New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
MUSICAL COMMENT.
nvoRAK.s AMERICAN COMPOSITIONS.

DvoRAK'S AMERICAN COMPOSITIONS.
The critical mind OF Boston Is troubled because OF
DR. Dvoraks compositions or rather because
~ the fact that The Tribune has recognized Amer-
~, characteristics In the music of the symphony in
y minor and the quartet in f major. III mas Ter
rnented var,ously and vigorously ana seems as yet
unable 10 get itself into a clarified state 1t would
he agreeable come to its reiief WIN q lew sug-
yestions touching rudimentary principles ana anal
oe,es but such intellectual disturbances are so
h.n.1c,al "a n rule that it would be unwise to
cbeck the fermentation violently. Besides, there IS
better argument than words, In this case ana
-. ,s having its influence. 1t lies in the music
.,self The symphony and quartet have been per-
formed in Boston. and no doubt MI hheisei ana MS
associates will take an early opportunity 10 give
hearing also 10 the quintet. AS for New-York, hav-
,ny been privileged TO hear the symphony on the
,5.b and 18th of last month, 1t IS TO enjoy the two
chamber COMPOSITIONS next Friday evening at the
third concert of the Kncisel Quartet
=, u,as the sapient observation Of the Hon. Bard
veu sIote we believe. that though potatoes might
sound better In French than In English they tasted
.ho game IN all languages: wherein the statesman
,orco,ved that the humble tuber possessed most
admirable virtue Something OF the same nature
might be said without dlsrespect OF the new COM
,.os,ons Nv Dr. Dvorak. 1t has pleased the COM
noser ~ characterize them as his first second ana
t,,-. conpositions ''n America" He has further
,,ken the liberty Of giving sort or progranl'Nduc
,,re 70 the symphony. in which The Tribune mas
.,,rs, n see n manifestation of intention TO
Identify the work with an avOwed belle; that 'here
are available musical clements in the songs or me
arroes Of America. We have therefore urged that
80. oo,o,osi,ions be listened to American
,.,s;c. h,, II really doesn't matter what they are
called so their contents be appreciated we
beIeye that in addition to the evidences OF 'ner
Arcrcanjsrn which we have enumerated they CON-
tain spiritual procamatons that fall with pec"iiaT
craa,hleness into the American mind ana heart.
w.. 40 cav something which sounds native IN
s,v,e which is pleasant and natural in the ears or
the people the vast vague. varied people OF Aher!-
~ Down in Louisiana. knowing what the coh'eh-
+ional meaning of the term Is. they DO not scrule
o., sroal, Of Creole eggs and Creole chickens mean
Ing eggs that laid and chickens that were
ho,cbaJ in the State In the North the term Creole
hos a very misty meaning. and is most often wholly
,,,s,,dsrs.ood That fact, however should not
nrevent a Ncw-York gentleman enjoying to the fui!
the flavor of the esg or chicken provided Tor ms
breakfast bv a New-Cgleans host. There has been
much CONSERVATION created by the reference to the
,,ossl,,i.y Of n school OF composition Needlessly
Tho matter is extremely simple We must not jug
gle with sounding phrases. Schools are the prou-
ucts of imitation. They are begotten by creative
artists OF strong individuality and developed by
the desire to achieve success through emulation OF
the methods Of the strongly individual creative
artist who has hit the kings OF a people In
other words. schools come into existence because
Younger composers who have something 10 say
strive to say 1t in way in which somebody WHO
succeeGed gave expression to his ideas. The sue
cess of the somebody came from the fact that his
IDEAS or his mode Of expressing them, werc or was
for some reason or other "racy OF the people
for whom he wrote. Your great composer IS al
WAYS cosnopote but. IL he is truly great. he will
inevitably reflect the spirit OF his environment-so-
cill intellectual. political spirua,-even geographi-
Ja,'af ma
trained in Italy is after all. English composer.
Rhy;hins and melodic Intervals. which stamp ma
t!onal character upon musical compositions. are
generally derived from the characteristic music.
the fo,k-,unes Of a people; but Characteristic
rhy.hms and melodic intervals not the only
factors or elements IN national schools OF music
The Neapolitan school OF opera writer's was once
addicted 10 the use of the Scotch snap" which Is
common in the fo,k-soHgs Of the American negroes
and may have been derived from any one Of three
sources-Eng.ish. African or Aboriginal American:
bu; the essence Of the Neapolitan school did not
consist in the OF the Scotch snap" surely Go
TO. The problem is too simple.
There IS one or thc three American compositions
OF Dr. Dvorak remaining for review by The Tribune;
Il Is tho ouinte. 70 which reference has been made
and which Is 10 have It's first public performance
n@x, Friday evening This qun.e. in three OF its
n1ovcnen:s may be said 70 show the influence
Of American Mce and American music upon the
COMPOSER The Other the slow movement, IS
In no sense national being example Of
music pure AMI simple of variations
Of extreme oveiincss permeatsd with the spirit
Of Dvorak and MS admired models. Beethoven
and Schubert. The composition was written las,
July. The first date on the autograph score IL The
Eth of the month and IS appended the first
movement. The second movement was begun
July 90 and flashed on July -; the third begun on
July % and finished on July q; the fourth begun
on July % and completed August l. IT Is obvious
that the composer was in no hurry. for he Is
tremey rapid writer, II being in evidence that he
composed and scored his "S:abat Mater inside OF
six weeks. The key Of the qunte, is T. Gat major.
and its opus number 81. Lake the symphony and
quartet II Is sill in manuscript but has been pur,
chased hy Snrock the Berlin publisher scored
ror two viollns. vlolas and violoncello As IN
the symphony in G major the composer attains the
effect Of Introduction without prefacng the first
movement proper with short slow movement.
He begins once Allegro non tanto in the funda-
mental key with phrase which is soon discovered
to be the kernel Of the principal subject of the
movement q a.:
@@38=Eff5sss=#5tE5#k5|38