New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-13
MUSIC.
TWO SONG REcIrALs.

o.-e called have not been among the most
W .,.r ~ our entertainments heretofore; but
p~.,e -wo given yesterday provided sensation
s,rn cen Only he Nkened to that which Mir
-..,.rski created with his panoforte recitals.
- likeness indeed was very close In all its out
- manifestations. n was that arranged by
xue LII Lehman Ealisch in which to effect her
.ontrance on the American stage after alb
o,oa ~ four years. For long time this artist
r,sheS an ideal IN New-York which now has
- derotees by far than II had while she
r;v,,inr I. among US. I; only indirectly
.A., which she promulgated yesterday. yet nothing
- made more manifest by the Incidents attend
-. her song recital than that her influence
dncstional force has grown with the years Of her
.hsonce While she was with MS she was
s.rs,ic artist on the comparatively few
OCCASIONS when she appeared outside Of the
lyric drama. II was as an exponent or Ora
,ratir singing As Is only too well remem-
he-ea her health broke down before the end OF the
as, season ~ the present Metropolitan regime, and
ere retired from the not only here, but also II
~ native GERMANY Her recovery slow. and
whrs she was waiting for the return OF her vocal
noNers In their penitude. she turned her thoughts
- the wondrously rich field Of German song Only
those Who kept watch of musical doingS in foreign
lands knew how successful and how wide were nor
excursions IN thu territory But she threw the
aoa i-,eli gence and the devotion INTO which
hss "a sod her the front rank OF dramatic singers
4, ,he estimation OF American musc-overs. and yes
.-6av he permitted discover for herself that
=, tho new field she could garner the same harvest OF
.,,,ocis:lon which she wont 70 carry home from
he opera house. Under the circumstances II must
10 ,,5 that her triumph by far than she
could have hoped for had she appeared on the operate
stag X that fact which suggested the comparison
n he- recital with one OF Paderewski's. She was
alone There was 10 play scenery. no costume
~ ,,lieacse 10 help her beyond Mr. Reinhod l.. Her
ma, u1o sat AZ The pianoforte. But Carnegie Hall
was c-owied She expected 10 sing only thir-
40, songs She repeated one and added one the
Isl, AMI she listened 10 az she were proclaim
No new musics, evangel. and she had no sooner
ended her last than scores OF her listeners
rushed down the 'aises and crowded in from OF ths
stage In order 70 ENJOY the sensation OF being near
her While she sang the additional song which every
BODY would be dems nded
og.i Or tribute was paid musical artist
and ovAlier tribute was never deserved. Nine.
IAhr7ara mas come ia ok with her artistic powers
unweskened by her illness far Yesterdays
recital furnished criterion for Judgment. and her
ariisfic ambitions augmented. Her programme was
rot &c Interesting might have been wished but
the plea sure which she gave by her singing was so
great mat il doubtful If anybody had time To he
sspnc.nfAd She sang five OF Wagner's songs.
4, le1s- three OF which could be spared without
pans by many an admirer OF the poet-composer.
ana with Frsnzs This and That" made an essay
nc hsh and ingenious style Of song which lies far
from her real field but everybody seemed too happy
10 near ner glorious voice ana 10 receive H'l
generous artistic henefactions 10 think Of carpng at
a7vihn she did Harce whcri she I'm
Herhs;" with oD-' 'r.S OF voice and emotion. al
most beyond estimation and Schuberts "ErlkoniC''
witt 4 varied eloquence which had 10 look 10 Ru-
bins-ein pianoforte psraphrase for parallel all
the guns Of criticism seemed to have been spiked
in he evening Mr.. David Bispham gave the first
o, his concerts in the Carnegie Lyceum He had
Inc help Of Miss Marguerite Hall and Mr.. Charles
Gres0rowitsch. whose merits are 80 well known
thai they need no announcement. and also Of MI
Victor Harris accOmpanist. TINS post was
s-~--eiv as important in the evening concert As
IN ire afternoon recital in the larger concer'room.
when it was flied by Mr. Herman. and We shout
hesitate were asked 10 compare Mr.. Harris
adm red skill wiki that OF the gentleman who ac-
Nine Lehman. yet the satisfaction de-
rived from the compartments was greater in the
evening than in the afternoon. because OF the
failure OF Mr.. Herman. Nine. Lehman or
both 10 appreciate the value of the pianoorte part
m the modern German art-song. Mr. Bspham Is
an admirable singer and he has an admirab'e
voice large part OF the entertainment
which he provided was OF the higher order OF
merit hut in his third group of songs. devoted 10
american compositions. he seemed to he more COM
olaisant than discriminating, and there WAS an IN
fortunate settng-down of the pegs, which mad |
been screwed to an artistic pitch the beginning
There were several features of interest in the pro-
grsnlnle chiefest OF which the new songs ny !
Brahms with which Mr. Bspham opened Ms Is /
Against them il is possible that some unconpTo- !
missing critics will raise the cry OF Academic dry
ness but they have a large measure Of beauty /
nevertheless Che third is in all things great !
songt and they have an autobographical interest /
that : pathetic The songs in question are the |
las, published compositions OF Brahms. and his /
iNs, numbered work. He calls them simply -FOUR /
Serious songs ('Erneste GesanGeD. but their /
poetjcal contents the manner IN which they marx /
back 10 the German Requiem with which ne dd /
honor 10 the memoir OF his dead mother. ana me /
fact that the composer (au reports 70 the contrary
notviths-andine) is slowly surrounding 10 disease
which il incurabe. combine to mark them a.
works which will he much talked Of in the future.
vor his texts Brahms has gone TO the Bioie IN IL
Lutheran translation the words Of the four songs
hang follows
For that which befalleth the sons Of men be-
falleth beasts. even one Thing befaleth them; az /
the on dieth 50 aieth the other. yea hey nave all
one brea In. that "A man hath no pre-'ihlHeH-" /
above beast: for all is vanity.
An 20 unto place, all are OF the dust. ana
all turn dust again. 49,
ward and the spirit of the beast that goeln down.
ward the earth.
ter than tha should rejoice in ms own
works for that is his portion for who shall bring
MIN 70 what shall he after him
Ecclesias,es ~. ia.
s. returned and considered all the expressions
OF such as were oppressed. and they had no com
forrer. and on The side OF their oppressors there
was power hut they had no comforter.
Wherefore praised the dead which are already +
dea6 more than the living which are YET alive.
Yea. better IS ne than both they which hath not
yer been WHO hath seen the evil work that is
done I~1eF 10