New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-17
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
SECOND sEIpL SYMPHONY CONCERT.


The second scidl Symphony Concert took place last
night In chickcring Hall 1t was . most Interesting
musical event. and ono of best audiences enjoyed
the occasion Tho programme incuded "Concerfo
for piano forte with orchestral accompaniment; op
70, in Efat msJor,' Beethoven; "Romanho Sym
phony, No. A, IN Efat MAJOR In four movements,
Anton BruclIncr; "Tannhauser,' la) overture ana
yenusberg scene with sirens chorus, and (b) tho
rewritten scene between "venus' and rannhauscr'
Tho "Funeral March from Goetterdssmmerung,'
played In memory of Emperor William, concluded the
programme. Mr.. william II. Sherwood was tho pianist
Frau Lil Kasch lehman sang tho Venus music In
tho "Tannhauser' excerpt, and Herr Paul hasch
that OF Tannhauscr." The Bruchnor symphony was
heard for tho first time In America last night ana also
the rewritten scene between ~Vcnus7 ana Tann-
hauser.p
Mr. Sherwood gave a rather clover performance OF
the Beethoven symphony and some applause, but
his efforts were wanting in breadth, and his WORK
seemed skeleton lle and thin In comparison with tho
robust and mastcrly Interpretation that Mr. sed gave
to tho work.
Tho .Romantlc, symphony Anton Bruckner's
fourth production In the greatest orchestral FORM
can only be called symphony by allowing that the
descriptive adjective romantic has had tustha0le
influence on classic FORM With tho exception OF the
Schcrzo representative Of hunt none OF the move
ments shows the form Of the classic or even OF the
modern symphony, followed by Brahms, hupih
stein and RaR certainly stu less that OF schu
mann, who was the most representative OF no
mantIc- symphonIsts Everywhere the work Is rhap
sodca cplsodcal and spasmodc. There IS no logical
symphonic development Of tho themes given, and the
whole work seems to have been written moro for tho
sake OF working up tremendous orchestral clima4es
and of producing peculiar harmonic effects than for
the sake Of writing symphony. Tho descriptive
title Of symphonic Fantasia' In four movements
wonld therefore, have been considerably moro appro-
| nofIn Of
the work IS not The first movement In dat opens with
broad horn call on descending fifth, and this grad
ualy wldens into rather beautiful theme, the only
broad and entirely satisfactory symphonic theme the
work contains The second theme In D-lat IS rather
wea In invention and only interesting through the pc
cuarlty OF orchestral treatment to which 1t Is SUD
icctcd Tho AndaDte In C.minor Ia the weakest move
| mcnt OF the four Not only Is the principal theme
short breabcd 1erky and not original, but even inc
| treatment is not particularly interesting short
episode IN Bmajor however, which Interrupts l"ith-
out symphonic reason Justification the movement
IS rather beautiful, and In the on-haDd manner IN
which 1t is dropped into the movement AFFORDS snort
Measure and relief Tho Scherzo Is undoubtedly the
best part OF the work and the least unsatisfactory
to the nearer 1t stands in D-Ha and the use OF six
horns fstrongly suggestive of the opening OF the sec
ond act of @Trist an) gives 1t seniority and an or
chesral color at descriptive OF It's Ute, me
limit Tho trio I'm C-lat, which the composer 90
| scrbes as TABLE music OF tho hunters In tho WOOD
| H.
} IFS conclusion the Hunt" Is resumed The iast
movement in contrast to its tbree predecessors when
are "a Bruckner always Is and strives TO De, " az
merriam IS thoroughly Meyerbccrian In the Invention
OF its thematc material and In tho use OF the orass
The sh 1f theme In C-mnLr, the most important one
| OF the movement. IS bodily taken from " robert y
The orchestral treatment Is constant STRIVING tDy
he use of cIescendos) after dynamic cllmaxes put as
these cllmaxes when they fall upon tho ear Win aP
pallIng power do not convey any musica though.s'
| but only so much musical noise, their frequent re-
| iteration finally becomes wcarisome and unsatis-
factory. -, c,,,, -
The performance OF tho work showed seidrs IN,
firing energy and his ability to get out OF his men al
the power they are able 10 produce. The erect now
ever would have been heightened considerably IL the
| information. especially IN the woodwind, had DeeD
moro clear. u.,.
.Tannhausers has been heard here frequently hndeI
Thomas but Mr.. Scidls Interpretation showed II less
| finish and accuracy more trenlehaon,s
| working up Of climaxes. Tho bachanaie
! follows right after the venus noun,
tain music In the overture. thus exc'sing the Original
and "Taunhauscr" enlargcs the part OF the goddess
10 some extent while the hero's Is comparatively nm
changed The additions OF considerably more nlod
ern shirt than the original "Tannhsuserr ana GER
| tanly show Wagncr's tremendous advance In orches
| ,ration The Influence of his Tristan und Isolde
period already clearly dscerDibe In bis afterthough
| to "Tannhanser' ~.
| The singing OF Fran Kalisch lehman, as well as
| that OF her husband magnificent. For Frau
Kalsch- Lehman It great triumph; her husDan
| was most emil uslsstically received