New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-13

eapaeitv of the house that il seems To Us INC pi'
priety Of increasing the number OF the ci''i
ments might wen be taken into serious coh,i'eI"
ton The programme OF the concert l'S' iis'-'
as follows:
PG anooTc ' Concerto No. ?, opus 4sov.ly
Nine. Madeleine schiller. ,,..,,,,v,r
ssyrphouy No T. ,.6,. . F;o:i
tn tlo perforrnance was brilliant ana careiul
ono e .l,,ost q matter of course, for the Phihar-
,nonic So,i,+y. under Thomas's direction, never
w. q concert even at the opening OF a season
which has not been prepared with erthuSas.'
mains and is not animated with high artlsuc spirit
Rpt we shall hardly comprehend how sulhlne
was the success of last night unless we bear IN nina
what manner of pieces they were with which TINS
noble ORGANIZATION ventured TO begin the year. The
overture was entirely new. The concerto was not
only new but very trying. The symphony IS
difficult on account of the shguiarlN
of the rbythms. Finally LISTS scenes
from Faust tax the virtuosty, the
drill and the poetic feeling of the musicians to the
tos+ ora those Numbers moreover. if not abso-
Int novelties have been played here so niue that
tbev are unfamiliar. Yet everything was executed
with splendor and beauty which would have been
remarkable at the end of season, to say nothing Oh
the beginning. 800
The Tragic Overture Of Brahms is, as its title
might warn U.S. somewhat sombre both IN themes
and coloring It is distinguished by spirit OF Dig
nifed repoSe and an absence of sensational ELECTS
by clear thought forcible and compact OPPRESSION
fresh ingenious and scholarly writing, and SYM
metry of fern The TschakowSiy concerto has
only recently been published. In the first move
ment (Alegro Misunderstanding out Of considera-
ton n highly elaborate cadenza and the opening of
The principal theme-it will perhaps seem to many
listeners that the piano is treated less as a solo
instrument than as an ordinary component
of the Orchestra-a plan which throws
tremendous weight upon the pianist ana
demands of that eXecutaut the virtue so rare III
public performers of self-abnegaton. 1t is legit-
mate method of writing. only we must remember to
attend to the general effect of the whole combna-
ton not 10 the solo principally, If we would know
what the author is aiming al. In the second move
troppo)the pianist has solo work of
themost beautiful kind yet here the piano Is rivaied
and almost eclipsed by an exquisite solo violin,
which we presently find discussing with SYM
pathetic solo violoncello The finale is an Allegro
con fusco Ia which the pTedOminancc OF the piano
is well established and the performer is called
upon for all the brilGancy and dash OF
which the most nimble fingers are capable
The whole work is m0lodiOus, animated, and richly
colored. It's themes distinct and the fertile i'm
hgination aud ample technical resources of the com
poser are betrayed by certain e1traia not easy to
describe but irresistible in its effect Madame
Schiller whose re urn after long absence from the
country is welcome to all true lovers Of art per
formed the severe task winch fell TO her trl-
umphantly. She showed the Just sentiment which
we have so often admired in her playing, with
breadth Of style and strength of wrist i'll the tutti
passages for which her delicate appearance hardly
prepared anybody. Mr.. Brandt gave notably clc-
CANT performance of the violin obgato. and OF the
cello solo II is enough to say thai il was committed
70 the able hands of Mr.. Bergner.
Beethoven's gladstone Fourth Symphony was an
ideal selection for the place the programme.
If the concerto, with its novel effects left any
shade of perpleXity over a fraction of the
audience this bright work chased it all away. II
seemed to fill the Academy with cheeIfulness. The
execution of it was magnificent The majesty OF
the strings the precision of the attack the purity OF
the TONE the grandeur of the shading, must have
affected the least critical listener; but the
highest merit was the nobility of the
Interpretation. There is nothing finer
to be heard in this cOuntry-f anYwhere-than
beethoven symphony conducted by Thomas under
such favorable circumstances those of last night
Ut is the eloquence of music. Beauty Of interpreta
zion, in a wholly different style Of art, was con-
spicuOus alterward in the List selection and here
the technical accomplishments of the band also
came INTO fuD play. me El1SodeS from Lenau
Faust" which the composer illustrates are two
The Night Procession and the Mephisto Waltz.
The first was given here. we believe,
many years ago under Carl Bergmann's
baton, but has since been neglected; the
second has been played before by Thomas Both
are interesting examples of LISTS poetic system,
and in the first scene we have. moreover remark
able study of instrumental effects which even BcT-
lioz perhaps has never surpassed. This is in the
chant-like theme which is beautifully treated
antphOnaly first By the English horn, an
swered by three flutes. and then passed
on to other reeds 10 the yiOas and cellos masscd,
and so forth until the full strength of the orchestra
is felt in the deepening harmonles. The method we
here in strange combinations of instruments. while
List produces the most charming and pqua1t
result by the simple force of alienation and Tast
The MephistO Waltz played with extraordinary
spirit and brought the evening to exciting close.
REMITTANCE OF MCCULLOUGH.