New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-18
THE MUSICAL SEASON CLOSES.
A REVIEW OF SIX ACTIVE MONTHS.

A REVIEW OF SIX ACTIVE MONTHS.
Practically the musical season Of 1SS5-'sA
came end yesterday. For a month to coma
there will be concerts In plenty but they Will DO OF no
Significance in comparison with the series OF afsrs
when have either been concluded which will find
their conclusion today Last saturday tho last OF tho
Philharmonic concerts took place. week after the.
last enersinment projected by the Symphony Society
On Thursday the forty eighth semIweekly o: the
Thomas Popular series occurred. Yesterday the
American Opera Company it's final representation
for the season.
Mr. Mapleson ID up his season incontincnty be-
fore the end Of 1885, and the Germans At the Metropo
tan closed heir house March q while the tide OF
popularity and artistic as well financial success
yet at its flood. We are, OF course. safe
redonbtable MpesOn but 10 Is scarcely to be imagined
that he will assault with his Italian sweetmsats (ot
dubious quality IN present state Of plethora and
Indigestion. We therefore IN position today
to glance at the and strike balance which will
be reasonably Indicative OF the suferngs and enjoy
ments Of the musical season.
Those whom duty, liking. has taken often to the
opera houses AMI concert-rooms during the last
six months. and those who have observed the daily
record Will need to be told that the bias been
every most extraordinary The number Of
not able operate performances alone (omtting from
sideratOn productions Of G;rman operas aud ope
rettas the Thaa Theatre and the Of
English operettas that have been with daily which
Newly public has been called on to pItronze has
been 1875. or these eighteen have been Italian ffy-two
German and nftysIx English (the Brooklyn season OF
the American Opera Company not inciuded) Besides
these entertainments nave had fortyeght Popular
concerts AMI six Philharmonic concerts conducted by
Theodore Thomas, six symphony Society aud three Ora
torio Society conducted by Walter DimrOsch
FIVE concerts composed largely OF new compositions
conducted by Frank Van der Stucken, Wagner
conducted by Herr seid and host Of less sign
.f.tra ana Ora.
each given twice. so that the nun
Der OF standard entertainments not dramatic, in which
large forces were employed was eghty-iour simple
statistical statement of this kind sulices convey
idea OF the activity that has sgnazed the seaso but
present artistic results aud to these we wish to
devote a few words
And first touching rhe affairs which have been most
persistent In their demands upon the attention Of the
reviewers and recorders OF musical oc urrencesthe
Thomas Popular Concerts These the fruit OF an
enterprising spirit whose existence and aims THE
TRIBUNE the first to discuss In January
of last year. It daring thing in city well pro-
vded with highclass entertainments AS NevY0rk to
project series OF semweeky Concerts to last fro tho
beginning OF November to the middle Of April. The
pertinent could scarcely result successfully far as
pccuniary considerations were concerned and II was
all surprising close observers 10 learn from the
programme OF the last concerts that next
the series will be limited to SIX evening concerts
twelve matinees the latter divided evenly between
the Young Peoples series and series Of SIX Classical
Thursday Ma inees" Place NewYorS In the position OF
Boston in respect orchestral and operas, AMI
doubtless the semiweekly Popuars would be financially
successful, nut with hrstcldss music on all hsnis,
was too much expect that the Academy would be
filled twicea week by lovers OF orchestral music. Tho
concerts nave furnished food for deal Of thought and
we he inclined srenuously to quarrel with
any one should lay the right premises and then
argue that they had done ulnixet good in artist
ic far as they have enabled Mr. Thomas TO
maintain a body OF picked instrumentasts, each man
an artist OF highest character to keep them In con-
slant practice with each other and call them
only for high class work. they have done COOL But Mr.
rhomas's engagements have been too numerous, and
much more frequently than has been men
toned in the criticisms OF the newspaper press
the effects Of overwork and have beea observ
able in which were justified in expect
ing would be- at least technically fiwless Ideal or
chestral playing il in each ana in the Of
each individual the band work OF original proiuc-
ton and with weary dies and overtaxed spirits 10 is
as impossible for band to play well
1t Is for composer to compose well
under the same circumstances. Mr.. Thomas
and his mel had much to do and the only marvel
now is that they did we'll. As yet say nothi NJ Of
the concerts given outside OF NewYork, Of the parc
patton OF the majority or his in the Philharmonic
Socetys concerts and the American Opera season tho
record of work do Popular. alone is something
startling review OF the forty-eight pro MINES dis
that 100 compositions by exactly fty COM
po.ers produced Folio wing Is u list or the
posers with the of represen tatons given
In Tha llrRp0