New-York tribune., 1876-01-24
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
THIRD SYMPHONY CONCERT.


- h,s NeWYork career and 1t heard by ono Of the
largest most highly cultivated and most enthusiastic
.udonces that have in Steinway Hall Tor several
,ears The programme WAS so well ARRANGED that We
can think OF nothing woul have made 1t stronger
more symnetrical deeply interesting to every
Intelligent lover OF music.
syrnpbony No. I, in C, Op 21.....-..... beethoven
l. Adagio mOlto-Allegro con hr1o. z. An
DAME cantabne con mOt0 81 Mehue''"'
Concerto for violin aud orchestra op. 81 .,on
I. Allegro ma non troppo O. Larghetto. 3.
Mr g. F. Jacobsohn
evmD,onv M q. IN y nni minor. Op 125.. Beethoven
With final chorus
1t will be observed that these three worAs arc " o
s.ro,velv fresh In Now-York The first symphony Das
been neglected so long that IT Is almost
"a the veterans OF the concert ROOM Ihe 'ohh eohoo
d, familiar enough in fragments but we can remember
-, - . ,eccnt performance Of the entire work. ana
,ht ,as nv Dr. Damrosch and the Philharmonic Society
,long "A five years The Choral symphony ha'"i!
eones hut seldom, and We think OF IL la'ucr "s '"'
sccompanuicnt OF extraordinary festival thah As al
incident of regular Winter series OF entertainments
S, onlv are the three compositions unhackneyed but IA
49,, 60, an tbe above programme they have great
h,storicaI interest They illustrate the growth OF
Reethoyen's genius and with 1t the most important
nerod in the growth Of instrumental music There Is
croat step from the first symphony to the Vlohh
concerto still greater step from the con
,crto 70 the colossal last symphony; ana
betveen the two extremes lies the whole vast 'eveop
,srt q, modern orchestral music, from Tie comnara-
oiv su,le forms OF Haydn and Mozart TO the cunina
tion of symphonic poetry In Beeth0vens cro"nhe
achievement, where pure music seems 10 nave ie"'"'
its final expression and the new school hnds the
ton OF tho symphonic drama. Finally thefe iSs III
deed rht naturally be ected-a continuous increase
OF I'm, crest in this programme. The hrst nnhpr pIe
Mares us for the comprehension and enlovmct OF 'h'
,acopd the second leads on to the last ana "eh ""
reach the choral movement we feel that we nave
.tan nv s,ep 10 "A hight where there IL nothing Dyohd
the word lies dwarfed below us, and the lhmtiole eA
panse Of heaven compasSes us round dfoou''
The rst symphony bears very strong resemblance 10
the work OF Mozart especially In the lighheareuhes s
oharacteristic Of that master The opening movement
might easly be taken for Mozarts the charming
Andante caniabie begins in similar vein; nut beetho
yen's originality finds expression before the deVeopeh
OF this theme s completed and becomes more ana horo
conspicuous as we approach the end Who Dut Bcetho
ven could ever have imagined that wonderful htue
violin passage (adago) which as transition from
the Mnuet to the Rondo The orchestra attacked the
work in admirable spirit and gave 1t all not merely with
fsutlcss precisop but with brightness. dehcacy VI
vacity and refinement OF expression rare even Ia the
playing IL easy 10 SEQ that the men anu Ihe'
leader took the pleasure In what they were uoB
The same sympathetic temper was noticeable IN inc
ability Ia. long been recognized by all attendants at the
Thomas concerts surprised his best friends surprised
even those heard him at the Thursday rehearsal py
far more careful delicate, and impressive rendering Oh
the solo part than any of us were prepared lor Inc
enormous technical difficulties Of this long and exhaust
fng work were 80 well that probably rev OF 'he
audience realized them and there peculiar merit
IN tbe performance easy OF course to account for
namely very exact and intimate corresp ndenec DC
tween the solo PLAYER and the orchestral tins was espe
e,aly noticeable in the Larghetto. The cadenzas INTRO
duced were those Of Felcien David, who was BIT JACOB
sohn's master.
A for the performance Of the Choral Symphony we
have no OF praise strong II was probably the
hest ever given In NewYOrk 1t certainly the best
we ever heard anywbere-an astonishing improvement
over Thursdays rehearsal The conductor was IN one o
his fiery moods the orchestra and singers were on tDer
mettle and full OF spirit Anybody who knows Ihonass
peculiarties and, watching he took up the baton
observed how he went at the task and how his men O'
lowed him have predicted before two pages oftLe
score had turned that therc would be no shnns
through this business IT certain 10 DO either great
success OF great disaster. The hrst movement was
admirable The scherzO was beyond all crltclSh Hucn
was It's force, dignity, and grandeur The Adago was
one OF the perfect OF execution ana one o
the most beautiful interpretations we have ever had from
the Thomas orchestra, aud here where the wind inst
ments in particular have such trying task ana where
good players might be pardoned II they no" ana 'noh
mccumbed after nearly hours work, we saw what
noh,e stu this band Is composed Of Everything up to
the close Of the Adagio had been perfect The critical
.econd part OF ae symphony then opened In the midst
OF an excitement which grew more and more Intense
until a. the dangerous passages one afier anOther
were crossed in triumph. the feeling OF anxiety which
almost ways interferes with the perfect enjoyment o
this work passed away and the listener gave himself up
20 emotions OF wonder and delight There was no raj
terng no weakness anywhere. The song Of JOY swept
steadily on t. the climax; the chorus, iuh OF
heart and fire, the glorious orchestra inspired
10 unwonted efforts, both glowing with life, ana ooh
surs OF themselves 1t is not long since the vocal parts
of this symphony denounced as impossible, ana
few conductors attempted performance without making
some seTOus alterations IN them But these things are
better understood now The 800 ladies and gentlemen
Of tho Oratoro Society who achieved this brilliant re
sult by the aid OF DR.. DamrOscs excellent training,
almost made the work easy. The sopranos hcld
the famous high with unwsvering steadness ana an
excellent intoEaton. The quartet was well treated by
Mrs H. NJ Smith, Mis- Antonia Henne, Mr. William D.
Winch and Mr. Remmertz the soprano and tenor having
long established reputation tho abiest American III
terpreters VI this terrible music Dr. DamTosch assisted
Mr. Thomas In the direction Of the chorus, and though
the spectacle OF two conductors work simultaneously
vas rather unpleasant, results entirely sats
factory.
THE JIEDERKRANZ