New-York tribune., 1889-10-20
MUSICAL COMMENT.
THE VALUE OF TRADITION IN CONDUCTING.
FREEDOM AND wLEfsSNEss-TNTELLIGENC
FROM OPERA HOUSE AND CoNoERT-Ro

FROM HOUSE AND
Recent occurrences in our concert rooms have sug
gosted the reflection that the nature and value Of ira
duon related TO the Interpretation Of the classics
might be studied with profit 1t has chanced that in
so squarecut a composition the prelude TO " Die
Mestersinger four five recent performances have
shown such wide dlvergences from a standard
that a iudlclous listener naturally stimulated
inquire which, If any, mot the requirements of the
| composer. Wagner has been dead but a short time
and half dozen Of the leading conductors In the world
were his pupils and had abundant opportunities TO
become imbued with bis theories and manner. Dr.
Won Buelow, who conducted the prelude for last
spring, conducted the opera at its first performance
Weimar, and for long time stood by the side of
Liszt as one Of the chief champions of Wagners
Nevertheless, his Interpretation so revolutionary
and disturbing TO the ideas lncucated by Mr. Thomas
| Mr. Sedl, Hans Richter. and lastly Mr.. Niksch. as
well as so defiant OF the marks OF Wagner that The
rrbunes music reviewer thought himself wholly just
heu In refusing to accept It authoritative. Now, II
| men like Won BuelOw, Richter. Sedl. Moba and
Levi cannot be depended to the traditions
OF wagner for ten years after his death. how much
credit ought to be given 10 te traditions concerning
| the performance OF Beethovens symphonies The
question is pertinent. and the far to seek
In most Of the things which go to make up the
vitality and strength Of an Interpretation the individ
usllly Of the conductor is to be looked for. a
greaA conductor Dleases by his reading and Is inflated
I'LL another OF equally potential individuality comes
along HIS readings looked upon as authoritative
and come to be confounded with traditions touching
the composers own way. How valuable such
traditions are may be gathered from two illustrations
used by Mr.. Nildsch in conversation with the writer
| IN Boston last Sunday. Bayreuth surely ought to
preserve the ideas Of time and expression entertaned
! by Wagner concerning Parsifar II is only seven
years since the work first brought forward thcrc
under Wagners own direction. Many Of the per
! formers who still take part I'm the festivals were
concerned in the first and herc has been no change
OF conductors. Moreover Madame Wagner has super
intended all the rehearsas and always been on hand
10 say thus It was that my husband wished it to
be done' Yet in spite Of all this the performances
have kept on changing year after year.
Who're can tradition be lnfaIllbIy crystallized in
performance II not In Bayrcuth and with the drama
reserved for the biennial festivals! Plainly nowhere
! 1he Gewandhaus concerts in Leipsic supposed
10 preserve the inteprrtative traditions of Mendels
| sohn and Schumann. They have kept the Leipsic
puplc omcally conservative in spite Of the largo
Infusion Of radical blood through the influence of
| tho young musicians Of the Conservatory. Mr..
NiRlsch relates. nevertheless that when on ono oc.
| caSlon he was called to direct a Gewandhau,
| concert, he read schumann'S Symphony in d minor
IN the free and vre manner which tho Boston
public enjoyed last Saturday night. II was a sur
PRISE to the public, and provided in turn a surprise
! Or Lampadus came TO him and said That IS tho
first time since schumann's death that the symphony
has been conducted aS he used to conduct II. was
IN his house when n had but finished its comp0
siiion and he played It for on the pianoforte
and know that is the way he wanted it to sound'
Both Of these anecdotes are interesting and sig
nhcant, but, Mr. Nkisch himself confessed, It did
not follow that what Dr. Lampadius said was to be
afcepted as literally and unquafedly correct Dr.
Won Buelow, ii Will be remembered. supports what
We believe 10 be false conception of the time of
| the third movement of BeehOven's eighth symphony
by the rec0lecOns Of a muslcisn of the tempo which
spOhr once took and which presumed TO be
like that of the first performance of the symphony
in Vienna, I'm 1914, Spohr having played in the
orchestra under Beethoven's baton that occasion
Now, the obvious explanation Is that the venerable
| friend Of schumann found himself strongly moved
| by Mr.. Nikischs reading, and experienced again a
pleasure like that enjoyed when he first heard
| the work. Association Of ideas did the rest Ihis
is not said to dlscrcdit the story, but simply 20
reconcile IL with the facts touching the preservation
| OF ideas Of tempo and expression such tho tale
| OF Bayreuth tradition illustrates. The obvious lesson
IS that which conductors like Mr.. Sedl and Mr..
Nilsch apply in their readings, modified by such
canons OF good taste and appreciation Of the prin-
cples OF the beautiful have had the approval Of all
times and peoples The dangers which we have had
occasion TO point out those which spring from
a love OF change for tho sake Of change, an unwilling
| ness to accept composers directions as to time.
particularly when thee is question as 10 the
| authenticity OF the directions and when correct
feeling, truthfulness Of expression and beauty are
oil conserved by an adherence the tempo indicated.
not with mechanical and nheXibe eNactness. but as
| A sign Of the Fundamental movement of the piece.
That no great music be conceived throughout In
a stiff, unyieldng time movement. least OF all
Dcethoyen's music needs no argument at this late
day.
some recent utterances In The Tribune this
same subject have called out the following passages
in private letter from Alexander W. Thayer.
Beethoven's greatest btographer, still living In
Trieste:
81 am Of opinion that Beethoven's orchestral works
are as a rule taken TOO fast, and that Mendelssohn
set the example suppose orchestras now are
| capable Of making more rapid tempos clear than
| seventy years since and H. may bc s0d thar
Is all that is wanted. think not. There IS certain
sateness and grandeur that is TO be brought out In
| many movements which rapid movement destroys
| Two Thousand voices in the Crystal Palace can now
| sing Handels chor1ses more rapdly-and yet clear
than 200 formerly could; 6ut dGnJ care 10 IN tbe
their skill wish to feel feel snaSIs essjab Iap"s an1 sam
SON. Stin it is curons that in certain states M oI
mind the spirited pleases moro than the s'anu anu
wagners "Fying Dutchman" and Godmarks
Queen Of sheba1 arc in preparation the first week
| Of the German opera season. Which of the two wiz
be chosen the opening night Is as YET ulIe %
| certain. The German version OF lie RGl Ne.
which viii be used, has just been finished ~ MtS. e.
G. +. Tretbar who has half dozen cOmnl1sonS i io5
English tran,laons In hand. She IS rapidly DeCoHinE
translator in ordinary to all operate anu puplsn5
| Institutions.
Business chances and bargains Of various sorts are
mentioned I'm the many columns OF Interesting dGN
usements on the fourth and fifth pages OF Inc lrlo
une this morning.
| THE BENEFIT FOR THE DEAD LdhhMAN ,a4..