New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-26
THE MUSICAL SE1SON.

THE MUSICAL SEASON.
With the arrival of the holidays it is
somewhat unreasonable custom that the gayest
and most fashionable form of musical enter
tainment shall be interrupted in the metropo-
lis, not to be resumed until the Church bids
us put on the apparel of penitence and mort-
fcation for the lenten season of prayer, fast
ing, and self-denial. During the most festive
weeks of the winter the opera house accord
ingly is closed; and the singers flee TO other
cities where the habits OF high society are less
eccentric. In reviewing the series OF perform
ances just ended at the Academy of Music
the critic finds it difficult to be quite frank
without seeming to be captlous The mana
ger deserves credit for producing with lib
elal apparatus of stage effect new
Opera which, whatever rank 1t may ul-
timatey take in the modern repertoy,
is undoubtedly one of the most interest
ing efforts of the younger school of con-
temporary composers. But although Meiis-
tofec,n carefully presented and well sung,
has excited a great deal of public attention,
it has not taken so prominent place in the
programme of the season as one might have
expected, and Mr.. Mapleson's first subscrlp-
ton has been characterized after all by per
sistent rcpettions of the same well-Wor light
operas, which have been his chief stock IN
trade ever since he first came TO tins country
Ii is perhaps unreasonable to complain OF lack
of variety so long as crowded houses testify
the satisfaction of the people. Owing princi-
pilly to the strong charm exercised by Mad
anne Gerstcr, who has established by her SYM
pathetic personality, unaffected grace and
winning dcmenOr, no less than by her
pure voice and excellent style, more
cordial relation with her audiences than any
other prml donna we have heard of late
wears, ARind and LHc'o are still m de wei
come. The impreslrlO who can fill his Golfers
by means of a good representation OF LA
Soma, Ibula' Is wise rot 10 venture upon
more cxacting works for which his company
is clearly not equipped. But of course If we
consider the season with reference to the adj
vanccment OF art and the true dignity OF the
lyric stage there is little to be sIid for such
an uuambtious enterprise.
OF our great concert organizations. one has
initiated to q certain extent the thrifty policy
of Mr.. MapIc-on. The Oratorio Society (wlth
winch the symphony Society may be con-
81 tered for the moment rs practically ANAL
Of the exaggerated popular fancy for The
Damnati0n of Faust which threatens TO be-
come as hackucycd as IlOyaiOlt ~; and the
spirit of commercial enterprise having over
Come the aesthetic impulse, some OF the late
rcpriitons Of the work have been greatly IN
fclior to the earlier performances. AS the
making of money Is wholly foreign TO the pur-
poses Of the society, this step must be viewed
with regret. The attention which has been
bestowed upon Berlioz's work Is out of pro-
portion to Its intrinsic worth OF its signif
canoe in the history of modern music, and it
is TO be hoped that the OrItOrio and Sym
phony Societies will row devote their atten-
ton to something else. The prevailing passion
for the sensatlOnalism OF BerliOz Is not alto
getner a good sign.
There is a change in the temper of the
Philharmonic Society this year which all con-
nOsseurs have observed, though adequate no.
.tice has not been made of ii i'll the press.
Beside the unusual force, vlvacty and cnthu-
siasm inspired in the orchestra by the sun
shine of popular favor, the presence of a
great conductor, and the peryading spirit of
enterprise and emulation, no competent judge
can help seeing that there is a very marked
of the playing, and the rich and splen-
did color OF the performances. The
principal cause of the difference between tins
year and the last is Of course IhomasS return
to New York, where he is in constant inter-
course with his men and they are in constant
rehearsal Probably they are the more earnest
in cooperating with HIM because they learned
during his absence at the West how i'll they
could do without him. But i'll thinking of
various extraordinary things III the concerts
of this season, the question arises whether
there Is not a change i'll Thomas himself.
While he has been doing so much for the adj
yancement of music, he too has been adj
vancing and now, as he enters the golden
period of middle life, he seems to develop i'll
greater force than ever the qualities of a
conductor breadth of understanding, keen
ness of perception, warmth and delcacy of
feeling, soldty, strength, dignity, control
He is not only more richly accomplished than
he was few years ago, but he Is intellect
ualy larger. There is no doubt that he
stands at present IN the very front rank of
all living conductors and certainly, if pro
gramme and performance are both consid-
cred, the concerts now given under his direc-
ton NV the NewYork and Brooklyn Phil |
harmonic Societies not equalled in any
city of the world. There is one branch of
the arts at all events in which New York can
set an example to mankind
THE WORLDS FAR.
Two years ago there was genuine popular