New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-03
initials "F" and "V,r surrounded by tho imperial ana
4 ...inIr .aI nf-1fcI Liza
NJ USIU.
MR. SEIDL'S FIRST CONCERT.

for bouob sope deficiencies I'm the entertainment
apparent there Is gainsaying the artistic earnest
mss which spoke from its every FEATURE ano inspired
the efforts OF every one concerned In It from the ron
| ductor down to tho last in the orchestra. Tho
programme somewhat lncongruoIs and recog-
milton OF what we assume Mr. Solids purpose IN
composing It is necessary to reconcile 1t with eood
taste and artistic ploprIcy II consisted In half a
dozen excerpts from the first act Of MO2ar's bon
| Giovanni" Wagner's only symphony. in major,
| Walthers Prize Song from Die Mcisers'ng,r'
ana the prelude 10 "PaisifaiT Obviously Mr. oe.dls
purpose wa. to present tho symphony IN such man
ner a. not only to satisfy curiosity concerning INC
mucl-dscl-scd novelty, but also to give II an ednca-
tionaI influence. The fret work Of large proportions
with which Wagner presented himself for judgment
before the world nearly hnyslx years ago was con
sorted with the last great instrumental effort OF his
life. Nothing could have rique curiosity moro HAN
such a juxtap0sitOn AZ for the MOk5r selrctOns'
they had two thirgs to commend them ~ the Ne'-
ropoan Opera House the centenary OF the 1''t pro
duction of Don Giovanni was Ignored lat iall mueh
TO tho disappointment Of the singers who were anxious
10 pay tribute the masterpiece well a. TO me pup
lie: tho music was therefore, given and received last
night a. a celebration which was mono the less appfo-
priato because II ardy. In the second pi u
was worth while to learn how Mozart's music would
statd putting thrOugl, the Wagrcrian sieve. This
question ana some other features of the concert mast
be disposed Of briefly to allow for discussion of tho
symphony.
Tho defects of the orchestra commanded by Nr Scdl
were naturally acccntuaed by the transfer of the band
from the Metropolitan Opera lICn.e 10 hckerng Hall
The crdtcs OF in portions of the wind choir and
It's uncertainty of information the chief drawbacks.
S,idl di.app, mCd the apprehension fell by reason
OF hi fondness for loud bra,s by 50 placing his play
crs as to bring the brass choir ia the middle back
ground Of the body OF mu,icians thus achieving The
COED results gained by Nj. Thomas by similar
means in Sciuway Hall THIS had the eject oi
normal brass forte without tn, Ovcrnwonng ON
which we had 10 condemn al his concerts last year
The zeal, energy and precision OF the band were In all
thng5 admiral h and there could scarcely have been
clclrcr exposition Of The purpose IN Mr. Seids read
Ing, than they received of the Mozart music The
overture alone took on now physiosnomy rom Mr.
Scd'5 drastic methods which We consider worthy OF
praise. The opening chords best reflected the go% IN
Id principles of mt rpctatiOn. They were hold with
adamantinc flmncss for tho full time dictated ,and
lttle nore) without loss in quantity OF qIilhy OF
sound and exemplilied sribngly the value OF SIS
tanned tone watch Wagner in his book On conducting
asserts Is the basis Of ali expression Ia the alis gro
and portions OF tine finale, most lagranly In The Duno
air, "Madamma," however, we missed the lIShincs5
AMI humCr which arc az essential an ihSleLeH Vi
MCzart's score a. the tragic element The Wis conica,
IN the mnsca portraiture Of which Mozart las had but
rival, Hossni, utterly lost in last night pr
folmancc. There Is unqucstionaby depth OF IRA
matte power In yozarts music which Inc old fdshOhed'
carel SO opera readings never fathOmed, and which
German musicians appreciate more fully than those
Of tho Latin races, but the vivacty, surface energy
and comicality of the music still the peculiar prop
erty OF the Italian singers. After that gwen by me
the chief delight In this music came from the
singing OF Madame Lehmann and hor husband, Paul
ksiscn Together they sang the accompanied ~,
cnaives Ma qucl mai s'anre" and " Don ottawa
morta," and sing!y the respective airs = or sal,
chi ronore." and " Ddlia sna pace Madame Lehman
has 50 often commanded praise that she can afford
to-day to Yield precedence in attention to heir hssch
whose success a. quick as 1t was unluesiohed
We were scarcely prepared TO near 80 y mPdlns0c,
true, manly and fine d voice a. he disclosed Or SO
finished style. Plainly he Is an excellent vocalist
his piaasing and the taste ana intelligence WIN "Hci
he Uses his not powerful voice prove tIat. II
he could lie kept here he would be decided arquls.
