New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-20
MUSIC.
MR.. THOMASs ORCHESTRA.

II the patrons OF Mr. Thomas's symphony Concerts
enjoy greater pleasure next Tuesday evening than
the audience did that yesterday afternoon heard tho
pubc rehearsal Of the sixth concert they will deserve
to be greatly envled. The programme was not re-
markabe for the number OF compositions which con-
stltuted it, but the music varied in character,
highly interesting novelty was presented anu
Madame Camilla UrsO charmed everybody by most
delightful performance Of Mendelssohns Violin con-
certo.
The novelty was ~Preludlo' by Alberto Fran
chetti a Young Italian, living In Dresden, whose
music had first hearing in this country at concert
of the Philharmonic Society on April oil last year.
Ii IS doubtless due to tho favorable Impression Gre
ated by his short but melodlotS and weh"ntten
symphony in L minor on that occasion that we owe
tho privilege of listening to the prelude which was
played for the first time yesterday afternoon This
preludo is probably the introduction to a mystical
opera on Wagnerian models which Signor Fran
chet has been engaged for several years, portions
Of which have we believe, been heard In Dresden
through the courtesy Of Kapelmester schuch such
surmlse is at least reasonable In view Of the sub
title printed on the programme, which Is Azrael'
In which the readers Of Oriental folklore viii recog-
nze tho name Of the Angel Of Death, who-untii
petition of the Prophet was granted-was wont To
come in the body 10 put the mark on his elect There
are many Hebrew and Turkish traditions In which
Azrael figures. which might be utilized as material
for an opera, oratorlo cantata That sgnor Fran
by his symphony but the prelude IS several big steps
In advance Of the symphony the new German road
Is ambitious and fairly successful attempt at
a mood picture Of large dimensions, with melodies
Of unconventional type and sonorous Instrumental
tlon.
The symphony was Brahmss fourth, In minor,
which was played last year by both the Symphony
and Philharmonic Societies. The good qualities which
we found In 1t last year heightened by the lucid
reading which 1t received yesterday 1t is not music
for the iippant, but unable to see how any
serious musc-lover can be Indifferent to the dignity
Of It's melodies, the ingenuity Of their treatment tho
obvious spiritual unity of its parts, its vigorous
rhythms, the schuberlan grace Of It's andante, tho
splendid vgor of its allegro socOso (Which performs
the duty OF the customary scherzo, though 1t is In
double tme) and the profound scholarship which char
acterizes Its every part. Philip scharwenka's pas
sionate but overlong fantasia Lebesnacht,' based
on poetcal thought in Wagner's "Tristan und
Isolde, had a much better setting than when Mr..
Thomas put It in a Popular programme, and its eiIec-
tIveness was correspondIngy heightened LISTS
" Tassos concluded the entertainment.
THE BOSTON IDEALS IN MARTHA.
The Boston Ideal Opera Company gave Martha
last night at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, and the light
and tunefn strains of F1oows opera attracted good
audience who appeared to find much
enjoyment In tho representation. The cast
included Miss Carlotta Primer, as Lady Harriet;
Miss Helen Dudley Campbell as Nancy, MI Oeorgo
Appleby, LioneI7 Mr.. A. d. Saxon as Plnnkctt,'
and Mr. Clement cambridge Tristan The per-
formance went well on the whole. barring few I'm
stances In which the chorus Jagged and In which tho
orchestra not accurate. The costumes were gay,
and some of the pictures were pleasing A number
Of the quartetes were sung extremely well and en-
cores were the rule.
TIL principal feature Of the evening Miss Primers
performance. She appeared TO give much enjoyment
to a number of those present by her singing and In
some of her efforts her applause was honestly earned
She accomplish he'd certain feats Of vocallsm sd lfy
aud gracefully. As n rule she would have sung with
good art II sho had not permitted a tremolo to mar
her work. Her voice Is not powerful enough 10 per-
nit her to do very effective work She sang The Last
Rose of Summer, with feeling and purity OF tone.
Miss Primers conception of Martha rather vague
and hardly did than look her part, but this
she certainly did most peasingly, for she was both
pretty aud graceful