New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-18
MUSIC.
FIFTY YEARS OF THE PHILHARMONIC so.
GETTY

thu Philharmonic society or NewIOrk Will ccle
brate the completion Of half centurys existence
The celebration will be in all respects commensurate
With the significance Of the event. At the first Of
the three concerts, Thursday evening. the pro-
gramme Of the sOciety's first concert fifty years
ago will be repeated, and Mr.. f. Francis HYDE
the society's president. viii pronounce short ad
dress. At the second concert. Friday afternoon
concerto for strings, by Bach, Relationships con
certo for planoforte in major, three excerpts from
"Euryanthe,r and LISTS symphony on Dante's
Dvina Commedia" will be performed. At the last
concert, Saturday evening the music Will consist
Of compositions by Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner
the climax being eached at the close IN the Choral
Symphony. In a manner, the high aims which have
been held by the society for fifty years Illustrated
In the last two schemes. The first, whose Interest
10 chiefly historical to direct attention at once
to the ideal which filled the minds OF the founders
OF the society and the trend Of musical taste. not
only in New-York but everywhere where the art had
devotees half a century ago. The loftness OF the
founders ideal is exemplifed In Beethoven's sym
phony in minor; the taste Of the time In music by
Hummel Rossini, and KaliwOda.
The author Of the Memorial history OF the society,
which has been published at the instance of the board
OF directors, has endeavored TO throw light the
significance of its origin by drawing a parallel he
tween the musical activities Of Vienna and NewYork
for hundred years preceding 1912 The appositeness
of the comparative study which at first blush only
appear daring in the extreme is made evident by the
circumstance that the Philharmonic concerts OF the
Austrian capital already then, ms II has always re-
NAMED. tho musical centre Of the world, contem-
porSneous In origin with those Of New York. The
two organizations are alike In origin. purpose and
methods. and though the first Vienna Philharmonic
concert antedates the first concert Of the New York
Philharmonic Society by eleven days the latter or
ganzation has been longer and continuously In
existence. Since December 7, 1s42, when the New
York society its first concert, down 10 today not
a season has passed by in which it has not given
fun complement of concerts, and in all the fifty years
there has been but postponemen and that caused
by National calamity the assassination OF President
Lincoln. When the viennese organization which &C
cording to DR.. Hansck the first fully equipped
and capable Instrumental organization in Vienna had
gwen twelve concerts and the NewYork society eigh-
teen, the former fell asleep and so remained Tor sew
eral years until aroused into new activity by Carl
Eckert who had but recently returned from an Amer
lean In which he had been endowed with honorary
membership in the New York organization. The coin
cdenoes in the careers OF the sister societies. separated
not only by thousands Of miles but by vast differences
In social and artistic environment, surely suf'i
cently striking Justify the study made by the author
OF the Memorial volume alluded to. Whether or not
the conclusions reached by the author, which are In
the highest degree cred!table to the people OF New
York we'll as TO the first members OF the Phlhar
monte Society justified by the facts. must be left
TO the judgment Of Others One thing Is certain-the
pictures of social and artistic life which thus
brought into juxtapostion exceedingly interesting
and instructive, aud tend to show how much the
musical has gined since ceased to be under the
exclusive patronage and protection Of the European
Courts. We have space here only for some notes on
the American story.
The Philharmonic Society tie first professional
body OF musicians in the United States organized for
the purpose of cultivatng the higher orders of IN
stumental music at it's own risk. When 1t came into
Oh
for nearly half century and Aourished with even
more vigor comparatively than does now. II
needs but little study OF the social and artistic con-
dtions which prevailed IN NewYork during the Dutch
occupation, and for hundred years after the English
conquest to discern that the beginning here was OF
necessity made at point which the cultivation OF the
art IN Europe reached only after century or more
of activity Here amateurs were obliged TO depend
ON themselves for musical entertainment This being
co. the choral art naturally was first in the field The
work OF subduing the wilderness and founding CON-
monweath left room In the economy Of the colo
NAL period for the professional musician. There
could be no transpanting hter of those institutions
OF Europe that furnished the only musical performances
until after the middle OF the last centurythe private
band OF the prince and the great nobeman. and the
protest. onal trained choir OF the State Church Tl@
too the hard task TO which the colonsts had devoted
themselves was matched By their stern mental attitude
toward all things pertaining 10 art and If they had
NOT time in the early days for egrossnent with music
neither had they the inclination TO listen TO the
bandshmcrts Of frivolty that must have lts beg1n
ming and ending with the EVIL one. The music that
was called for us part Of the DIVING service was
thus the only music that the early Americans were
led TO know or TO cultivate For this they were
thrown on their own resources. The singing societies
and chor,se, were recruited entirely from the rnaHs
OF amateurs whose promptngs were often as mnch
those OF religion OF the love OF muse ~fnie III
strumentaI music Jagged far behind In the ad'ahce
,nent OF culture While the drafts OF The church ohoS
and oratoro societies upon the greet body OF ue pope
we're crednaby met the occasional heeo oil hislu
mental PLAYERS could be filled only with great dull
rusv and in the most uDcerain. panner Professional
n,avers were generally sTaggiers from Ucrlnh'F'
France and Italy, ara were, especially "e p"'es
upon orchestral Instruments, an unorganlHeH ana
scattered few who earned precarious hVeino"u ''
teaching and playing IN the theatres
There were not lacking, during the nrst genera"on
mr. On OF the present century desultory attempts 70
give a hearing In New-York and one or TWO VI tno
other larger cities to orchestral works OF the hE'r
order. They were not frequent and were geieru"S WI
fned 10 OF the lighter overtures or 10 sso
ments OF symphonies by Haydn mozart anu 'i''o"
with the instrumental forces that were then u po
commanded, the performance OF complete synp .,
works could not be comprised. Not only "e'c "'0
abilities Of the individual players insuhciehl " .p
with the technical difficulties presebten' puV ~ w
we'll nigh impossible to command the co"Pie'
cbesrral apparatus. Tho orchesfas WHICH s"pp ,
the singing Of choral works were general! ,on
n, amateurs brought together for the single o0'0Io
Or ,scru,ted nom the amateur orchestras which, due
the first forty years Of the present. century practc"ns
did all that was done in the way OF instrumental poi
formapce outside Of the theatres. The thea'ncai
hands too were fll-equipped for full seventy Nv.
years after English opera became popular io'ni u
entertainment In New-York Instruments Ike the opoo
and bassoon we're for a long time unknown, and one
OF the greatest difficulties which the founders Oh 'o
philharmonic Society met with in the beginning was
TO find capable players Of these Instruments anu 90
,ablsh the balance essential TO performances Oh .o
symphonies Of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven r'io
to 1885, when the best musicians OF the Guy u ."o
number OF sixty associated themselves together i'
\, :. .....oa. Of ni,ina cnncerf for the benefit Ol