The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-10
MUSICAL NOTES.

The Choral Society of Washington,
which on April 49, assisted by the Bos-
ton Festival Orchestra. VIII presen;
Dvorak's "Spectre's Bride, assembled at
the Cniversalist Church last Thursday
evening TO listen TO an instructive lee
ture by Mr. II. +. Krehbiel on national
ism in music. as eXemDlitied in three
works of the great Bohemian composer:
the symphony From the New World,
the quartet in f. op. SO. and the quar-
tet in E-fiat op. 81. Mr.. Krehbiel traces
in these the influence of such Amer
lean melodies as Way Down Upon the
Suwanee Ribber," ''Ten Ole Pharaoh.
Let My People Co and Want You.
Ma Honey" which latter originated in
a Memphis haunt of MississipDi steam
boat hands-not in the pretty studio
of the sweetheart of Howell Osborn.
While there is a very general agreement
that these creations of DR.. Antonin Dvo-
rak are extremely interesting and beau
tiful there has been, l am sorry TO say.
on the part. especially. of my fellow
critics of Boston. a vigorous protest that
the works are American in spirit. Dr.
Dvorak claims nothing for their nation
aliSm beyond the fact that they are
written under the stimulus of the pOpu-
lar music of the United States. and
could not have been composed had he
never come to America. They who live
across the Atlantic seem TO be able
enough to note the newneSs of the eIe-
ments which Dvorak has employed Much
of his new world symphony is concerned
if not with negro and Indian airs. az
least with colorado limitations of them.
and certain Joyous simplicity pre-
walls through each movement, with the
exception of the largo
This part of the work was meant IN
convey an impression of night in the
forest on the edge of the prairie, and the
music is certainly of night mysterious.
soothing. softly profound. and tremu-
lous with poetry. The episode, twittering
and acute, that breaks in upon the sway
ing peace, is almost intOlerable at first.
though one feels instinctiveIy that il
troubles in order that the ear may pres
emily be enchanted by its ceasing from
troubling. The tread of the returning
feet of beauty brings a sense of graft
tude for beauty's short absence and
when the twittering fades again into the
bosom of the night, and the muted
strings take up their tale once more we
appreciate the Observation-Disclosures also in
Itself as facial its true worth. Con-
trasts are often valuable for the pain
they give. Negro music is generally near
o. Kin 10 the negro character. and in the
negro character there are elements more
especially OF buoyant almost blatant.
cheeriness, of sunny idleness and of a
marching geuiality. These elements I
md IN Dvoraks music. There is posi-
lively blaring rowdyness in one or two
of the themes; vet nevertheless. taking
the symphony as a whole / have been
more struck by its vivid poetical qualities
than by anything else about it. Dvorak
has taken materials that might well have
seemed unpromising and has taught
them how they may serve a beautiful
purpose. In the last movement there is
an air made Immensely prominent. that is
first cousin 20 "There'H BE Hot Time
in Ola Town Tonight or that might find
welcome III the hymn books OF the Sal
walton Army Yet the poet is with US
still, and the final pOtpourri of reminis-
cences from the former movements leads
to finely original ending the last loud
chord being sustained until il gr dually
dies out in the softest sigh mag nable.
Those who have tainted this SYM
phony with being Bohemian are nCr fully
aware of the difference between negro
characteristics and Czech A Bohemian
witness to the contrary is DR. EdFard
Hauslect professor at the Cniyersit of
Vienna. From recent fueilleton 81 7.s
translate the following:
LAS director of the New York Cons
tory, in the very country whose atm,
81
likely to dry up the artistic fancy, Dvorsk
developed an astounding fecundity. After
having remained silent at home for sew,
eral years. he suddenly sent To US whole
shiploads of music, orchestra and cham
Der compositions. pianoforte pieces dues
disclosing the influence no longer Os
slavic fOlk-tunes but of American ne
groes also. 1t is remarkable how Dvorak
was able to utilize these burleSques
of melody. The wholly new and original
element stimulates and charms"
That admirable aggregation of refined
talent the Euterpe Musical Club VIII hold
"a meeting next Friday at p. m, at the
residence of Representative Peters. 10lS
l. Street for the prevention OF cruelty TO
Chopin The composer of the I'm
promptu" which Triby used to sing so
often. UNFORTUNATELY for the peacefulness
of his sleep under the palm in Pere la
Chaise. has become so popular that there
is hardly concert in which ie is not
falsified or misunderstood. The frivolous
desire TO play his spirituelie compositions
in a capricious manner. TO inthde ones
own personal feelings upon thepoet's pc
culiar world. has led to style II playing
his nocturnes, ballads. etc, disgreeble TO
the taste and the mind-a miXtire of buf-
foonery and baseness. 1t is afashion of
coduetry instead of gracefulnes. wantOn-
ness in place of daring; whia II makes
feeling sentimental and genility eccen-
-, Nv hi Nral1y6as etc is fha