New-York tribune., 1875-10-25
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
MUSIC.
Tur GILMORE CONCERTS.

TUE GILMORE CONCERTS.
The season of concerts at the HippSlrOme
will close this week has been highly successful from
n popalar point % view The programmes have lattery
been varied y tc Introduction of great many solo per
formers vocal aud instrumental and from the first
they contained abundance OF that sort of music
which seems to enliven conversation and promenade
without disractiag the attention. The great building
has well ded by strangers who always went 10 see
il ~ one wonders OF tho metropolis aud by citizens
who went lock each other and to xiii the cunui of dun
SIMMER eve nings by watching the hrong it moved
inoessanty aruund the palace OF fountains flowers ana
colored lights. The managers have shown great deal
Of tact in making the Hirpolrome a popular iounging
place md their hss proved chat such resort Is
exactly what the great general public wants We take
for granted that the entertainment viii he continued
TIE the present series Of concerts is to he appr
priately marked hy q complimentary benefit To Mr r :
Gilmore when the Hippodr0me will rtSound with some
bclated echoes Of the Boston Jubilee, and our Pco-
Die will be called upon 60 open their ears
Tor some Of the slam-Bans pieces which first
gave Mr. Gilmore celebrity The last Jubilee is rather
sore subject IN Boston. and many OF those who were
most enthusiastic about il in 1S72 satisfied that
IL did more harm than good. The first Jubilee dd
rive an impulse 10 the cultivation OF chorus music,
bat We suspect that the impulse exhausted itself with
tho second great githcrBe the Back Bay and thai
would h. dihicaIt now to md sny of 1t in the
musical culture OF New England Ou the other hang the
Jubilccs up false standards of TASTE ana taught
peOple TO admire what gigantic and snowy rather
than what was GOOD True art Shuuncd those dyeacra
co-eums where the singing Of ten thousand voices and
the PLAYING of thousand instruments bore about the
same relation 10 genuine music that Banvard's pan
Drama of the Mississippi bore 10 landscape by Claude
Lorraine Boston understands this now. and douhtless
watches thc transfer Of the Anvil Chorus to NewlOrk
with an amused sort of complacency.
We do not object these sensational effects. only let
us set them down for just what they We do not OBJ
NJ a. o.. mil Of "A
men ia handsome uniforms and white gloves but let us
understand what they too. We presume they nave
received more exaggerated praise hn any company of
musicians heard IN America. They have baeh her-
aided by part o the press from one end Of the country
10 the other a. baul Of extraordinary excellence. play
ln- every variety OF music with force brillaDcy refine
mrnt and high technical finish. Mr Gilmore himself Is
too experienced . leader Know that most of this
praise /. uiidcseryed. but he hae no hesitation IN
crOEdng his programmes with Beethoven, wagner
Won Weber and other great masters O the orchestra 10
whose ovcrturcs military baud in Existence could pos
sibly do ustire Nothing could well be ruthless
than the performance Of the PromcthcuS overture for
instance Beethoven. which heard last week; an
Interpretation M Interpretation it can be called not only
destitute ~ sentiment and expression, hut excessively
coarse In l. lnical execution III any ease It must oe
disastrous to such compositions to substitute for the
voiceke vions the comparatively unplale and OFTEN
rocsgue haut1oys and c.lrinets bat here the ad
dtiona disadvantage that the substitution was rudey
made There are many excellent musicians in this
band but for which we do not
undertake 10 explain they play roughly and carelessly
occasional, not in time We have heard them at
intervals al through the and does not seem to
lis that thtS have made any improvement. They nave
gained perhaps in volume OF but of that Is not
oasy 10 ndsc the dimnution in the audience making
great difference i'm the of the music; III other
elements NJ good playing-bcauty Of tone, accuracy OF
execution. refinement and breadth Of eHpresson-they
are ~ deficient a. ever At the head of a regiment
where alone a military band ought 10 be-Mr Gil
more's musicians wOnd be entirely acceptable; IN
the coucertrnom. attempting the WORK of au orchestra
they invite q criticism which they are unable 10 with
stand There many people nevertheless who love an
abundance OF trumPets and saxophoncs' and Ginores
band viii therefore always be OI adnring listeners
The conductor il man of ability: II he would only avoid
work for which the material at his command Is not
adapted he might accomplish something credta0le TO
sb. conn ry