The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-21

traits of Spain than Grieg's music has of
Scandinavia, only our ears are not yet ac-
custOmed to these peculiar wild plaintive
melodies of the far north.
Norway and Sweden have been a COM
paratively unknown land 10 the outside
world until very recent years. Suddenly
tourists awOke TO the marvellous grandeur
of their wild mountains and fjOrds. The
tide of fashion turned toward Scan
dinavian literature and music, and Ibsen,
BjOrnsen and Grieg floated into fashion.
There is an immense difference. how
ever, between the gloomy realism of such
plays as "a Dolls House" and the
glowing color and rugged. healthy strength
of Grieg's compositions. 1t may be difficult
TO popularize his music. for people who
have never seen the glaciers and fjords of
Scandinavia will always find it an effort
TO comprehend the sentiments that in
spired the fOlk-soDgs of the people, whose
whole surroundings are so rugged. No
one, however, can help being affected by
the strength and power and the vivid
coloring of this peculiarly Scandinavian
composer.
Edward Grieg is the only Scandinavian
who, after studying in Germany, has re-
sisted the influence OF German music.
Born at Bergen. Norway, in 1S43. he wen
at the age OF Is to study In Leipsic, just at
the period when the works OF Schumann,
Mendelssohn and Chopin composed the
whole musical life of the town and con-
seryatory. Unlike his compatrIot Gade,
who returned home sort of diluted Men
delssohn and water, Grieg preserved his
own individuality, his works being. almost
from the first, filled with the melodic
spirit Of Scandinavian folk-songs.
The compositions presented yesterday
afternoon at the twenty-ihird Carr-Beel
flowers OF Grleg's works. The string
quartet in G minor-the only one Grieg has
ever written-is perhaps the most perfect
specimen of his work. The players were
the well-known quartet MessrS. Beel,
Wismer, Jaulus and Heine. Their 10 ter
probation of the G minor composition was
artistic in tbe extreme. 1t was a work
which throughout the four movements
glowed with color and melody, the latter
Of weird plaintive order, taken up by
one player after the other, and then
breaking off abruptly as though one in
strument had asked a question, and the
others were speaking TO it and answering
The shading was deiicateiy rendered by
the quartet. the piaDissmo6 being a mere
wooing whisper, and the fortes dramatic
in their intensity. The work really con-
sisted of five tempos, for the first move
ment contained ''un POGO andante" and
allegro motto ed agitato." There was
not dull bar throughout, but 1t seems
i'm possible, on a first hearing, among so
any movement as being especially at
tractive. A few bars of weird, plaintive
melody, sung by the cello. were particu-
larly delightful, and the melody that was
reiterated by all the instruments in sue
eessiou just before the conclusion of the
finale" was exquisite. Throughout all
the movements the harmones were pecu-
liarly strange, unexpected and effective.
The OLD Norwegian romance. with varia-
tons for two pianos, played by Mrs. Carr
and her pupil, Miss Hulda Anderson, is
Grieg's latest published work. Miss An
derson is young lady who does not look
out OF the schoojroom, but she played with
brilliant execution and great maturity of
conception; perhaps the fact of her being
Scandinavian helped her to enter more
fully into the spirit of Grieg's music. The
romance is dedicated to Benjamin GODDARD.
that most modern of French composers.
but the national element of Scandinavia
underlies the whole work. Needless TO
say the composition was most ably and
artistically interpreted on Miss Cars part
and each movement was received with
very warm applause.
OF Greg's three violin and piano COM
positions. the Op. 81 played yesterday by
Mrs. Carr and Slgmund Beel is generally
considered the best. 1t was marked by
the same power and vivid colOring as the
other works on the programme, and was
interpreted with a brilliaDcy that evoked
warm applause.
The only matter for regret at the con-
cert was that none of Grieg's much
admired songs was performed.
In spite of the rain there was a good
attendance