New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-25


Overture, Leonora," No. |. IN c. 0p. l3s
Overture. Leonora," No. 2 N g. op' - -
Overture, Tldclio," No. A, IN +, op. H.
symphony in A, No. :. o.. b.:
Theme and variations, -cncrzo and Finale from the
Uvcrtufe Egmont." Op. 81
WeHaye no recollection Of any previous perorhshcc
In this country OF tie four oyertures TO tideo on te
same evening. interesting and curious entertain
mcnt could hardly have becn devised ior
such an occasion. AS the four pieces STOOD last
night, in the numerical order commonly assigned
TO them we probably did not have them in the order Ia
which they were composed. but the succession was an
effective for coucer, purposes aud as they all repre-
sont the same manure period in Beethoyens artistic de-
yelonnenC the slight chronological d.salraihe-
ment was of consequence. The researches
OF Herr Nottcbohn have made IL pretty clear tiat opus
1873. known as the 1st "Leonora" overture, was not
written until 1907 No. having been composed IN loVo
No IN 1906 and No. (Fidono' in ISL II curious
fact however thLt none OF them given with the
initial performance of the OPERA the first approximation
having taken place with another work OF bcelhoNehs
borrowed for the occasion as an introduction WITHIN
day or two the original first overture TO "I%ohora
THAT now enormously called No. y was substituted
for tbs masesutt but the PaTts for TIE
wind instruments were 100 difficult and the
composcr was dissatisfied When the opera was brought
forward again in ls06, Beethoven entirely recst TINS
overture retaining most of the original themes adhs
new ones giving greater finish, cOIDpactheaS ana bii-
lancy aud so producing the magnificent " Leonofa "
No. properly No ~ srandest OF the whole series
onus IJs called No. !, but really NO $,
seems to have been composed for the repre-
senaton OF the opera at Prague in 1907, be '>c the
eyios overture wa. difficult for the strings, and
also too long Ii introduces the air OF FioreSdn winch
figures 80 largely both its predecessors LAT us D'-
ties are comparatively quiet and gentle aGi IL l. con-
celyed in a spirit much less majestic thaJ no one can
wonder II the world has long agreed III assigning
il an earlier origin. Why 1t inay laid aside IA not
clear Ii cannot been bccauSe the composer uder-
valued H. Tor VIXEN lie undertook in lsii to write new
oyerture for the opera, revised and named fldelo
instead of Lo0uOra," he TOOK TINS work or l7V1,
and began to recast it In the key Of l. major.
TINS task however he laid aside, and wrote
instead the hricht and eff ctve No. t. which contains an
entirely fresh set OF themes. Thee reinIrkabe ovtTtes
were all play cd last night not only with exceptional spirit
and magnetism, but wish beautifully clear and elegant
reading which must impressed the least attentive
listener Perhaps however the excellence OF TINS part
of the concert surpassed III tle performance OF
the symphonyone OF the most perfect and Thoroughly
sympathetc we ever listened TO. Thonass interpreta-
ton OF this sublime work IL remarxabie Tor
deep Insight and for moving eloquence, and the
listener who touched last night by the Gvne
Aegretts or reused by the glorious Finale Gun have no
music in mis- soul.
TIE symphony Thursday will be one OF Mozarts
greater worKs, No. 10 in &C.