The Portland daily press., 1896-04-16
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
symphony Concert.

Symphony Concert.
Portland has listened many times to
the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under
its various conductors, from the first sea-
son to the present. Many fine programmes
lave been presented, all of them with
that perfection that marks this, the fin
est band in this country. and surpassed
BY none in Europe. We do not recall,
of all these concerts, one that gave such
thorough satisfaction as that of last
night. 1t was thorough delight from
beginning to end Those who refrained
from going because they thought it would
be too heavy an entertainment. lost one
of the greatest musical treats of their
lives. Never have we heard the orchestra
in finer form. 1t seemed as Ii the small
audience spurred them to extra exertinn.
Aud how enthusiastic it was too. Every
body applauded heartily, and gave Mile.
Szumowska an ovation after her playing
of the Saint-Saens concerto 0.
Mr.. Paur made his first appearance as
conductor. He evidently has his men
thoroughly in sympathy with him. Tall,
with light hair, beard and moustaohe, he
enters thoroughly into the spirit of the
composer and reads with great intelli-
gence.
The concert opened with the sixth SYM
phony in B minor. more generally known
as the Pathetic" bys sTschaikowaski, a
symphony published shortly before his
death. The lost movement-the adagio-
lamentoso-is supposed to have been in
tended as the composers requiem Mr..
Atphrop, in his description of this move
ment, says that it imparts something of
funeral character to the whole work
by coming last. 1t is, he says, long
drawn wailing threnody, now solemn
and majestic, now impassioued in its
expression, in which two contrasted
themes are worked up in free form.
with great dramatic power. After rising
at times to the most sonorous fortissimo
of the full orchestra, the movement
closes in hushed pianissimo. The first
part of the first movement adheres to
the sonata form, but thereafter partakes
of the character Of long, free fantasia.
The theme is most melodious and i'm
pressive. The second movement. ii il
were not for its yiyacious tempo, NIGH
be called romano, owing to its flowing
melodious thelnatio material. 1t is full
of naturalness and grace. The third
movement has the scherzo characteris-
tics, and its closing march theme thrills
the pulses The work is one of grea'
Beauty. 1t received the most perfeo
treatment at the hands of Mr.. Paur anG
his superb body of players and the ap
plause after each movement and at thl
close was prolonged.
''The Forest Sounds" from Wagner
'Siegfried," is part of the orchestra
music in the scene in the forest wher
Mime, the Niebelung dwarf, has lef
Siegfried alone before Fafner's cave
where the giant. now transformed to
dragon guards the Niebelung treasur
of which the Ring and Tarnhelm form
part. AS its name indicates, it give
picturesque suggestions Of forest sound
and sights. Wagner himself arranged
this selection for concert form. In tn,
closing movement Is heard the weirt
harmonies of the fre-motive, the Sieg
fried motive. the slumber- motive and thu
blithe bird-song motive.
The Rienzi overture was inspired BY
Bulwer's great novel. All the themes il
the overture are taken from the body OF
the operas. 1t is a grand, a magnificent
work 1t fitly protrays the upi iising Of
the people to throw off the tyrannica
yoke of the mobiles. The Prayer Of
Rienzi, the great chorus, Gan hail, ex
alted dsy ~ the Battle hymn, the song o.
rejoicing after Rienzi's treaty of peace
the wonderful violin effects, were al
given with a perfection tlat held th'
bearer enJranced.
Mile. Szumow ska, as we have said, ap
peared in Saint-SaenS p1ano-forte con
cert0 in G minor, accompanied by tn
orchestra. 1t was a most brilliant com
position and it afforded the lady-who i
the only pupil of Paderewski's on th'
concert stage-to show how she has i'm
blbed, as it were, the characteristics OF
her great teacher. She is tall with th'
blond hair, and deep set eyes of th'
north country women. Her waist is like
pliable steel, and her arm IS almost al
bone and muscle. Her technique was
superb, her touch exquisite and the re-
markable difficulties of the composition
she had the advantage of magnificent