New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-31
MUSICAL COMMENT.
REFLECTIONS ON DR. Won BuELow AZ y
oR--ANNoUNcEMENTs

question Is the conduct Of symphony than Il does
when IL purely Of execution In fact 10 dspends
on the character Of an audience whether 70 signifies
az all. The great popular ovsttons have been Wit
messed in Eew-York within the last two weeh The
ays was the SHY connipticn Awsry the ssconds
more ssdate, more dgniAed and altogether moro
crcdifablc TO the good sense and good taste Of tfs
public. was tho enthusiasm which rewarded DE- Ven
Buclow the third which partook Of the nature of both
rs predecessors, the demonstration o. delight
evoked by the duetplayng OF Josefy and Rosenthstl
on Friday evening m stsinwsy Hail II tho
three are reconcHabie on art grounds, We should
Ike to see him rsconcdisd. How little dissnminatioa
on tho subject Of o residing Of symphony By con-
ductor exists In the public mind be guessed from
the circumstance that one professional writer on
music found the reason for Dr. Won RueIows success
with Bsethoyen's eighth symphony to lie In thh
that It was 50 like Herr sedis Readings more
radically different It would DO difficult to MENTION
Only in one particular had they any resemblance
to each other, and In that particular both conductors
followed suggestion Of wsgDer's. A reading which
has this sanction for three such men Wagner Won
BEelow and seidI IS of. course. entitled TO profound
respect; but their agreement does not close the cons
troyersy. individual taste stili maintains lis rights,
and tho plainly indicated wishes Of the composer Ac
yet entitled to be looked upon as authoritative.
The point at issue is the proper tempo Of tho third
movement. Besthaven's indication Is Tempo d.
lrreconcilshls with the common notion OF 3 mnact
Forty or more years ago Wagner tried to mako props
ganda for slower tempo than was traditional and
argued that Beethoven indicated his cestre 10 return
to the time Of the stately mnuet BY writing Tempo
di Menuettos instead Of simply Menuetto,' as was
Haydns custom, the tempo of Haydns third movements
having come to be much quicker than the old danes
from which tho form Of the symphonic third movement
was derived The metronomic mark did not disturb
Wagner, for at tho time the figures not looked
upon as being Beethovcn's. Wagner was anxious 70
oyerturn the idea that the movements
had to DO played rapidly because 10
stood In the place Of the customary scherzo
which he'd been developed out OF the old mfnuct,
How much slower he wanted 1t played he did not say.
but he indicated Il by reference 10 the accompaniment
in tripiets to the trio, which N rapid tempo 10
often siurrcd over Herr Solids anxiety On this
point was so great that he played Ito trio mach
slower than the first part, proceeding witch Dr. Won
Buelow reversed, his trio be appreciably faster than
the opening tempo Both played the movement riuch
slower than the metronomic indication. .,
There are few. things in music whese discussions
more thankless than the question Of correct tempo.
Such arguments rs The Tribune has sdvaacci In favor
Of Beethoyen's marks Tor rather against Hsrr seidrs
extravsgancseI by shortsghted, unthinkfng or
unfair people met land. they think answered. By
the silly charge that we desire TO set UP machine
against conductor with human emotions. Nov. the
Beethoven Is the one whose tempos arc The most
unmstakable How any one can msconecive the feel
ing OF the Alleeo Scherzando IN the eighth symphony
for instance Is mystery. II is stamped on every
bar Of the melody yet Herr sedl played rapidly
to rob the movement Of al piqusncy. al grace.
all humor-the very elements which MOST pro-
nounced IN IT, This feeling Is Indicated by Beethovens
mark. DR.. Won Buelow did not depart appreoiably
from 1t. The first and last movements he took +
trhe slower than the tempt indicated by Beethoven,
but IL must always be rendered that IL Il the feeling
of the movement a whoie, rather than In any one
"details that the mark stands for Dr. Won Bueiop
Is an ideal Beethoven conductor in his exercise Of
freedom In the course Of movement. Bccthovcn,s
music Is ineonceivabie in strict mechanical tempo,
and no one is likely TO advocate such treatment.
even IN the most emphatic condemnation Of radical
lawlesmess. What WIS particularly admirable Ia
Dr.. Won Buelow's reading Of tho symphony was its
cIearness, the dramatic effectiveness Of scores Of
nuanees worked up IN details Of the movement, and
the unnaggtng joyousness with which he
Infused IT, this spirit being threatened
trie IL seemed to US by the slow tempo Of the third
movement and saved only by It's rhythmcM incisive-
ness and great variety Of nuances Of force and time
To see q conductor the symphony In The presencs
Of the public as Won Buelow does Is another question:
II Is interesting 30 witness the operation Of mind
Ike Won Buelow's even when the manifestation IL
made through the medium Of grotesque gesticuations
poses and grimaces. We forgive these because Won
Dualow is the offender and We know his genius, his
eOcentricaes Of character and his nervous constt+
ton But tho ideal conductor Is the one who is least
in the public eye when he is before an audiences.
II conceptions can be conveyed 10 the players by such
antics land DIR. Won Buelow showed last "Wednesday
that they eanI IL might be done ct the rehearsals.
They are not becoming In the concerroo, and their
example Is perncious. On Friday evening Walter
Dsmrosch almost dIslocated his arms and wrenched
HIS head from between his shoulders 10 bring out
a. n rain ~ Sab ann
which the players under him have been bringing out
for moro years than he hss lived. The men were
largely those Of Mr. Thomass orchestra, and this SYM
phony has always been ideally performed under Mr.
Thomas's baton.
mr. Won Buelow will dominate the musical week
with bis series Of Beethoven recials in tho broadway
Theatre The recials win DO four In number and win
take place on tho afternoons Of Monday, Tuesday
(beginnipg at p. M and Thursday and Friday toe-
ginning at D. m.j A splendid resolve of the man
agcments of those concerts Indicated BY their an
nouncement that no standing room" ticksts VIII be
sold Instead tho whole second balcony Of the tho
atre viii be thrown open TO the public at the usual
admission price Of 81. The indications that the
recitas viii be- extremely popular and profitable IN
every way.
Tho 9Th concert OF the Brooklyn phiihaymonio
Ssss h win puS shss al on Friday
view of the fact that the programme Is composed Ok
Rssnt BseS Beethoven and 3ssner are the only
musicians represented, the FIRST day by the suite a. ID
No 8; the second by the q PASTORAL symphony, ana
tho third by less than SIX compositions, as fonows
a Hudigungsmarschn prelude 20 Lohengrn, Waldr
wcbenS from Siegfned,s Ride OF the Valhyriors
from Die walkuere,' "SlegIned's DEATH from Die
and the Kasermarsch.'
Mr. Henry Holden Huss, young Newyork
cor2Oser OF whose work adnsiring mention has been
made In this Journal, win give concert OF hts own
music IN steiHwsy Hall on Wednesday OF next wech
April 10 He win have the help OF Miss Maud POWELL
Mrs Theodore Toedt, Miss Emily winant ard Mr..
Frederick Bergner, and besides eleven songs tha
programme win contain two movements from suite
for two pianofortes, romenee tor violonceio,
romance end polonaise for violin, and q trio for
pIanoforle violin and voloncello, recently composed
ard dedicated TO MIR. Huss's master Josef RheLns
berger. Mr. Huss has talent, learning artistic
sincerity and earnestness and 10 Is 70 DO hoped
that the concert In Sne way or another VII reSuN
IN substantial encouragement for him.
SCARLET FEVBR STEADILY SPREADING.