act was sung by Madame Lehmann Ms lda h Idn
steger and Herr saenger. ,
We are spared rehearsal of many facts concerning
journal last september printed the most Interesting
contribution that has been made to its history outside
If Wagners letter TO German music journal III
tho shape of letter describing It's discovery ana
restoration after it had been lost for half century
from the pen of Mr. Sedl. II Will Suffice therefore,
to remind the reader thar Wagner composed the work
after completing his studies In counterpart ana COLI
position with the Thomas Cantor Wenlig In Lelpsic In
1892 He then in his nineteenth year. IL was
played in Prague Lepc and we believe rS also III
with pleasure to the compositions OF his youth ahd
6s r NAH 70 W Tarpcr Of BeD was empowered
make an extended search which aler many VlclsSl-
tndes resulted in discovery Of all the parts except
those for the trOmbones In old trunk or portman-
team in tho attic OF the tenor TIchasches house I'm
Dresden Wagner had left them, he knew not where |
In his hurried flight from Dresden after the pOlltical
revolution in which he took part The paris lecov-
cred Mr.. seldl. then member Of the Wagner house.
hold was aned to restore the score and dd SO:
ON the day after Christmas. 1852, Wagner conducted
he work In Venice in honor of his wcs birthday ana
drill the orchestra but was prevented by concert en-
cagencnts and the last work which Wagner did as |
a conductor devoted to this Symphony Natur- |
ally the first question that arises on hearing ot thls
first composition OF magnitude written ~ Mas1 LII IL,
juxtaposon with the prelude TO ParSfar IS; Does
stamped so broadly on every page OF the mPosers
swansOng7 The symphony was written when wagner |
was yet under the binding influence OF me CSssles
the prelude when he was law unto hiISen in tho
former Wagner's creative talent worked within the
mad completely emancipated himself from those forms
yet have hesitation In saying thai the evidences
unmst skable. OF c0nse IT is easy to ploplcsy after
the fact but the circumstances make IT Incumbent On
egostical sentiment on the part of Wagner to save
this, symphony to the world IT shows hoy native
to the man the impetuous energy which character
ICES the works of his prime
In form in many features Of the Treatment IN
and Mozart in the symphony. The evidences arc
so and so fragrant that no one would attempt
dinicuty Ihit his models chosen, Wagner worked
with a daring and ease that must excite amazement
Of the symphony is harsh We do not
wonder that When he heard i played In Leipsic he
tone was at that time higher Law than
characteristic beauty and Wagner knew his Beethoven
Compared with what he created In the fitness of his
powers II IS crude and unrpe: when one recalled IL
While listening to the mellow, luscious Parsfal'
music It's voice was acrid But there was no qncs-
tionlng the vigor and vitality OF it's proclamation.
II reflects the muscular side OF the Tentonsm Of its
creator There is little sentiment in IT, little tender
ness little beauty of the higher order Rut there IS
any amount of that nervous strength which is con.
doned upon complete command of the clements of
If Conservatory student of to-day
were to produce movement equal to the first thy
all odds the finest Of the symphony, there IS
question what the verdict OF hts judges would be-
Talent Of the most promising kind would be conceded
to him. The deficiencies OF Wagners genius also
evident In II his want Of hnmor IS shown by the
schcrzo. which IS wildly rude. but NOT humorous.
His efforts to give unity and spiritual bond to the
disconnected movements are original. ard he shows
splendid knowledge OF thematlc treatment. There
IS oven I'm the andante a use Of the mordent which
plays so important a part in Rlenzi," "Trlstan,'
and Die GOetterdarmmcrung.r But cannot par
tlculariZe more. This symphony proves that Wagner
LII. ...I..