, 1879-03-16

! cepted as dne composition: but, as movement
Of concerto the chief characteristic OF the p.e-
! ceding movements OF which Vas Italian sweetness
and graceful rhythm, it seemed rathcr oat OF placs
national oue il faul: it be. and, the concerto IL
] intended to be Hun.arian, the ahru2sness OF rhe
changes OF tempo mad the quatntne5s 0! the rhythm
must OF course be regarded As jnstilable- Never
theless, the work as whole WAS surprisingly pure
in style, truthful devoid at sentlmentatlty, and
deEhtfgy rhytamicat Tns casf M faais t - = So y,
most tuueful language, but BY mere accumulation
seeming to lack continuity.
BRAHMS EEr VIOLIN CONCERTO.
The new violin concerto by Brahms was played
fo. the first time in London By joachim, On the
18th ult. We extract Tie more salon: features
Of the London Tt1s.s' criticism:
The score not haTin- vet been Published, 0nr 2c-
qualntance with the concsrso is limited to single
long 10 the class OF works which must be perfectly
known in order to be appreciated. Tncy are no:
only of compile atcd design anu Of scholarly e1etl-
and novelties Of tonal effect with which only per-
feet knowledge Of the entire design can reconcile
the hsaser Tas solo part in tue new concerto, for
Character rather than to beauty. There were,
especial; in the fist movement numerous pessases
virtuoso to an almost .se,a.e1 degree ti,d nor
sonofoqs soso, :; tS sset w different tbs r..
movement by Herr Joachim. Here every note
strays Inc perfect master OF the violin, every ca
with unerrns skin. It would, peranos, be unjust
to say that be frequently spos his ideas by their
Instrumental treatment, alfhopsb examples ot
| such sailurs might be cited from both the SYM
phonies. Cut ltis equally certain that his n1elo-
dies Or their contrapuntai development. rarely
:ain additional chazm OF cleasness from his nst:n-
mentation. This want is especially noticeable in
concerto FOR the violin. The solo INSTRUMENT be-
ing largely represented In the orchestra Itself.
kirnI
which. ws1ile It supplies HARMONIOUS accomoani-
mcnt to tne VIOLIN. at the same tine sufficiently
@ from cct, y n quay h o. d!s1n,eths 1ead'est
naturally supplied " the wind Instruments. This
oovious truth Brahms has not considered sui-
licIenty. The most important themes for tue vio-
lin arr played to the accompaniment Of the orchcs-
trail strings, and these also 100 frequently tags
leadng part IN those alternate Passages or solo In
strument aud bAud which are one OF the greatest
charms Of the form or the concerto. The
consequence is that to adopt another term Of pic
figure does not sudici entity stand forth from
m0uuton0uS bRckgfound- Our remarks agnin
cniehy apply to the opening azfeQTo. In the sec
ond movement IarQhr{tUl the wind Instruments
play more conspicuous part. Tue first theme il
announced bv the oboe with quaint and pretty ef-
feet, and some char:ning colioQny ensues between
the viotin5 and various wind Instruments. In the
same movement, winch promises to be the m0sE
popular OF the three. the vioiln has some beautl-
The finale (atieqro o;otoso> is written in the vein
OF specifically Eiennese humor, 10 which RfahIns,
In, spite Of the fundamental seriousness OF h,s
North German u2rurrt owes many OF his happiess
insoratlons- It is nrillnnt and joyous through
cut, and its structure is as harmonious it Is si-
pie. AS regards structure and theHatc treatment,
most interesting. 1t is piece Of earnest onu ad-
m,sable workmanship such as. perhaDs, no living
composer except brahms would be aos to accom-
pIish-
MUSICAL NOTES.
i new operretta. - 'tBoccaccio, !" By Herr Suppe,
has succeeded at the Vienna Carl Theatre.
At the Leipsic Stadr Theatre they arc going
through the entire series OF the operas oi
Mozart.
Miss Isabella Mccullough formerly Nine.
Brignoli) has resumed her old place in the choir
at St. Stephens Church, New York.
DR.. Hans von Bulow Is writing recitattves for;
Berl,oz's opera, ''Deatrix nnI Benedict for
the Hanover Opera-Aonse ne1t season.
Nine. Pappenheim and Mr.. F. e. Cowen, thes
composer, have been appearing with m2rt1eE
SUCCESS i'll concerts in Ednburg during tie past
month.
The Leipsic musical papers giye the highest
praise to Carl Reineckc's symphony No. Ia l.
major, performed ut the seventeenth Gewand-
haus concert. Moritz Vogcl Is particularly en-
thusiastic On the subject OF its beauty anti
scholarship.
Henry 8. Allen is not satisfied with the astar
5pang!cd Banaer" in its pristine shape, and SO
has issued q new version ia quartet form WHICH
llc calls . The Star Spangled kanuerof the Nine
teenth Century" Most people will probably
agree that the old song was gouQ enough, aud
that Mr. Allen has NOT efrected an Improve
ment.
1t is said that further proceedings are about
to be begun in the French courts with view to
enable AdeIna Patti, the Alarpuise de Cnux, to
annul her marriage In French law divorce is
marriage may be declared null and void il any
eau be proved in the manner in
which it was celebrated.
The Boston Handel and Haydn societv's an
are: April II GOOD friday,
3aeh's - Passion Music" entire, solosts, Miss
Winch, and N. ". Whitney April IS fEaster),
Judas Maccabeus,'' and May 2; - Elijah u for
lie benefit rendered Carl Zerrahn, conductor Of
he Society for twenty-five years.
The q 'Pinafore u rage has taken possession Of
be German element Of our population, aud u
iernan translation Of the operetta is UNDER
inel ut the Germania Theatre under tile name,
1hrer Maiestat SchiG Plnafore.' Tue manager
Il the theatre, Mr.. Neuendorff, has himself
the gigantic task OF transforming
he words OF Gilbert into inc Ger1nnu laocunge,
nd we are afraid that the labor will pruye un
ngrateful onc.-lNc,o YORK I.rade Ksv;em
The Italian opera season, under Muzio's direc-
ion. at Havana, has collapsed. There is 10th
lg startling, in this piece Of news, for, thanks to
icssrs. Fryer, Maretzek, und others, We are not
to these sudden brcak-ups. It
GEMS, however, that in Havana The 1ault was
OF with the manager. but with the Roard Ut
directors. They had 4 uuarre! about Two months
20, when the performances had to be suspend
l for several weeks: the quarrel Was patched
,, mud peAce seemed to bc restored, bur ao-
earances are trea:herous, and the season came
IN unciniely cnd.-.Hcw YORK. Itrude lssvico.
The fifth concert of this season nbe thirty
:ycnth) OF the Philharmonic Society Was given
St night at the Academy OF Music, the public
hcarsal having taken place the day before,
he best wishers for the continued SUCCESS OF
|e Philharmonic Society cannot but recoguize
e fact that there Is ian impending crisis u in
affuirs. The members labor vita So much
rncstness aud zeal, and without the exnec:a-
Dill Of any reward beyond the consciousness Ut
,od work we'll dooc, that 1t seems pity their
forts should be in the least wasted. Tue
chcstra is noble body OF players, and only
.cls the directing hand OF master to make
performance Us near perfc:t1on as human
,wers are rapable OF attaining. Without dis
OF sir. Neuendorff's uudoubtc1
pabilities it is evident that he is not the mas
r-sDirit to guide the Philharmonic Society TO
cccss, either artistically Or pupularly.--Ve1
ufie ItntsS,
THE QUESTION.