New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-17
1T USIC.
DIR. DyORAK,S SYMPHONY

There is an old story with a moral which seems
opposite in view Of the production Of DR.. Dvorak !,
new symphony at the Philharmonic Concert last
night. once upon a time a conjurer in words came
to Diogenes and sitting in his tub argued voiubly
against the existence Of motion. The philosopher
said nothing but quietly arose. and while the soph
list argued and demonstrated to his own satsiac-
ton that there was no such thing motion, he
walked up and down in front Of the talker a good
deal of printers ink has been wasted during the last
six months In arguing that American music
was a mcre vagary. Some. sitting in their
tubs Of sef-satished wisdom, have asserted
that all good music Is universal ana
nationasm a Pigment of the imagination
Others have urged that Dr. Dvorak In urging youis
American composers to to the ioik-song melodies
which have grown up In America for insPlrati,pi'
MES" Others again, for they We're many and 50
their minds denied that the stamp OF AInerI-
the Classical forms by the use OF these melodies
for the reason that they were not native But wii.e
tening with ears Of genius, and before they got
through he had written his new SYMPHONY They
talked Ike the sophlst and he walked Ike Dioyens
The characteriscs Of the symptom haye airea b
a sre@ Of a hi natnre scrbd to them proved
conclusyely by the popular reception Of he m,.ic
amount Of argument. In their presence. the staii-
ness and solemn dccorum Of phiharn onic audi
applaudcd. and after the Larghetto and again after
the Finale the COMPOSER was obliged to boy MS
where he sat to hear his own MUSIC IT was an Incl,
Of
I %Hsls The example has Dee" set, WIZ Dc
of the American symphony viii close the mouths
Of the cavilers 1t win be easy to say that IT IS
not distinctively American. Some will call 1t a
Celtic symphony and they will not have to 90
Celtic Some Will say that It is German In It's struc-
ture. and they will have an easy ccnten,ion; be
form and DR.. Dvorak with all his intense ma
tlonalism, being conservative In this RESPECT, has
mad
Writing this work. He has. in fact been more ore
Srry D1rpose Of 9as making the Object Which
he set out no, give na NECESSARY s admit
i s tbe one thing for which he has compelled
recognition-that there are musical elements IN
ment in the higher forms Of the art. The rest J.
matter Of willingness and-genus. Only genius
phony ike this in f minor. only musician
Capable of TRANSMITTING the raw material a,s , which
origin into symphonic gold could have made 50
has made. II the melodies which he has composed
ana moulded into Ee mSsc c c@ olbar pe6p
SO does the American people contain The races
to which those elements are congenlai let men
let Them be Gak or aaP tn tn them Se w ihsle
Hlss eyg are american Being h9teh-p5iGh
Of peoples we cann9, be SAID In sri n sense S, 81
ponulation engrOsscd In conquering 4 continent
through i'm mei a. essential to the producon Of FOLK
song we have been obliged 10 depend upon an ele-
ment OF the population that possessed the creative
oanac,ty In the melodies Of that element In our
noppnlation there are features which the musician
recognizes as characteristic but the song IN WHEN
thoss features are utilized is product Of American
environment that IT Is native Is proved by the o faG
.nuchas The American heart. IL did last night In
spite Of the conventions Which rest upGs
u hnn",s,,,I work worthy OF all its
Predecessors from the pen Of DR. Dvorak WORTHY
~ nc American people. II II exerts the influence
Which II ought the deot which we shall owe to DR.
Dvorak will be incalculable
i,esdes the symphony the CONCERT brought forward
the three numbers from M and on
concerto. ~ The latter work was played by Henri
ma o"aance the lofty musiciansnip OF the brilliant
yoiing artist