New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-29
MUSICAL MATTERS.
NJ. GUILMANT'S LAST RECITALCTHE Or
GAN IN MENDELSSOHN HALL


u
last organ recital yesterday afternoon in the hall
| of the Mendelssohn Glee Club 1t is much to be
hoped that the announcement which implies that
ne is not to be heard here again this season, will
not prove strictly correct foi not only the re-
| ctal of yesterday a most refined and. enjoyable
| artistic affair. but 1t participated in by
| Ano audience one that tried the seating capacity
Of the concert-ro>m proper and called into requi-
! siton the anteroom In tho rear. 1t was audi
| ence Of nice and discriminating taste. moreover.
| and bore testimony, though somewhat tardy. II
must be confessed the fact that after all there
are several hundred people In New-York who ad.
mre organ music when played by a master. NJ.
Ciuilmants playing is quite beyond praise. not only
for It's technical finish. but also for the example 1t
sets to all organlss in the matter Of registration
| II publishes an exquisite taste In the bending OF
| tonai tints and moderation In the employment OF
| the different stops. He Is never restless. never
| disturbing There Is ample variety In the colors
| which he in modern music. SUCH as MS own
sonaas in which the aim is to initiate to some De.
gree the effects which native to the orchestra.
but when It comes the classics he permits the
musical ideas and their development to promulsate
their own message Of beauty. This was most
eIoouently exempliGed In his performance OF
Each's Fantasia and Fugue In G minor. He had
the help yesterday OF Nine Emma Jucn' who sang
and sang DELIGHTFULLY."- orc OF his own compositions,
"Ce nue dit lie Silence" and ION recalD Gounods
"Avo Maria" with accompaniment on organ ana
rianoforte PLAYED by himself and William e. CARL
and a group Of songs by Schumann
n, tho occa sion OF NJ Guilmants frst recital The
Tribune deplored the fact that there was not IN
New-Ycrk fit concert organ for great artst 70
play on and that the small instrument IN Mehoeis-
sohn Hall had be brought into service for so emf
nent a master as the organist OF Ia Irlh'e. Inc
remark, made wholly from an impe'soha' poin' Oh
view and I'm the interest OF organ-playing' wnich
he neglected
musical art caused some comment in and out OF the
metropolis and has brought TO the tribune !e'.er
from the manager OF the company Responsible ior
the Mendessohn Hall organ. The letter Is temper
ate and courteous In tone. and only us 100 great
length and the fact that much OF 1t Is Irrelevant 70
tho nont n, issue prevents from printing II en-
tire Mr. John W Helms. the writer or the letter
admits that the acoustic conditions and severely re-
strcted organ chamber curtaed the effect OF the IN
strumen, which had been demonstrated to he good
nv tests made by Samuel F. Warren and joseph
Mosenthal before the organ left the factory. "A
conco-, organ Of this nature should be unresr!cted
says Mr. Helms: have plenty Of space and opening
into the hall ard should be centrally iocated IN 'he
building at the of the stage. from which posi-
ton its could be more evenly distributed than
pokod into hole in the as now existing. the
audience neareS; TO IL being overcome by the oIast
and those curthest away getting but limited effect
It Is l well-known fact that many good organs In
hall, and churches ruined by unfavorabie loca.
tons but in this case IT simply question OF
4 lack Of real estate. the hall being small ana the
archtec; severely handicapped TO find even the poor
organ size he has done. into which the organ was
literally poured and has not SUFFICIENT breathing
space or vent FOR its tones The truth OF all this Il
willingly conceded, but II does rot appear how this
effects In any way the correctness OF the statement
ma ic by The Tribune. The letter Is merely plea
In extenuation. Nj. Helms admits that under pres
ont conditions the organ in Mendelssohn Hall - In
erlc nd so
une's complaint. The reasons why the organ Is not
efficient are OF course. important TO the builders
and the owner a the hall. but 10 wha; extent DO
they signify in the eyes Of the people who are asked
10 pay for the pleasure OF hearing NJ GuLHant, or
10 the concert-reyower who is expected b. the pub
lie to write the truth about wha; he hears? Ns.
Helms Is jus, ready the writer for The Tribune
ieplore that things are not as they should De- a.
witness some Of his concluding observations:
cm n' is ae e TO the ~ iamena6Ie fact that 50 large
city this does not contain large music nan VITA
thins for this city to have London Royal Albert
Hail 4 Liverpool 81. Georges Han. or Paris Iro-
cade.o However every one OF these halls Is abou.
fiyo times IS large the Mendelssohn. and the or
gans therein about three times the size 81 tnis
one ana fc9l!ns therefore. that this is probably the
intent u your criticism. we think II Is hardly just
10 20 severely condemn the conditions at the Nell
delssohn simply because it does not compare with
tie renowned halls where master such as Gull
mani could he given better scope to his abilities;
under existing limited conditions 10 make tae best
OF M and 9 o b Is ne oy man ha ina he Is fs
Gr ssac the T Of hG ha S Or 81 sns
n5sv sIpported by the respective municipalities. or
governments. Of which there would be Limited
amGe here II IS notorious a, sca nS The az Mem
issohn does not: and therein lies the difficulty o.
a 6 Tsn % Win those on the ' Other Side az
fry % a o the home lons OF o, ore
gan and other music in this city. But perhaps at
some future time some association OF wealthy mus.
Mil Han may
something OF this nature OF credit to our city
In The Sun" OF last Monday there appeared what
,urportod to be cable dispatch from Dresden
bringing the Information that Reinhold Becker had
cccntly discovered a piece OF music In Beethovens
"a udwriting In the library OF the Society OF Music
overs In Vienna which proved to be setting OF
ioethe's "Erkng." composed By Beethoven IN
$40 This is ancient news with vengeance the
Existence OF sketch OF the "Erlkng'' has long
,een known TO Beethoven students. In his Chrome
ogisches verzechn.s." published In 1865. our coun-
ryman Thayer mentioned II as "eine brauchoare
imposition" "a serviceabe composition) ard says IL
vas owned by the composer Dessauer From MIN
went into tho possession OF the Geseschaft DER
Iuskfreuuie IN Vienna. where 1t still Is. Note
ohm decphered It and printed II entire IN MS
Bcethovenlana." published in 1872. The only new
hing In connection with II Is that Reinhod Becker
supplied a few measures OF the melody whieh
beethoven did no, write out and added pianoforte
based on hints contained In ITO
ketch-an exceedingly simple thing to do. A re-
ant number Of the "Iustr!te Zeitung" which had
cen IN New-York for several days before The
I'M" printed It's cable dispatch. contained rae
mile OF Becthoven's autograph sketch. together
i,h Nottcbohm's decipherment. and page OK
einhold Becker's arrangement which has been
ublished by Schuber,h In Leipsic
The sixth popular concert Will be given AZ the
metropolitan Opera House next Sunday. The pro-
ANNE offered Is OF unusual interest. as Madame
oriica will give n New-York audience Its nrst op-
,rtunity to hear her this Plancon VIII DO
pr associate for tho evening.
lMrpTrIV FOLKLORE SOCIETY