New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-07


THE SYMPHONY SOCIETY CONCERT.
The Ncv-Yok symphony Society opened its
third season successfully at S-einway Hall
Jas evening. The aud n,e was large and in the
best of humor and Or. D,mrlsch, VINO is again the
j.. ciaty's corGuctor-mdetd. he might almost be
said 90 De the sor .tF-w, very warmly greeted on
his ape rance. TIL programme was as follows:
Overture E,nont -. Beethoven
Scene IRON " A.cyaaa"r'- Feast. Handel
symphony IN Minor o.. p'-.---.-.--..B;ahms
Nh. Gro-r Hcnscnc.
Symphonic POEM Mazep2l,' -.-.....--.-.--Liszt
:. viii be- seen az once, the programme contained
no absolute novelties. but It was the less ill.,
terastng ON that account. The EgmOnt" Over
ture. which was written together with some other
Incidental music for Goethe's tragedy. Is
one OF the most beautiful Of the
four OF five oyertuFes of Deethoveris
which are commonly heard IN our concert-rooms
and il H. moreover of the most popular. 1t re-
Il ct~ IN wonderful degree. the heroic spuit u the
play t0 which it serves a. Introduction 1t is in
t,Isrly dramatic and II 4, crowded with beautiful
theme. 4 orchestral II els Of rare richness. Dr.
Damrosch seems to strive in his interpretat ons
rather for bierdtI and c1lcc than for de1cacy and
finish. and attempts more to emphasize the salient
portions, Z the wos th.t Pc perform, than to give
end ior,i5le rather than elegant. From this #
comes thar hesacrs sometime negligent of the tech
ni,a perfection Of lis bands that In certain COM
positions such as b. thoyens this Of itself defeats
bis attainment of the end at which be aims In
them the scoring is 50 open that roughness OF
lack # precision Ia luy group Of instruments works
scrous harm. where IN such acomposlton a. Lists
NaZeypl' tor instance, things might 20 twice
as wrong In some part OF the band and
set hardly be noticed. This was the
trouble last night with the performance Of the
" Esmout" Overture. The strings were often rag-
ged and uncertain in their attack and thus marred
what was In other respects an interesting perform
ance. The overture was. however. vastly better
given than ut the rehearsal on Thursday after
noon. Brahm|s symphony was f,I.ly discussed in
these columns when it was lrst performed three
years ago. It possesses great interest for
musicians and students of music, but its in
yolyed AID sometimes obscure character
will prevent its becoming popular with
the public unless t is frequently heard lis beau
ties do not he on the surface, aud careful and aten
tive study, well intelligent and sympathetic
Interpretation, are necessary for their ap. |
probation. LuIpo "Mazoppa,' which clo,eI |
the concert Is one Of his most striking |
Poems and its rendering last evening |
Was brilliant and effective II somewhat NOISY
-
gramme had 1t, rs undoubtedly an admirable art,st
neither he Will become a gtcat fayOrite
r mains 10 be seen. for Of mis- good ouaities
tand he has uanyl of sort not likely 20 he At
once appreciated or understood by tho pnhlie
at large. The first OF these is thai
Ee sings Ike thorough musician which
- qua iicatiOn that nine hundred aud ninrtv-n,r
cut OF the thousand concert singers do nor nosssss
lie - not confined 20 aay school. but d.
plays an equal intelligence and good taste
IN music al the most dissmllar $50
in the TWO concerts of the society ba La. |
been heard IN hair dr.: pieces t..o 81 them air.
ny HANDEL, one an ARIA by Curlssim which rrs"n |
Dies IN handel songs IN Sty e. an aria from Furv
u the" and two German songs ono h,, |
'tH"lH:tcm ard the other Sehumann's "T,yo
1rcntdier;' and he was almost equally
good IN ali Of them. lie displayed exceeding fic,t
D Voc1zatio. IN the Handel numbers. whose cIaR
rare and dihcnt rou!ades were given with
s'fpr ING precision and oleaFness and bis |
!, ,"V'"Wto singing and dramatic power in
"a, Nchcr ARIA were not less odnir |
ih' Nh.I' the German songs and car,~ci,,ii,. |
ihN "y lFnDinstcIn, were sung clarmingiy. VIII
e leci GOOD tuSte and great expression H. ~
"', power ai 'nr.ione voice. of "a thoroughly |
US 'Hi' hut very bcaOIiful oneLtyy |
o'" ~ those voices which go,
70 Ia asA 10 -cyoi could DO tred--wheh ha ,,.a'