New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-12
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
MUSIC.
MUSIC.
TIE SIXTH SYMPHONY CONCERT.


TIRE SIXTH SYMPHONY CONCERT.
For the last Of tho subscription series Of
Symphony Concerts at soinway Hall Theodore Thomas
presented OH Saturday night the following beautiful pre-
pramme: ,,
symphony in C. Jupiter" (Kosehel, Ssh. MozArA
1. Allegro yyaoe. hnuau" cahta"u"
Piano forte t concerto. No. 8, in fat OPP "a .,.
nsw Allegro vivacc 2. xndante 81 Allegro. ''''
Nine. madeline schiller and orchestra.
]. intrcdscti0n-Vivaoe. z z fia.is
The calm beauty. the quis. grace and tho majestic and
lofty sprIt OF Mozarts great Jupiter Symphony never
impressed us moro forciby than during TINS maNhess
performance We have master here In the fuhess OF
his power and all the freshness OF MS ,nVenton DIX
weeks OF tho bright summer OF bs LIE produced ths
Symphonies In G, in fat, and In u MINOR, ana uese
three are placed by consent among tho creator
musical class,cs All connoisseurs know what close
sympathy and nne intelligence Thomas brings to
the Interpretation OF Mozart, and It IL al
most superhuous to say that the dignity, ehgahoe
and cheerfness Of this delightful work were set forth
on Saturday with the greatest possible fidelity. Ths
Andante cantabe with It's exquisite theme for the muted
viol,ns was model Of finished and pocca execution.
The effect of the string hsrmones In this movement was
ingcno,sy heightened by placing the violss immedAty
IN front Of the conductor with the CEN ana Dasses IN
the rear The parts surprisingly disthot ana yes
ulrprispgy blended, and the melody came iorth WIN
soft mysterious beauty that was rsyshins We doubt
whether tho orchestra has d0no any thing Dotter ths
season. -
Equally impressive, though in very different way
was the performance Of the symphony In MAJOR winch
holds the Same place among tho works OF 'n
ths Jupiter occupies among the works OF mozart.
says Richard Wagner has earthly art created
anything 80 serene the symphonies In ana hdjo'
with all those works of tho master intimately rclated
to them date from that divine period OF ms com
plete deafness The aesthetic idea OF the sros IN ao"'
Applicable here for tho effect OF tho serene mere lisa
above all content in the beautiful" From tho opening
chord of the Introduction, which was attaeAea "'n
precision and electric spirit, TO the Last bar
OF tho Finale tho orchestra showed itself In superb cn-
per We can hardly tell which OF the movements de-
served the hcartest praisethe enhancing Vaco tha
deeply emotional Allegreto the fascinating scherzo with
its beautiful THO, the final Allegro con Drio Wuh iS
| tremendous strides for the bass strings
Tho novelty of the programme the Rubintein con-
certo a new work first given TO tho world about SIX
weeks ago. and played by the composer at lepsc Boz
lin and Vienna, together with the Dramatic symphony
which Thomas produced at his 18th concert In March
In certain respects bears strong resemblance 70 ina
Symphony We find in 1t some of the same novel rythn'
and strange semibarbarc themes; but upon the whole
its structure Is much simpler than that OF us companion
work. and Ii Is much moro quickly comprenehded' IL
begins with o string passage which bears curious
resemblance to tho opening bars OF the symphony;
|
treat force md boiness In tempo rubato. ending with
series of elaborate runs covering the whole keybosrd
the orchestra repeats the introduction with fuller har-
mones the piano replies with an effective rhythncsi
passage and after two ord pages takes up the unison
theme that was first heard from the strings but gives
o.. redoubed speed This Is device which It may 90 70
Rubinsten employs with great effect upon tho
Introductory phrase of his symphony Also The nrse
movement contains at least one striking melody
and number Of psodcal subjects all held in subection
however TO consistent idea, and although the move
mcnt may sound somewhat agmentsfy at the nrst hear
mg-as much Of Rubnsteins best music doesa little er-
animation will show its construction to be strictly logical
The Andante which is quite short, conssts Of graceful
melody worthy Mozart The orchestra plays through
the first part alone the closing bars containing remar
able pizzcatO bass for the cOntrabass which reours ale
forwards under varied conditions The second part
piano solo, played first espressione, and then
highly elaborated The beginning Is repeated. anu
the movement ends O beautiful and highly original
manner The last Allegro opens with strongly marked
melody somewhat rustic In its character played nst py
the piano alone and then repeated by the orchestra To
this succeeds series Of the most elaborate and difficult
passages extended at great length but having dstincs
connection with the original theme, aud ending in ire
mendous coda From first to last, the concerto taIes
the powers Of the pianist to the utmost 1t was written
for the composers marvellous fingers and we doubt
| whether anybody else display its maSnihcence;
perhaps few interpret its real meaning. Is
merely mass of difficult ornaments The flying arpeg-
o passages the long the involved fourishes tho
astonishing handfus Of pano-fOrte harmonies thrown
dcfany upon page integral parts OF close and
regular The history OF music ought to teach US
to be careful decrying exrayagant and sensecss
whatever do not Immediately understand All really
great composers often In advance OF their genera
ton and If tho two latest productions OF Ruoinsten
seem to many Of obscure barbaric, and impossible
as the Sinfonia Eroca appeared to contemporaries OF
Beethovcn-t may be only because as creative ARTIST
he has made great stop IN advance The deveiopment
of his genius much less marked In tho 9TH Concerto
than in the Dramatic Symphony; but the evidence OK
progress is nevertheless there.
The execution this difficult work was the greatest
triumph Mme Schiller has achieved in New-fork she
played with fire aud sentiment, with accuracy and polish
of course and force and brancy OF which we had
not believed capable The audience recalled her sew
eral times at the close and appacded every movement
with great hearness large share Of the success OF tho
work belongs to the orchestra and the conductor Rubin
stein has been sparng OF expression marks that the
reading left in unusual degree, to the Intelligence 81
the conductor Thomas's taste and discrimination in
such cases are we'll known and he gave nterpretS
ton that was clear, robust, and picturesque.
The season which closed with this fine concert was the
most successful Thomas has given. and from an ar
tisc point OF view 1t OF the highest interest and
value The programmes OF tho elk concerts fol-
lows: -
FIRST CONCERT. ,,.,.,
PianotoIto Concerto op Is new .............
| Mr. +. Boscoyit1
Heroic Symphony, No beethoven
SECOND CONCERT.
s Adas ,n and n Rondo bTieante, major Hunme
| Mr. ii. Z. TimnL
Symphony No. 1, in ;Sehumann
Miss Lasar, Mr. Fritsch Mr.. Remmertz ,,.,,
Symphonic Poem, Die Ideae" ..-..........Lst
| THIRD CONCERT.
Overture" Paris and Helen" dirst tme Gincs