New-York tribune., 1875-03-08
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA:

MUSIC.
FIFTH SYMPHONY coNcERT-RUBTNsrEIS's
sYMPHONT.
For his fifth Symphony Concert last SATURDAY
evening. Theodore Tnomas offered tho following nne
programme:
SYMPHONY, In major. 0xtold" (arst timel; Haydn
observation-disclosures spiritO'O 2 aaas,o aSesio'
8. henuetto. rIos'o'
i!siSs'. sss'ssys Awake I'd act s,.s.
Ar'"' i'e"''' "e"T Mis- Anna prssdll.
Overture, "Leonora" No Dee'"0'e"
Dramatic symphony No A. . MINOR op' "' p,,,r.,s,,
iesro acdtaii q Piesto-ADegro non
troppo 5 Adano. L.reo-Allesro con fuoeo.
Tni. selection was model one. for the pieces were all
Of very high value thoy hsrmOnzed perfectly with one
smother, aud they arranged IN elective and in-
structive order may be said, indeed that the climax
OF grandeur reacaed with the "Leouora" Overture
In the middle OF the evening, but must not forget
that Rubnsein Is legitimate successor OF Beethoven
OF whose discoveries makes constant and reverental
use, and though he has never risen to the sublime
height OF the great master yet in bis best works the sym
phonic methods OF BeetAOyon treated In such an
elevated spirit and With such strong marked ndi-
yduay that 10 perfectly logical to place hm at
the end even OF programme al !ha before u.s. IL
was one Of the most remarkable concerts We
have heard 10 several years. 1t illustrated
The frst formal development Of the sym
phony under HAYDN. the wonderful expansion which
the music OF tae orchestra received from the genius OF
Beethoven, and tae greater freedom toward which
even conservative modern composers are tending under
Beethoven influence. TIE OXFORD" mphony, which
has never beea Played here By f1oas before and only
once by the Ph harmonic society IS OF the hapPiest
IN spirit and most perfect OF Haydn's long
series Nothing ia this simple AMI lender style could
be more charming than the meodous AdlgO. more fls-
cinatne than the naty Minuct or the tripping Presto
while the introductory movement presents delightful
.rF,Ae in "A
broad and digniaed style. The performance OF this
work was beautiful ecipSed by the interpre-
tation OF the Overture, which the conductor and bis
orchestra both seemed % be Inspired. How exquisite
the pu5nO issaKes for t1e strings In the nrst
part; and then what crcsceud0; aud when the full
band cam, with such mighty harmonios, every bow
falling in precise time. every breath Of sound from
every ind gdu instrument breathing IN ex act accord
every and every rest having is precise value to
the very miDutes fraction, 10 seemed II the periec
lion Of pltYing could - further Better than mere
mechanical cxcce1cs hoWever, the clearucss and
tnteuigerc. OF Ttpnl-s svmp?thcuo reading. This
second Overture 20 L,onora" has not been played OF
late so ofeu as could wisald to hear 1t. al
though Thomas mas oc a,iou4lly given h u. the Garden
and elsewA-.c. Ii. highly Interesting to compare it
with the greater aut longer No D. whc. II m5les so
closely IN many ptSslges thst h ard some Of the
audience at tha protest that At wls No g. and
that tle programme wcce ia esor Tao principal mo-
tyes indeed tie same IL bJtG, but taere arc curl
ous Giff gcuccs 10 the mode OF treatment, and the
second Overture contains at least two remarkable
passages Uhich have nothing corresponding with them
the third Comparing tho two Is like watching the
composer bis Voh. looking over his shoulder while
he puts q new touch here and there. ana
ccssy tlrons avav even beauties for the sake OF the
general ELECT No. "a the most COMPACT vigorous, and
elevated or tho series ~. peculiar mt rest not
only earlier crat OF that work but the
overture which originally per Jrmed at the first
representation OF the operas
The s,ccOu- from uaAi,l's secular oratOTO. more
properly rcnAt 4 "S,luele." consist Of the prelude
Gymphon')t0 'He 2tAot-a glorious movement, written
for the strings acncthe noble reCtatve Tor Juno which
begins the Act and the aria that follows soon after
he intervening music FOR IRIS OpranO) bong omitted
To the mraser string accom- pauimcnt Handels
skeleton Indicates for the vocal part Thomas has
added WITH great discretion sDarng use OF flutes,
hauibOys clarnets biss0Ons and horns. Miss Drasdh
delivered the recitative with dignity, and sang the
beautiful rather trying lr witt lhe taste ana intel
Isence o, artist. Botn tie music and the utter
probation appeared 20 give the vcliest satisfactcn
Gnd there were loud mands for a repetition. Miss
Drasdl herself however Win twice returning
90 bow hor acluOw 10 dgreuts.
The principal event OF the evening tie perform
auce OF tue Symphony b. RuOinstein 1t is work
OF the most imposing cEJracter and dimeusIons Two
weeks ago WAS praduced for the first time under
The composers direction at Berlin and no account
OF s reception has yet reached this country It's III
tho customary four movements cacA OF WLIc however
"a subdyiied into uausual number OF moro or less
distinct parts aud its execution .akes than
hour Tne meaning o. its title, a " dramatic" symphony,
the pcuctrlt0p Of the public 1T has no preface
or suggestive texts 10 explain what in the COM
pOser's mind; n must speak for itself The instru-
mentation abounds with striking effects but they
au produced by comparatively simple means The
modulatons are not exravagant; and glance az the
scOre VIII show that RuJustem does not habituay
roam at Will among keys Llszt does-thOugh to
this sclfrestraiut there notable exceptions
The structure syGphouy fact is entirely regu
lar and classical IN form It Is model; the
best. the most carefully proDortioned aud the
most highly finished o. al the authors works. IL has
certain singulartes however which vii 6ewIl ier many
persons who hear sor nc Erst These in the
Rhythm Of characteristic nelOdc phrases. and IL the
eccentIicty ol the measures. They so diff
cult that ouly tie very ablest OF OTchesras over
como them. The conductor must te a man OF unusual
1uckness cearDcss and econ or Insight, and the play
ers must DC company OF artists 1t such orchestra
that wo beard Saturday; Inferior bands VIII do well
30 let this work alone. But when the has become
accustomed to the unusual rAythms and strange
variations % iine tnen dignity Of the whole work.
It's majestic spirit, its tcry Hnpetuosty, and ITS wealth
OF melody must make IA oeop impression the mind
scored Tor hutos hsdtbOys, carnets, bassoOns,
two trum9.ls IN d. trumpets in F, two horns 10 F.
tympani. aud strHgs. with a pccOO and three from
bones added in The last movement The first movement
Q.nto bcsus with the following passage, for the Dass
strings In unison:
Saszs.:s =t=---======5z1=s:s5s5
pr -
and this passing from ore Instrument 10 another and
entertug into a multitude OF ingenious harmonic com