New-York tribune., 1873-05-13
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
NiIrSIC.
rHE RuBrNsrEIN REcrrAIs.


Mr. Rubinstein began yesterday afternoon, at
- TIo,i the eer,es Of seven pisno-forte reoitas IN
', S rrrnosas giving synopsis CT the history of
torte music from the time OF Johann Sebastian
peb IN tho present day. The task which he has set
,,seIf would ovortax the powers Of almost any other
r.,st The performer is required to copy styles the
.t diverse 20 fail in with fashions the most strongly
otrasted to sympathze With many various manifesto
cations Of genius, and to accommodate himself to the
Hanging forms OF art which has been almost rsvOlu
tnised during the period which he has undertaken TO
ustrate His remarkable enterprise has aroused great
,,ersf IN musical circles but 1t ba imperfeotly
appreciated by the general pn>c. The large hail. yes
terday a Steinway's, only about onethrd filed.
Perhaps this small attendance owing to the fact that
the first programme devoted those ancient fathers
OF pianoforte music-Bach. Handel. and their imme-
date SUCCESSORS, whom uncutivated modern audiences
deride dry and formal But they are not dry when
they they are interpreted by accomplished and
sympathetic player, they were yesterday. Nothing
could surpass freshness and branoy of the two or
three Prcludes and Fugues from ]. g. Bach's "Wel-
Tempered CavchOrd the foundation Of the science OF
piano playing-with which the concert opened. Then
Mr Rubinsten PLAYED q delightful Gi0ts by the same
compOser-a jig such giant might have danced-and
the "Cbromato Fantasia" with its tremendous fugue'
this last being OF the finest exhibitions OF tne
planist'' power have enjoyed. Rubinsten has
thorough appreciation OF the stately dignity OF the older
classical masters and though his impetuosty carries
hun away sometimes and the elegant formality Of tho
composer occasionally lost in the magnificent torrent
that from his fingers this exuberance Is generally
restrained, and is never very serious blemIsh one
specmen given from Carl Philip Emanuel Bach,
the son Of Sebastian beautiful ROndo, graceful
and poetoand then three four selections from
Handel Including the Harmonious Blacksmith" (air
and variations in i major, and beautA1M
Air and Variations In minor followed by an Andante
and Variations Ot Haydn's. All these were deighuuy
hafNa --uQaf fhp
"Cats Fugue" Of DOmenieO Scarlatt a composition
which derives ts name from the circumstance that cat
Jumping the keys OF the masters instrument struck
he which he into his theme. II is an excel
Ient specimen OF the best school of harpschord writing
quiet graceful and highly finished The sonata by the
composer. which followed it on the programme, is
not sonata the modern Of the word for it has
only one movement The concert closed with Mozart,
whom Mr. Rubinstein seemed 10 approach with more
Sowing sympathy than any Of his other composers, and
70 interpret with fidelity than any other except
perhaps Sebastian Bach. He chose from the works OF
this immortal genius the exquisite Fantasia in minor
Che Clique In G major the familiar Roudo in A minor.
and the stirring movement ala TlreI from the sonata
an A major The next recital Tomorrow afternOoD) viii
be devoted % Beethoven.
HINTS TO PROGRANME-MAKERs.
TO the BdftOr OF The Tr'bWHs.
SIR. The TRIBUNE of the 26th has just
reached us, and find, editorial paragraph, the
question, What Sir, Thomas do for US next year
Chat will not seem mean by comparisonp The question
suggested by the performances Of the Festival
Week. winding up with BeethOven's Ninth symphony.
would preface my answer to this question by the TO
mark that the proper concerts should be to afford
delight. II this end be attained they essentially
great. otherwise they only great in the that
Mr.. GtlmOre's " Jubilees" 80. Your remark that
Dir. Thomas has no more worlds 10 conquer" would
seem 10 imply that he has given the public Opportu
nifty 10 bear all the music of consequence that has been
composed Not by any mesns.-EdI Let US see:
HaydD'5 "OXfOrd symphony" was performed in New
York for the first time. this year; II delighted th au-
dienoe Very well This composer il said 70 have com.
posed over hundred symphonies. know that some OF
them not great works, but nOne of them which
have heard weansOme. and not quarter Of them
have been performed in this country Would it not he
well 70 have al Haydns symphonies overhauled. For
admitting partially the dicum OF the Wagnerites that
they are small matters, insist that some Of them
truly Iu the line Of symphony, there
works by Mozart. How many of these are known 10 |
Nov -YOTkersi Not half "A score, 1 venture to saw |
There IS one other symphony composer who believe is
utterly unknown IN city, 10 the derimeDt of its
habtaIt 1 refer 70 KalhwOds His First Symphony |
tOpus n charming work. so the people ~ Lepsic
sd on s rst performance in 1926 and concur in their
estimate. 80 much for symphonies to which the New
Workers. strangers. will a word Of one or two
other composers. IN concert programmes sOpatas have
aprOminent part. Have any OF the piano compositions |
Of j. B. Cramer been heard in your city II not
might they not be played with edhcatOnf Has Han |
oes water Music" been presented TO your concert
soersi This music had admirers IN the time of
Although am a Yankee, can't help thinking that
We area OF concert programmes mIgh be enlarged with
bs0 Orleans april 80, 1873