New-York tribune., 1891-05-03
MUSIC.
THE FESTIVAL IN THE NEW HAIL-Mh'
sEIDL AND THE PHILHARMoNlO o.
CIETY UNIFORM PITCH MADE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Tho vreek before us is to be nlled WIN s nus
TWO new operettas are to have their first
here. Mr.. and Mrs. Fredheim are 10 pay '' oon.
duets Mr. santley is TO give his only New oriN .o
oo and there will be pupils affairs enough, doupless'
IN drive one TO distraction. The pnncpal eVen' ~ ~.
reek however will be the opening OF tne new "u,''
Hall for which the city Is indebted 10 Mr. oe,nee 'e
Th,s onenno ia 10 be celebrated all week. beglhhms
ON Tuesday, with one concert day, ana 'io $50
called a festival which compels new interprc'".o.
Of that much-abused term In smaii 'o~M 80
forces to be employed and even the list Oh werNs ~ ~
he performed might be held to justify the Term II,
New York the justification must rest on the eAVerne
for the forces are only thosc "i"' "
ro accustomed 10 I'm all the larger concerts OF our
rerar season The choir will be that the ora'o,'o
Society. the band that Of the symphony sooe'', sa
nrncnol solo performers singers whom we nave o"'u
~, .o AZ tha opera or In our churches and concert
roous nm. the spirit of the week is to DC fes'ai
and the ACQUISITION Of so beautiful temple OF music
,s n Az cause for rejoicing. feature OF the io'u'"
which is of the highest interest Is the Paru0'p
in four Of the concerts Of Mr. TschaiHo"sh'' aie'
puh,nste,n the foremost living Russian composer "ho
in the field OF composition has done more Una" ",
of his countrymen with the possible eNccpuon "
GlInka 10 create a Russian schooi oi musi0' -
FIRST concert on Tuesday evening, Mr. iso"a
l,oyvskv will conduct a performance of his solemn
march on Thursday afternoon his thiiu sui'o
for orchestra on Friday evening t"o """~
commanded choruses and on Saturday ai'ernoon mo
pianoforte concerto In fiat minor, which VIII DO po'
by Miss Aus der Ohe. The opening cercmoh'eo p'opO
will be disposed OF Tuesday evening" "heh ".e' @ @
choir has sung the doAology TO tho tune Oh iho o'
,Iundredths and the orchestra played Beethovens tfu
:, :, a, o,erture Bishop Potter will speak the ded-
,ootor Grafton This will be followed by the nationai
hymn America Tschaikowsky's "Marche soien-
nellie, and Berloz's "Te Deum' for triple CHORUS
o,bestra organ and tenor solo. The latter WORK H"o
never been given IN New York, though IL mas Dce ie
In chicago and Boston. Wednesday and SATURDAY
evenings will be devoted TO familiar oratonos' Men
delssohn's "EIijahD and Handeps VI Israei IN hsyP.
respectively The other concerts Will have miscei'
laneous programmes.
The election of Mr.. seidl as conductor OF the
Philharmonic Society invites congratulations for the
society and the public. 1t inSures maintenance
OF the same seriousness OF purpose, the same mgh
plane OF technical excellence that have marked tho
administration OF Mr.. Thomas, with possibly an IN
fuson of warm dramatic blood which will surely not
lessen popular interest In the music. Those who
have fancIed that Mr.. Sedl will introduH revou-
tionary methods In the composition OF the bahu' te
arrangement of programmes or the Interpretation oi
classic masterpieces will doubtless be agreeably sur
prlsed That he is an enemy OF the perrnke In music
Is well known; that The Tribune has disagreed Win
features OF his symphonic readings need scarcely be
be given that when his readings work injury to OBJ
vous intentions Of the composer or fly in the face OF
the laws of beauty and TRUTH The Tribune VIII nghs
the battle Of those principles In the future as IL mas
done I'm the past but Mr.. Sedl is Of catholic
taste and liberal culture and he has clear perception
OF the value of the Philharmonic concerts as con-
seryators of an unquesionable standard in art. For
the purpose Of making propaganda for such radical
notions as he may have, he will have his own set Of
concerts lust as Mr. Thomas had his in the early days
of his philharmonic In the present temper OF
the New-York public 1t is not easy TO conquer new
territory for the spirit of that public Is already pretty
radical, but Mr. Seidl will not attempt to make
the Philharmonic Society army Of Invasion;
the aggressive forward forces will be his own orchestra
and the Philharmonic Society Will continue In the
future as in the past simply to take possession and
hold the conquered territory after 1t has once been
accepted as part OF the empire OF good music. We
shall expect to hear more Beethoven than Brahms
during his consushp, but also more Beethoven than
Massenet, d'Indy, Tschalkowsky and Wagner. Finally
as to changed readings OF the classics hope never
again to hear such perversons OF Beethoven as Mr.
Thomas was guilty of when he forced the Riemann-
Fuchs phrasing upon the major symphony.
The ewes Of European musicians being directed
more and more lOngngly in the direction of America
and there are evidences that they are beginning to in
Our country something besides the land Of dollars. Next
year among other visitors from abroad will be Professor
Barth, OF Berlin, but the virtuos Will not be alone.
The presence here Of Mr.. TschakOwsky his purpose to
return next to conduct a series OF Russian
concerts the frequently expressed desire OF Massehet
TO come, DR.. JadassOhn's anxiety to get footing In
New York. and Herr Scharwenka's new project are
all indications that the artistic future OF this country
is apprehended beyond the seas perhaps more fully
than by ourselves Plainly the time is ripe for the
establishment of real School OF Music on the widest
and best basis. When the German opera returns and
Is placed upon the permanent basis which VIII enable
it to continue its natural and easy development into
a National institution giving representations IN the
vernacular New York will have every advantage 10
offer to music students that be had in the artistic
capitals Of Europe except the sysematized schools
and famous teachers, and these are now knocking at
our doors for admission. AprOpos Of Mr.. Tschai-
kowslys presence and wish to visit again next winter
it is interesting TO note that month ago. on April D.
he conducted concert Of his own works ut the Chaeles
in Paris The programme consisted OF MS tmrd or
chestra suite, the Andante from his string quartet
op IL, his second pianofore concerto, some songs
vocal duo, his fantasia Shakespeare's "Iempest
his Serenade MelancOlQue," Marche slave and three
pianoforte solos.
The nianoforte manufacturers Of New-fork ana lts
vicinity are engaged in laudable enorC 10 esVaohsh
uniform pitch for the musical Instruments oi horoa
An excellent committee, headed by "inaih 0Veh'""S /,
has undertaken TO ag1tate the queS'iO"' - ~
its Circular No under date of ApnI TO- giving a
tabIe showing the change Of standards within The last
century and n half The circular IS signed by single
member Of the committee, and comes from the home
of Miss Mary Howe which explains the circumstance
that the young womans is officially stated to nave
asl vibrations pei second. This comes pretty near TO
reducing the Circular No. to an absurdi'y' Mt
steinway may be said to have standard Oh plech'
which is that given out by the tuning lorhs uSeu III
tuning the pianOfOrtes made IN Ills e9U'oisln'en'
pt h what ioht Miss Howe is said TO have standard
~ mitch wouId puzzle Philadelphia lawyer to tell.
nid Natpre mt C in her throat Of 26l vibrations
II So She can sing in tune with only two brands OF
niopoto,+as manufactured in the United States. As
one of those obrands' comes, like Miss Howe, from
hor 1'Itch 90 the manufacturers or adopted theirs
They having used C26l since ls8o according % 70 tne
bar To- tbe builders at an extremely early period OF
her career ~ or did Nature send Miss Howe into this