New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-23

he IL one of the few really great conductors OF te
nineteenth century. Such leader meyitapN
makes deep Impression upon the community ~
which he works. Thomas took his orchestra al
over the country. and wherever he appeared music
spIiug to.lfc. OF course others had done q ele'S
deal 10 prepare the way. Small societies, indlVld't
tcaobcrs occasional visits from famous performers
had produced their due effect and In almost fii INC
cities there was What we may call latent love ana
comprehension of music not generally dfused' and
not strong enough to inspire practical enterprises
1t was fhe work of Thomas, partly by the high
quality of his performances 4ud partly by hlS hoia
ness and tact in programme-Daliing to rouse ms
sluggish sentiment. He became thus the stroieesV
Individual influence music has ever felt III America
He is the only one who ever brought the highest
music right home 10 the popular heart.
Dr. Ritter's silence with respect to TINS phehoil'
nal career is so strange that 1t seems IKE s'u"o'
avoidance He does indeed remark that lhoiH"7 :
labors in spreading taste for orchestr IuSo "''
now well recognized" but they are not wei i'eos
nized in this book. The Doctor has even performed
+Lo fot,vbich'yc should have supposed impossible
of mentioning the musical festivals OF Cincinnati
without naming the conductor who has made them
ond the still more remarkable feat OF NftHlS II
cbaptcr ON Travelling OrcheStras Wlthoh' aH'"'
ing 10 the best most distinguished ana most ''''i
of them all lie SAYS nothing OF the men pro-
orammes of classical music presented durihg >"
many seasons at the Central Park Gardeh-a pace
dear to all true lovers of art, and mighty Souc'
nopular culture; but we remember showing manu-
fui of those programmes once in company ol or
obestra leaders aud other professional MUSICIANS u"
Germany, and being told as the party studied tn'o,
with amazement, that nowhere III Europe No'"l
popular concerts such plane be posture va
selections from Wagner's works DIR. Ritter. mas
nothing pleasant to say He thinks that even Tncii
crude performances as Mr.. Neuendoff'S N"lN"''
at the Academy of Music few years az" an ii'''
effective than a number OF fragments '"in 'i'i"
most carefully planned and conSiIn''e" N'''''
Those who remember what IN eNecraDle u''''''
the Academy performance Of the " NaIN'I' ""''
and what profound impression, on 'he coh'l"IA'
was created by the d" fragments gwen 1T 'i' i''t'
val in ts city in 1852, will certainly not concur III
this opinion. The difference between l4f' TWO per
formances was simply the difference between gnoo
and had art the struggles of houndcriug mcapaciiy
and fine impassioncd uttcranccs of real interpreters
The fact is that Dr. Ritter in his comments upon
our recent musical history does not make the proper
critical discrimination between mediocre eA''"-
tion of respectable intentions and an excellent exc
c,tiou vet tolerance of medi0crity has been one %
the chief curses OF our art.
In an account of " Music in America " we h2'"I-
ally look for something about American '"hp'Sel''
DIR Ritter mentions none except Nituam H. IiS'
and tLe composer of "Old Dog Tray" stephen -
Foster Both deserved commcmoratlon; on' NV
tbrrc no others! Certainly We have no -Aueii'"'
school - Int we have a number of musicians VINO
have dome conscientious and digniicd work Tor the
church. the concert-rOom and the theatre, an" we
do not understand why they are ignored IL
Ritter might have mentioned his own compositions