New-York tribune., 1884-03-09
MIJSIC AND THE DRAMA.
THE SYMPHONY SOCIETY.


which took place last night in the Academy OF
Music Dr. Damrosch paid the tribute due from all
ldherents of the new German school of music 10
the present teacher of that school he prouuoou'
with the aid of q choir of men from the Ofa'''i'
Society and Mr.. w. II. Stanley. tenor s,"ev''
Liszt's Faust Symphony The Work Is pr"c'i'"',S
a novelty 1t has been given. we DeleVe' 'nN
twice V he Philharmonic Society. once uiiue' '''o
direction of the late Carl Bergmann' 'n tno 'o''o"
of lS6S-'64, and once under the direc''o" VI MI
Tboroos on December IL 1850. This would seem
TO give it an average periodicty OF SIX year anu a
fraction. and is hardly complimentary to the WORK
1rhicb the thusastc admirers of List would have
r helievo is the pinnacle of all accomplishment in
The symphonic province since Beethovens death.
II Is easily accounted for, however by the difficult
ties which the music offers to a good performance,
and its slight adaptabty to the tastes of an audi
ence assembled for simple musical enjoyment
rather than intellectual excitation. DR.. Damrosch'
rs If 10 recompense the many. prefaced the SYM
phony with three numbers of music that made direct
aud easy appeal to the senses. His scheme was as
follows:
Selection. from The Childhood Of Christ ~ BerhOz
Me Ssns iSH SI e4'ss aq
b-The Repose ~ the Holy Family
/ Faas; IL GTechea iii. Mepisiophees.
The performance showed indications of more care
ful study than usual and under the inspiration OF
DR.. Damrosohs spirited and Intelligent direction
tho band gave thrillingly impassloned read
ing of the overture ana the symphony. The num-
bens between were sweetmeats which must have
taken by surprise all those who had tried TO sum up
the artistic character of Berlioz from his MesSe
des Morris" DamnatOn de Faust and the orches-
tral pieces which occur periodically in concert pro-
grammes. 1t is written in history that IL was
GLEnfance du Christ which effected conversion
of Heinrich Heine to q belief in the musical genius
OF Berlloz. Three weeks before the work was pro-
duced Heine peuned the memorial sentence in which
be compared Berlioz TO Z" a colossal nightingale
lark as big as an eagle" and said that the French
mans music had in il for him something archaic II
not autediluvian which made him dream about
Gigantic kinds of extinct beasts OF the mann
moth; of fabulous empires full OF fabulous SINS,
and all manner Of npossblites "; and further that
it, magical accents recalled TO him "Babylon, the
hanging gardens of Scmiranis the marvels Of Nine
veh." This romantic rhapsody has been accepted
too AS In "A manner describing the " architectural
music OF Berlioz. although the composer took 1t IN
high dudgeou. On the day after the performance OF
the Sacred TrilOgy Heine peniteut for bay
ing said 80 many fantastica things about the fan
tastira music Of BerlioZ and especially for having
denied that II had either melody OF naiyet6, and
from his mattress grave he wrote this 10 the com
poser: l am told hy every one that you have
gathered posy of the sweetest flowers OF melody
Gud that il its ensemble your OlatoIlo Is MASTER
piece OF nalyot6. ! shall never pardon myself for
having been so uUj just TO friend. BerIioz called
on the poet and read him d lecture about beng
hasty il judgment like the vulgar critics.
Dr.. Damrosch gave us two c.imcns Of the muSi-
cal naIyet6 of Beroz The order of the pieces was
trausposed for an obvious reason. The tenor solo
with orchestral accompaniment describes the rest
of the fugtives from Herod, beside a well IN the
desert the serenade Is the music played dt the
command of the carpenter IN Sais 10 lull the Holy
Family to sleep after they have found refuge with
him Very nnOcuOus music it all Is not without
an uumistakable vein Of originality in treatment,
but sentimental to a degree. and cloyngly sweet. II
is'music for a female seminary This sentimentality
seems TO be the most marked feature of all the
attempts of French composers 70 write sacred music
TJ,e iRe5emntIon * The most recent Illustration
but II has been carried TO an extreme III tile rellg
ious ballads of Gounod and faure that are so Popu
lar in or churches. TheiunadulteIated loNei.nesS
Of the serenade received an additional Cnarm ron
the unmistakable Oriental tlnge when beIllOI sue
oeeded lu giving Its melody. ,
AS We have already indicated, the symphony re-
ceived an admirable reading. hatel tr OF e4o-
Queuce is IT, pages was published 10 the 'leHeIe
IN d manner the brlancy and VlgoT o! Whch "eIe
not seriously impaired 10y few technical Hl5hals.
The purposes OF the composer least were clearly
and ent rely sci forth. That the reception gwen
the music was not enthusiastic Is 10 De ldd az Ve uoOI
of fLe c0mposltiou. Ii Is unquestiouab.y the eX-
frenc,t product of LISTS poetic system. ana no one
FULLY acquainted ith the aims Of the composer ana
imbued with those philosophical principles "4ch
The thinking world agree ia finding pers0nihed III
the three chief character, OF GOcthes tragedy can
listen TO il unmOyed. But there Is no deny ine tha;,
except in the second movement the appeal which
the symphony makes is much more 90 the lhtei-
lectual faculty than 10 the emotions
MI Stanley we believe. has never before appeared
In concert of the first class He IL 10 be heard THIS
week III a part which will put the most severe Of al
tests 10 his pOwTs vOcauSt-he W III sing the
40 gf hp EVquUeIfGf II q
ing to St Matthew" 20 far a. his singing last
night could show, be seemed 10 be gifted with ez-
cellent vocal material, though IN the manlpula-
tion of il there vas COnstrant that implied d lack
Of rudnuentary training. lie has power, good
quality and correct ntOnatiOni gTaceIulness ana
ease Of delivery may be developed by study and ex-
ercse.