Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-02


at least two better programmes than that
down In the Exposition, with admission at
,25 cents head and popcorn at cents q
ball. Mr.. Patrick Sars6eld Gilmore has
done likewise. And both Of them have
pleased the people more than was apparent
last night From the name and fame of
Mr.. Theodore Thomas, the people expect
something different, even though they may
not know just exactly what it ought to be.
UNFIT FOR A FEAST.
Manv people like fried sausage and often
have it. even for dinner. But when one of
them steps in off the Paris boulevard to
sample the cuisine of the Cafe Richie, he
wants to order something else.
Suppose the waiter cannot speak English
and the perplexed traveller wanders through
the to him unmeaning names Of the French
dishes he would so much like If he only
knew it, until at last he comes to familiar
word-sausage Nine to one he orders
sausage, eats it with some pretense of pleas
ure. paws his bill and goes out hungry, or at
least dissatisfied.
1t is pretty much the same thing to sub
init to a plebisclte three musical pro-
grammes. one of which is made up almost
wholly of familiar names, while the others
have few if any such. The conclusion is
foregone. 1t is cast of loaded dice. The
people choose the familiar names simply be-
cause they don't know the others.
Then when they find that the anticipated
feast is, after all, only fried. sausage with q
few extra trimmings, they are disappointed
and go off with vague sense Of dissatisfac-
ton. And when the layman feels thus,
how must the connoisseur feel
GOOD REASON FOR IT.
The Justice of viewing the programme in
this light and at this length, must be ap-
parent to anyone who stops to think that
the name of Theodore Thomas is honored
throughout this country as the synonym for
a high standard of art 1t is most distinctly
because of his wise, persistent and largely
successful efforts to elevate the public taste.
that this present testimonial" tour COM
mands, in advance, the exceedingly cordial
support il is receiving on every hand. 1t
would not be inappropriate, under all the
circumstances, TO invite the public in some
way to express preference among compost
tions that might be brought into artistic
balance and proportion. But in loading
one of the dice so heavily. the fine. Mahi-
avelian hand of canny Manager Blakely
has over-reached itself to the extent of
giving the layman no choice, and the
musician no chance-complete satisfaction
to neither.
NOT UP TO THE STANDARD.
It is hardly needful to treat the orchestral
performance in any great detail. There is,
of'course, much pleasure in listening to any
thing PLAYED by such body of men under
such leader. Comparisons are unavoid-
able, however, and it must be confessed that
Pittsburg has heard better performances
before under Mr.. Thomas own baton, as
also under Mr.. Seidl and Mr.. Gericke. The
men showed tendency to lapse
now and then into perfunctory
manner Of playing especially the
strings. Beethoven's Andante and the
"Fraeumerei" suffered from this tendency.
The wood-wind did particularly good ser
vice in the trying Berlioz score, with its
fickering, fantastic figures for piccolo, flute
and oboe. Indeed, the whole
band did itself especial credit through
the prolanely entitled piece. Mr.
Thomas and his men seemed to share the
opinion of many that it was the most inter-
esting part of their evenings task. The
"rell" overture, Of course, went well;
it always does. Mr.. Herbert's part in
it was quite as grateful and effective
as in the Volkman serehade. Mr.. Oes-
terle's flute tones seemed, if anything, too
rich and full in the running variations to
the pretty pastoral Of the oboe. Following
Won Buelow's example in choosing a
Strauss waltz for the programme, Mr..
Thomas also showed that he had put care
full study and drill upon it, making it By no
means the least finished performance Of the
evening.
NOT ENTIRELY INDICATIVE.
It is pity that Mr.. Josefy, who has not
played here for number Of years, did not
give us something Of more serious charac-
ter. They say he has been gaining
in breadth Of conception and
emotional strength in that period.
No one could we'll determine
from last nights appearance whether this in
90 or not. The Liszt piece served it1 sole