New-York tribune., 1876-10-30
MUSIC.
TIE THOMAS SYMPHONY CONCERT.

Allegro yiyace hrlo, Al ,grrio Shorzahio' i'hp'
3i Minuc;to, Aiicer" vNacc' s,rhort
""' fHdgpici fn: PIANO ana Orchestra by IiszLl
Dra,uafie mpnuIy" Romeo aud Juuti,' Up 'bcI"oN
Orchestra Chorusos ana solos.
The Eighth the lishtcst of AL beethoven 0S'"P"o
nes It is from end to END bright graceful thoroughly
cheerful sometimes Jolly. the first allegro SHOWS
the composer In his ha!pie't frame of MIND ana 'l'
cheerf1lncss continues throu IN The Finale, WITH
out any OF the passion the mo'rhhl' year."
ing sentiincut usually present IN his muse,
Yet There is nothing boistcrous; always Iehheu anu
delicate It tuced hardly be sid that the performance on
Saturday night was technically almost perfect But
WAS much more than that. II instinct Wlth inc III
nermosi spirit of the work Nothing VAS hurried over
nothing sighted Every beauty was brought out ana
placed in the bollest relief, 50 thar many paris OF 'he
symphony came 10 almost rs something new
The Fantasia is one Of number ot hchnhcr'S "oISS
- bio, how, bopn scored by Iszt. In this cas- lac has
made very few changes In the composition beyond what
were necessary in adapting n for orchestra ana ho ha'
handled - admirably. The scoring 10 brihlaht e'''''',
fuli OF bright contrasts ana cieNe' 'n'''S '"
perfectly in harmony with the character Vi 'n'
niece in its original form The work IL III
yided into three or perhaps four movements an
Allegro con Fuoco. an Adagio a Presto and f'u''r
(aegro The first movement Is bright fuli ot Ile anu
syiug both in the piano and orchestral paris Inc
Adagio the shortest Of the four movements Is eA9u''
fun Of tender sentiment and poetry The theme oi '
has been used in different form IN the Wanderer'
l a
,u first nv the pIano is taken mp by yolphccl" anu
subsequently by the horns REINFORCED ID turh pY t
carinetS and trombOncs, the accompaniment pc'"b "''
ont by other Instruments in tue orchestra ad DS '' P"
The last two movements are also very biliiHhl WI"
plcutv OF fire and dasn ard capit1ly worked up ihe
piuo rar, rs Throughout extremely difficult ana Madame
schiller who iutcrrretcd IT, gavp IL most admirably ~it
SEEMED ON th, occasion 80 nave unusual power ana hI
laucv vtic showing excellent taste ana deep i''''hS'
espe,,ay in tho Adago. At no time this year has sue
been more satisfactory,
The B.rliul symphony s sui g'iSris. Befi"I hhn''i
sqysthaf r i. neither concert opera nor canata, but
, ,r,pl,1y with choruscs. This j. truc. Yet 1t In no
wise resemble, iu form he symphonies of the
clas,i, ind-tr-. Again, 30 IL programme music ~
that clelr understanding Of cannot be had without
the accompanying text. Perhaps ITS character may be
lst esc,nrd as series of pictures tor orchestra
and chorus ~ scenes taken from Shascspc1rcs play, IN
which the chorus IA used sometimes like that Of Greek
play 10 comment and give an account oi the direct
action of The piece sometimes an active participant
iu that action.
The lntroiucton which Is FOR orchestra, takes mp IN
cacnts ~ ;hc first act Of the play The hst movement
is an ALLEGRO IN fucuc foim indicating the combat be-
tween the rival houses B'ro1 Uses certain thcin'7'
Ike Wagner oth,r composers. 20 Indicate cef-
tain ideas oT connections of ideas, and whenever
these come up u hc work the theme IS repeated This
one J. heard again 80 the Finale.
