangs Of Purgatory be-
fore eau work out a tune, and go 10 Hell for our
inspiration
The execution Of the symphony Saturday calls for
no special adverse criticism. The chorus numbering
eighteen ladies' placed behind and above the or
NE eff have