New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-04
MUSIC.

CONCERT OF THE SYMPHONY SOClEIi.
The concert season has been opened in way cal
culated to make observer at q distance Imagine
that New-York is nothing II not conservative In
music. After Mr.. Van der stucken had given us two
of his concerts the Symphony Society last night began
its eleventh season In these three entertainments the
most modern composer represented In the orches'ra
list has been Cherubni. His colleagues have pceh
Bach, Gluck, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. III
a good beginning. After the classical masters have
received the honor due them there will be ample OPP
portunity to give their successors hearing ana IN
the later programmes of the symphony society,"
those planned by Mr. Thomas for the philharmonic
Society and By Mr. seidl for his concerts there
will be no want Of modern compositions. " oaual
devotion to high ideals is shown In the interpre'so
OF the music the season will Ie one OF spiritiai IT,
freshment as well as aesthet'i enjoyment
So far as last nights concert affords means OF
Judgment the eleventh season OF the symphony oo
clety promises to be an Improvement On all Oh i's
predecessors since the death Of Dr. Damrosch
The band is markedly better than uNe Vi
last season. II not in composition at least in sincerity
of purpose The danger to be apprehended Is reso-
ton in this respect, caused by the bearing OF the co
ductor toward his musicians and the pubic fo, a
few years past Mr.. Thomas has occasionally couu0'ou
an extremely familiar symphony or overture "iuou'
the book that IS he has placed the score Oh ine uos
before him. but has devoted all his attention 10 inc
ence az conductor considerably longer than the lie OF
Mr. Walter Damrosch, Mr.. Thomas probably ie' Jus'-
fed I'm his course, especially since there was an eiio
absence Of ostenaton in IT, and the circumstance Itself
could only be detected by close observer. but IL
seems the example was bad. Mr.. Damrosch mas ioi-
lowed suit At the public rehearsal on FRIDAY aier-
NOON and again last night he conducted Ilaydns SYM
nhonv in G CPetcrs's edition No. 81, and Beethovens
symphony in E-nat {" Eroca-) without the booh Inc
fact was obvious for he had no music peioro "ii'
The increased freedom which conductor galhs ny
such familiarity with work as enables MIN ~
dispense with book can be made TO ihure greaus
to the advantage Of a performance; but IL IS
wasted when devoted to publication to the audience
of the exquisite sensbilities of the conductor As
rule the listeners require neither time beats nor
grmaces to enable them to hear the beauties OF hayuh
and Beethoven. Mr.. Damrosch's extraVaeah'e Vi
gesture was commented when he conducteu IN
London last summer. 1t is even moro censuraoie
here where It is directed largely TO the audience inc
public should not be compelled to make persohA
equation while listening to a symphony concert
Mr. Damrosch's programme consisted OF bachs
Concerto Grossos No. 1, in +, Haydns symphony IN
O. the overture and second finale from Mozarts Die
Entfuehrung aus dem sera' and Beethcven's "herolo
symphony 1t was an admirable list OF pieces ana a
fine audience heard the music and rewarded the con-
dsctor and his men with much applause. III Is more
than likely that better effect would have been al
taire in the archaic concerto OF Bach II the gross
disproporuon in sound between the band and The
violin obbligato Qntelgently played by Mr.. Damn
reuthel. had been lessened by the reuucuon VI INC
orchestra Bach never contemplated any such dis
trbuo, OF parts as Mr. Damrosch gave the WORK, ana
as all tie instruments used in the score except INC
violno pccolo {" a bnght-toncd and smaller Vioi'i'
tuned fourth higher says spit;a}, and the harpsi-
chord are familiar members OF the modern orchestra
they tie string quartet, double bass Foi' '"o
horns and tassoon ought TO hear the same palaoc
Of tone thai the old composer imagined CONDUCTORS
cannot be careful in bringing forward the compost
tons of Bach and Handel Injustice is easily Done
them, and honest people who cannot recohclie inc
opinions of muaclans with what their own ear al
miratiOn the of those old masters Is mere
line Haydn Symphony Was played srIrItedly and so
was the brilliant overture, for which Mozart In ms
modesty, the modesy of tremendous genius, couIu
nd nothing el and to ae sny obetWeen forte
and piano, the Turkish music being always iorts
modulated In changes of key. and do not think any
s awake the night before BY Turkish music Mozart
meant the introduction drum, plccoo ana 'r s
1t Is amusing to ta h aee6 s ene
Thought HAT its loud effects startling enough 10
keep sleepy n mSn s Slice bep The finale from
the second act of Mozart's first German opera Is
quartet in which Mozart foi the fist time disclosed
that marvellous skill in musical Characterization which
is even now not sufficiently admired. 1t Is veritabe
Of the rea eS M Of he ThS M. Ei
m n"a resuis though they id the music
s ss ought q Mo.sft sum sS
the singers of to-day. 1t Is peculiarly trying IN
Die Entpehrung because oon soprano paris h ear. are
riccd dramatic truth and feeling While Writing the
opera, in order to accompoda,e e, tie phenomenaIy
CAVALIER There are evidences o. this sacrifice
In the quartet, but 1t pitched at trying altitude