The Allegro .. followed hy druincl movement for
Allegro Is heard a-au 1t the cn' d'm!uurudo Tie Pc
lo-n- sung hy small chorus ~ c,utr,'oa, tonors aud
BASES. now n. II sings ~ choral recitation an
ccou, o rr,tty much iAc whole action ~ hc play nnd
as each leading idea come, up 80 appropriate m"i'rs
heard generally iu the orchestra n tho chorus
The Prologue is broken by two soio- Tor con'fat" d
tenor That flr coutro consists of two cou"- treat
e ~ the JOYS of nr.t love y i- delicious m"'"dy,
larly distinct enough in :orn g. lr called ~ ARIA hhi
rather an aria parlantc M,. iIcunc sanE charmnsy
II - extremely difficult not because u u h"rd' hui De
calsc ~ the ,e aimed oAa.scc. of the music Which
must De- urg with absolute suPIriiy ana yti Win great
feeling The tenor solo . Mcicuto', account II queen
NAB II l. dainty little sch'Izrtto for solo with
chorus very rapid and very dDruli, both Tor s'lost
and chorus The latter excellent. NJ "cii'nrhth'
who sang the part. ha. plenty oi voice hai M not
the requisite facility. ami Die work wa. not clear Hi'
tone too o. d. Iccaby thrDa'y; on the Whole 70 Was
the least .t'-fctory number ot the oV,un- Tie next
movement b. for orchestra. ami rs subject is
Romeo siouo,' his melancholy broken 10y "i--
ilut souuos from the baI at CApulcts house.
II contains two charming arcuc, aa Ati nir 'oF 'ie
claf.ur, and oloc another, LaIgac.io. lor De otor.
vitI an accompaniment Of strings pzlicit', which ~
full Of tender melancholy Th, il broken 10 upon By
dance music with which 10 Il eventually combined 10
one very effective movement. In tire beginning 81 the
third movement tie b.I ,l'Hs aGc heard pa sing out.
supin. suatchcs OF the bail music, and then. after a
moments pause begins the love scrnc chc "Bllcony
undoubtedly the most beautiful thug 10 tlo symphony
II is one long tender love duet very triumph OF tone
painting The noXt movement. -.hrilD, queen Nab
the Dream FAY" has long been ,awtr O" u- through
Mr. Thomas rendering. The uuI mo'rhcnt IS
"Juicts Burial" fugucd movement fnr orchestra
with full chorus. II Is uHcy, uiy "uit'n. part
of il being extremely good nnd part rather
trivial. Romeo al Juiiets Tomb" is th" sut-
feet Of tho nest movement Th'.c is "a Allegro, in
disatiye ~ Romeo rushing O. The tomb, beautiful
Invocation and ncn Juliet awake-, not q, In the play
after EomcO's DEATH but before b. There Il another
short very passionate love Duct fun of dciirlous JOY
broken by the first attacks of tho poison which
ROMEO has already taken, and then the death
~ the two lovers. Thi' movement again Is for
the orchestra alonc. ~ is tho case In his
symphony whenever Bcriioz desires to produce his
rtrongcs effects II is beautiful yet not equal To the
love scene. the last movement ons bas, solo gives
. account of death ~ the lovers The mOy.lncn:
cud. with fine massive chorus, where the oath of recon
c.I,at!on is taken. Nj Krmmrriz. vho rang the bass
solo was not IN good voice; indeed IL almost failed him
m one or two n,es but he sang carefully. n not AWAY,
.orrrctIy The orchestra Gi wonders. The symphony Is
one Of On. mo, difficult Of nodcru orchestral compost
on,-iudced all of Bcrliozs music Is hard-vot every
thing went with the most perfect aIn,otncss. The chorus
too did extremely well. Only a' point in the male
chorus behind the where thc trnors ie oil from
tho bitch somewhat WAS tncrc any hitch.
The synphJpy bear, evidence of genius but 10
Frcnc!.-fulI of bizarre effects ana contrasts. The
orcc-tra'ion Is very brilliant, ~ the modern school, of
which Rcfl,oz was almost the father In this matter
both Wagner and LI,zt owe him much.
Too much praise cannot br awarded Mr.. Thomas for
the success with which hc carried through tin. very df
icult undertaking II altogether one of the most IN
teresug concerts that Mr. Thomas has given us.
REMINIsCENCE OF JOHN BBlGIT.