The age-herald., 1900-03-11
REAL LOVERS IF
 CLASSIC MUSIC People of Birmingham Patrons
 of the Art 4 HIGH MUSICAL CULTURE Brilliant Season Promised With Ihom- as Concert and the May Fes-
 tival-CIarence Eddy the 7
 0rganist May Come.
4 HIGH MUSICAL CULTURE
BY WILLIAM RYAN.

No branch of high culture has taken a deeper hold on Birmingham or has been de- veloped on broader lines than music Few of the older cities of this country have any finer musical atmosphere than Birmingham. In not one of them, perhaps, can be found a larger proportion of men and women with passionate love for good music than one finds here This fact Is now so often in evidence that 1t Is scarcely worth stating. And yet one cannot help alluding to it as something of which to be proud.
 In many cities large and fashionable au- diences attend piano recitals, symphony concerts, and oratorio festivals, but 1t is reasonable to say that not half of the num- ber who go to these entertainments follow the music with anything like appreciation or enthusiasm A great many persons att tend the concerts simply because 1t is fash ionable to do so. But in this city it is diff ferent. In the large audience which greeted Paderewski ait O'Brieus opera house re- gently, there were very few persons who did not thoroughly enjoy every piece which the distinguished master played.
 At the Auditorium next Wednesday night twenty hundred or three thousand peo- pie will listen with rapture to the Thomas orchestra.sAn1z ccne May festival will attract several thousands of music lovers, who will attend because they are lovers of artistic music. and not because it happens to be fashionable to attend.
 Thomas Birmingham programme Is we'll chosen. It contains two or three classic numbers, while the rest of it is in lighter romantic vein. but all coming under the head of high art. Every one of the roman- tic selections is fun of sensuous beauty. To hear Bzet's Suite L'Arlesienne," with it's quaint prelude and its quaint minuetto, its tuneful adajietto, and its tricksy carillon dance would alone be worth the price of admission.
 It Is a favorite programme work both in Europe and America. Not many orchestral composition are oftener performed. Another popular number which will be heard for the first time fin Birmingham Is Tschaikowsky's Italian "Capriccioso." Among the greater numbers are the Wagner selections-the Tannhauser march and overture.
 But the most important work on Thomas programme, and the most soulful too, is Schubert's B. Minor symphony, known as "The Unfinished" It is great in it's subtle melody and great in its ingenius counter point. Many music lovers have the errone ous idea that The Unfinished" was the last thing that Schubert composed. The fact is 1t was written six years before his death, but nothing that he wrote afterwards came up to its high level. Of Schubert's nine sym phonies, this B Minor and the G Major are oftenest played, because they are the best.
 Before MT. Guckenburger had seen Thom- as programme he had put 'The Unfn- 1shed" symphony on the May festival mat dnee programme At first he was disposed to; substitute some other popular symphony for the festival, but after considering the matter he concluded to let it stand; for as