New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-25
MUSIC.
Mr., THoMASs SECOND MATINEE


The penchant which the principal orchestra ieadsrs
of the world have shown Of late for delvfng among
the early little known compositions CT the masters
and bringing forward works which until the era Of
complete editions set in were not deemed worth pub;
fishing might DO construed into a reflection upon
living writer's IL the evidence not SO plain that
the purpose IS only to appeal to curiosity Tho sane
tendency has been exhibited By publishers Of poems
and works of fiction, and the result has generally
been analogous to that which followed the production
OF musical compositions Of which IN their day tho
authors and their publishers thought lightly. Idle
curiosity has been satisfied at tho cost Of little Of
the reputation which the composers had always On.
joyed but could longer defend 1t is not everybody
who listen dscrim nasingly 10 a musical compos-
ton, or know enough Of its history to understand the
reason for possible weakness In IT, and II tho per-
formance OF juvenile Indifferent occasonar- works
to be continued It would TO be no more than fai,
to the memory of the great dead that their history
be noted on tho programme. tt would have saved
some feeling of disappointment last week at Mr.
Tbomas's matinee had hey been Informed that tho
Ritterbalct" was fugitive trne, written by
Beethoven when scarcely more than twenty years
of age, for social affair IN which a noble friend
(who designed tho ENTERTAINMENT was concerned,
and performed at the tine without the name Of the
composer being divulged Yesterday, too tho lovers
OF Schubert while listening 10 that masters overurs
IN E minor (Which like tho Ritteroaller was pub
lIshed for the first time not long agc) would have
found solution Of some " the questions which II
raised in simple record OF the circumstances of its
composition and tardy pubcationhad they been told,
for instance that It written in February 1919, be-
fore the young composer had been successful in any Of
his efforts to handle the larger forms. The overture
is intrfnsically interesting than the youthful
Beetboven's ballet music and in its ingenious dia-
logues between the instrumental groups and
the energetic nature Of its accompaniment figure
one might sec foreshsdowing Of tho strong and
original spirit that making its first essays In
lofty flight; but, after all, the performance Of the
overture intercepted some OF the rays which
accustomed 10 streaming from the halo that
crowns the second Beethoven wheri he presents him.
self as the creator of the C-maor symphony and the
D-ninor quartet.
The production for tho first time in New-York Sfr.
Gerfcke had previously performed It IN BOSTON, Of
this overture not the only unique feature Of tina
concert. Mr.. Thomass scheme bristled with novel.
ties. To begin WITH there Introduction and
Fugue' Top. 43 by Tschaikowsky, full Of tho char
acteristics of that daring writer. Then came tho
Schubert overture, next prescriptions for orchestra
Of three dances (Gavotte in minor, sicilienne In
minor and Bourrec IN A minor by Bach, the or
chestral dress by Gevaert; then Rubnsteins humor'
Gus poem, Don Quixote,S which, though not
set down, was practically to the audience, TO-
lowed By set of Hungarian dances, orohestrated By
that prince Of instrumental writer's Dvorak, and four
pieces groures together suite Top. 49, by Greg.
To conclude came the overture TO @Tannhauser.S OF
necessity the discussion Of these pieces must b
brief The scilienne by Bach called forth the nst
enthusiastic applause Of the afternoon; and after thas
everything was keenly enjoyed. Rubnstein's HUI
moreskep Is programme musics Of the most UNI
bIushng frankness, and recites plainly that al
may follow the story Of the knight Of La Manchafs
adventures with the flock Of sheep, the unspprecis-
tive peasant women (whose careless singing and
gggng laughter are capitay Depicted and the grace
less convicfs at whose hands the poor unstc meets
his death Among the best features iof the CON-
position are the passages designed to deneate the
gradual cloudng OF the knights mind, and, at the
close his too tariy return TO sanity. Tho Hun
garian dances are brilliantly treated BY pvorak and
have more OF the Magyar vildness In them than the
better known ones Transcribed by Erdmannsdoerfx
and Parlow.
Griegs set OF pieces consists OF four compositions
OF small dimensions which originally belonged to the
incidental music written for dramatic poem. or al
Iegory, entitled Peer Gyntr Had this fact been
mentioned on the programme II would at least have
Owen clew to the meaning of the superscrpuons Of
the various movements. In the poem We understand.
the hero who IS a Norwegian peasant, is carried on
TO various parts of the world, which circumstance,
doubtless explains the Oriental tinge which some OF
this music has. The first movement IS a charming
mood picture, designed TO give expression TO fns
feelings awakened BY morning; the second movement
IS funeral march entitled, The Death of Ase' tho
third dainty mazurka with muted strings, entitled
Anitra's Dance and tho fourth somewhat gro-
Hall OF the Mountain King The music Is not
strongly imaginative, but it Is yndsnaoly pretty and
numerous and more enthusiasts than either Of iu
predecessors Of the new Thomas series
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