New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-13

augmented horn choir, but that would have caused
no particular distress had Mr.. seidls reading not
been strangely and incomprehensibly erratc In the
matter of tempo and had he not COMPOUNDED his
listeners by overlooking the element In the Bee
thoven symphony which he brought forward with
thrilling effect in the Wagner fragments that
brought the concert TO close. THIS element was
the melos. OF course, as treated with wonderful
directness and with tho invocation OF the most
glorious instrumental apparatus ever enlisted. 1t
was not difficult to make the climax OF Wagners
music sound II the morning stars were singing
together and all the sons OF God shouting for JOY
but nevertheless there was In the effect splendid
demonstration OF Mr.. Seidls skill and puissant
command OF mon. But there is song. TOO. In the
Heroic" symphony. albeit somewhat hedged about
with thcmatic workmanship and we should nave
liked 10 hear II burst tho letters which Mr.. Seidl
left upon II and soar aloft like the song OF the
Rhine daughters In thu "G0uerdammerung be
tvcen-sccnes music. And in this desire We were
wofully disappointed. also In the tempt AS for
VI Pugno. he has nm extremely Interesting ana
poetical conception OF Grieg's concerto and most
OF Il he plays charmngly. But his forte Is hard
and unmuslcll.
An unfortunate slip Of the PEN due only to haste.
| made Tho Tribune OF last Friday characterize Mr.
! Mcdowell as a follower" OF Or. Dvorak In his
/ cultivation OF American subjects for musical COM
! position. The slip having occurred In review OF
! n composition entitled "Iliawatha's Wooing ana
| Wcddlag" (: would be only natural II The Trib-
! une's readers should draw tho conclusion from II
| that Mr. MacDowelrs Indian Suite" had been
| suggested by Or Dvorak's American symphony
| and chamber music This would be an error. as
| AN might have discovered for themselves VINO
! would recall what The Tribune said about the
| origin OF the suite IN n review OF the performance
/ a, tho Worcester festival In September. The suite
! was practically completed before Or. DvorAk came
| 70 Ncw-York though not performed until three
| years after the symphony, From the New World
| had been brought forward by Mr.. Seldl AT con-
| cert OF the Philharmonic Society. The cause or
| this delay understand 20 have been that MT.
! MacDoweu wished TO wait until he was more
! familiar with what was then TO him an entirely
new kind Of music. Its dssonances and savage
! rhythms were for long time the cause OF DOUBT
I'm his mind "a the ability OF the public to grasp
! the pnthos aud fierce determination OF the ma
fcrial used IL IL we'll that this should be KNOWN
| and Mr. MacDowels relationship to Dvorak and
| American folk-music made clear. Perhaps 1t VIII
be- easier 10 do this than TO set newspaper writers
| right on the subject " Or. Dvoraks aims ana per
! formances. We observe, with real regret, mat
| Mr. Apthorp In his notes In the programme BOOK
! ~ the Boston symphony Orchestra's concert, TO
/ lo given in Brooklyn next Saturday evening re-
! rsrrinR 10 the American symphony, says that Its
! thematic material is made up largely OF negro
melodies from the Southern plantations" That IL
| no, the case We aware that a writer or
| negro songs Is going about the country with the
assertion that the principal subject or the slow
| movement OF the symphony is a melody which he
! sent 10 the composer through newspaper report
er hut we do not consider the story worth be-
ueylng even for "A moment. That melody Is not n
negro tune. and 10 use fok-tunes Is not the haolt
! OF Or Dvorak even In his Bohemian compositions
n. we have often pointed out. We believe that the
cmpIoyment OF phrase from battle hymn OF
| ,,a I,usstes I'm the "Hustzka" overture is the
only instance OF It's kind that can be found In DR..
DvorAk's works Besides. II DR.. Dvorak Is TO be
! believed he was not even thinking or negro HE
| Who, no conceived the themes OF his slow move
| rncnt and wor led them out. The story IL OF piece
with ono exploited the authority OF mythical
| clarinet plnyer some time ago, TO the erect that
! ,bo svuphouy was an old one, which the COM
poser had brought forward in Germany years ago
and buried in his portfolio because 1t was failure
rh,s sublec. has attracted the attention OF Joseph
! uennctt OF THE London Daily Telegraph VINO
! remarks in a recent issue Of that newspaper;
Ive all remember Antonin Dvoraks attempt TO
give tho United States a National music based on
indian and negro nelodies N9t nuSh sufctss az,
NOR there the point being that pyorak was antci-
pated by native COMPOSER, ,he ohep Gav in CHI
| cago Thr press and public found Il interesting
Color has been preserved saves the use OF some OF
the rhythms, which are obviously imHian H. - md,u
redskin viii be made happier II no can learn that
the palefaco Is trying to annex MS music ana man
Ing nothing OF II
II IL oute as interesting as II IL amusing In View
| or the enthusiastic reception which the symphony
"Erom the New World and the American quarter
or1 ouintet have met with all the world over, 70
l,,rn mat mot much success" has attended DR.
D,or,k's attempt. which. however. was not at al
ub,t Mr. Bennett describes Il. What the great
Uoh.mlan composer wanted has been accomplished
American composers are striving 10 employ ldiom'
thar have a native and familiar sound Perhaps
,hev would do 80 even freely. frankly ant
successfully II they did not fear that somebody
would hurt their "amour-propre" by saying tina
thev were following In Mr. Dvoraks footsteps
MANY a passage penned In German conserVatorle
| nv American students has had to give way beior'
the professors blue pencil because 1t had strange
sound European ears.
| we might Weld the whole contention about Amer
| lean folk-song and Or. Dvoraks relation 10 IL
hose who wish f0olishy to belittle him would ohl!
| confess that his example embodened some or on
toicnted men TO come out with the idiom they haV
all along wanted to speak. We do not refer TO Mr.
Mcdowell but he would not lose "A titte OF th
admiration IN which he Is held II 1t were said o
him that he had given heed to DR.. Dvorak earhes
and unselash admonition. He knows the value o
locaI noetic suggestion and asks recognition Tor
| I'm his music. A later work than the indian suit
| ION 40, Il his wildwood Sketches Top. 5O 10
, nianoforte These dainty and poetical pieces wer
, | originally published year or SO ago In style
| elegance which must have been n bar to their gen
| eral introduction among amateurs. Now they an
out I'm cheaper form (Breitkopf fiartel. ms agent
for T. l.. Jung) There are ten pieces all disUn
puished by grac sfulness and eloquence OF thousn
| and an exquisite feeling for harmony ana piano
| forte effect but what IL to the purpose, tn
titles of three them frank bid for recogni
tlon OF an American flavor. They are called "tron
| an Indian Lodge" From Uncle Remus" and -