New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-24
MUSICAL COMMENT.
AMERICAN MUSIC IN VIENNA.
THE BAYREuTH FEsTIyAL-ITIsToRIoAL PIANO
roRTEs IN TIE VIENNA EXHIBITION.


AT intervals in tho last six or eight months. Mfr.
T. X Arens musician formerly resident In Cleve-
land ohio, has been giving concerts OF music COM
posed By Americans, in German cities 10 suppoS
his enterprise he appealed 30 American nusIcial9 hho
music lovers for subscriptions. ard urged Americans
who were living I'm the cities where the concerts "crc
given, 10 prove their patriotism by patronlzng the
concerts Meanwhile he addressed circular letters con-
corning his missionary labors 10 American newspapers
sent clippings of the favorable notices received ana
IN every way demonstrated that the chef purpose OK
the undertaking was to keep himself in public no'ics
His scfimposed efforts eliminated In concert gwen
two weeks ago I'm Vienna at the Musical and Dranauc
Exhlbi ion. The Tribune, whose record IN DeHah VI
the American composer Is that OF steadias' i1e"'
ha, not thought 1t wise 10 encourage Mr. Aenss Gil
terprse by spreading Information concerning H. Inc
whole proceeding unwnrranted and unlusuhsoie.
Nothing material Was to be gained through the con-
certs by the composers and fame to be won Tor the
American Nation. There no prejudice against
Or composers to be overcome In Europe. and, 10 DC
entirely frank IN the matter. there wa, nothing novel;
characteristic or par lculary striking In what our
composers had 10 say 20 their colleagues abrssd The
manner I'm which the concerts were announced invited
an expecta ion of something sui gener1s. This expecta-
ton was disappointed, although Mr Arehss pro
crnmme wns for the greater part fairly representative
Of The best ability OF the United states. Simply good
music modelled on that Of German and French mas
terS failed 10 supply a reason for such special con-
cor,s and the result has been that without having an
opporunItv 10 make propaganda for American music,
Mr. Arcns has brought upon our composers cnu'ism
Of a severity which would have been thought Of
under ordinary circumstances.
The uiterances OF two Vienna newspapers are ap-
pended in translation to show the professional at
ttude assumed toward concert, which the criues
confess was heartily enjoyed and enthusiastically ap'
plauded. writer In the Neue Freie PTesse V'os
Dr. Iansnck) says:
The works which were performed made an !mpreS
sion like the familiar faces OF Berioz, List Masner'
Singular that in the blessed land OF intentions 30
little musical Invention and orsnaty 70 r De c lTus
and has yet been unable 10 Law claim 70 the uiry
OF OF The ni Enrep SsoI listener to detect streak dea
such rs generally not expected from the land OF te
is N" assimilation 81 arD'u' ing P,Ine. symphonv
S o2' a acpo% S Suite movements are tructd
ihe best models they are the Msndel,s9m, OF mo
New World Others. like Arens. Chadwick and Bird
now sit beneath Ndracs and listen TO the croakins
~ the Wagner rvenS ana anon IN coi3pam,,E WIZ,
List. The adherence 10 form AMI 2 com
meudale command q The arr Of nitrumenSil0n
Justify the belief that American music nav yet reach
a higher plane. lovely artistic striving is already
to b" seen.
This writer shows his nmIabnlty ar least. and tho
stanchcst friends Of the American composer will con-
fcs, that his Judgment. though not comprehensive, 10
ound on the principal contention. The writer In the
Wiener TagblattT IS less gracious lie cannot be
blamed for not knowing that Mr. Van der stucken's
~ yh,dar is many years older than Brahms'S violin
concerto:
Il was a thoroughly respectable and cultivated so.
ceiy ~ which VIC invited day before yesterday
anG good books in welIchoscn language. And ye,
there little stimulate the hearer, and he wen,
away with heavy head and empty ."art. one spoke
perscverugly about Africa, Is II ne were familiar
with the darkest corner of that continent gradually
and such like and prohted by them. Another, who
detained effectively about the N9rthland son az,
htrau Nln had b
:raph on the gacierr. N1t one gave uterance TO an
original idea U aud the hearsr Onscd for single vis
orouS word. were IL no more thth an expression "
' Tut 'iO' truce to parallels The American com
po>ers whose works conductor F. \. Arens prodncea
admirably schoolcd. artists who think elegantly and
who lack nothing except the chief thing indydIalty
the easier since ready to acknowledge without
reserve the many merits which their works possess, per-
orchestra. etc The best impression was made BY the
two symphonic movements Of John Knowles Paine
lonr-a very long but rather piquant scherzo. The
themes Of the two movements are plainly Influenced
art prcludc to the second act Of "vlasda" com:
maHy WavnSrIsn tnrn Nv ard theme from Brahms's
violin concerto \ Sultc M q "reminiscences OF ths
movement based on idea initiative Of the shalm.
gave the most pleasure. Arens'S symphonic Fantasy
Gazette by Footc. some simple and natural music.
Tho reports which have been received touching the
opening OF thc ninth Wagner festival Bayrcuth
not In the highest degree natorng 10 the prospect Of
the continued existence OF that Institution. There
seems to have been some mistake about the
ment that all the seats were sold long ago. Nine.
Wagner sought 10 molllfy the Wagner societies
OF Germany by reservng seats for them. es-
pcCially for the highly influential Vienna
branch. which wont come 10 Bayreuth in
great numbers in a special train. The train came
on the occasion of the opening last Friday evening.
but there comparatively few on board. and the
fact that the management has large number of tickets
hand for the first three approximations ut least Is
indication that the plan Of reconciliation has mis-
carried. The fact Is that the breach between the
Bayrcnth enterprise and many OF its most ardent sup
portes in the early OF IFS existence not likely
TO he healed until more art feeling and less greed Is
manifested by Madame Wagner and her associates In
the administration In the artistic department Madame
Wagner is pursuing her IN utter disregard Of
the principles which used to obtain In the festival
while in the financial the festival has degraded
n summer tourists show. Tie feeling manifested BY
the leading spirits Of the United Richard Wagner Society
at Its annual meeting In Bayreuth last In
tense and not assuagcd by Madame wagners state
mcnt that the society had nothing do with the festival
performances. The fact Is that unless there rs
prompt return to the traditions OF the early fesval6
unless Bayreuth is made the training school In wdso
wagners purposes and methods shall be taught =
obedience to The laws laid down by him and undS.
stood by the musicians-not as interpreted by Madame
~
existence outside Of that which Is the motive OF the
SHOW msn And their life viii be short so soon as
this motive obtains recognition by the tourists who
now support them In the belief that they 0f'er model
performances az Wacncrs maStcrworks Bayrcuth con-
not live ms spectacle and theory merely.
, Among the pianofore and Keyed instruments Of
their kind in the Vienna Musical and Dramatic FIX
hbitlon which have historical value J. $. Bachs
cavcybal; an instrument which belonged to Haydn;
Mozarts travelling clavichord the pianoforte which
Broadwood presented 10 Beethoven Webcr's plano
forte. from which the composer obliged to remove
mechanical drum pedal because his son Max showcs
too great fondness for II child: Mendelssohns
Ernrd panoforte: Schumann's grand. which he pre-.
scented to his wife wedding gift and afterwnd used
himself TIL his death Meyerbeers soft travelling piano