Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-03-04
METROPOLITAN MUSIC.

of wear when the inevitable song recitals
begin to appear upon the musical horizon
Fortunately for the musical pubic, the
greater artists are getting more and more
into the habit of the lesser ones, and lat
terly we have had the chief opponents OF
good singing consenting to appear in musi-
cal programmes, almost entirely OF thelr
own making. Lilli Lehman was one OIL
the first to attempt this very HAPPY method
of giving artistic pleasure and she has been
followed by Nordca, Bspham, Schumann-
Heink, Van Rooy, and, last but not least OF
all, Sembrich.
Nine. Sembrich has heretofore given Us
a great many operate delights, hel
"Traviata" being by no means the least
of them, but if she clings to the proposed
programme of her recently announced song
recital she will render us all under obi
cations to her. For there Is something
so charmingly familiar in an entertainment
of this kind You are not removed by
tiers of seats from the singer and she has
no props in the shape of costume, make up,
scenery, dramatic play. with which to
heighten her effects. She mus. stand or
fall upon her powers as singer and only
as singer She has her art to exploit
means or methods. What a trial for the
fected musician!
All artists are many sided. You near
Lehman in the part of Brynhilda and
you long to hear her in that of Isolde or
Sednora, or some equally heroic role 10
accentuate that side of her art that you
think is her best and, perhaps only
speciality, and you care little to hear her
Marguerite or Juliet or Carmen. You nave
seen one side of her musical shield and you
take up arms with any one who has seen
only the other. But once find her upon
recital platform and see the variety or her
offerings. Again, it is never possible for
an artist to prove her artistic rights so
we'll in the singing of one or two songs
as in a collection of eight or ten or a
dozen. For one may exhibit one phase OF
her work, another, another. And in pro-
gramme of her own choosing you will
usually find the gamut of her ability.
And so to this programme of Nine.
Sembrich's we are looking with great
anticipation, for many schools are repre-
scented and many nationalists-old and
modern Italian, old and modern French,
old and modern German, and even old
English ballads are added to the list. And
may we all be there to hear!
~
There was recently played at one Of our
Philharmonic concerts a Tschaikowsky
symphony-the Tschaikowsky symphony /
call it, for of all his symphonic work TINS
is the most powerful and pathetic. ct is
known by the latter adjective). Indeed, l
go one step further, and declare that no
symphonic work of late years has depicted
the national characteristics of any people
with such simple force as has this.
Tschaikowsky is always elegant His
musical phrases are as the sentences of a
Beaconsfield He is never at loss to
make known his meaning, and when he
wishes power it is not with mere noise
that he produces his effect. Tschaikowsky
is also rabid patriot. The sorrows of
Russia sit heavily upon him and weigh
down his soul, and in this. his Symphonic
Pathetique, he plunges into the woes OF
his countrymen and bears them aloft,
that all the world may see. and seeing may
weep with him. There Is no burst of
frenzy, no wild poroxsysm of rage, but
instead there is depicted a dull, leaden,
aching. sobbing heart that beats against
the bars of fate with sullen, dcspairing
cry that clutches your own heart strings
and makes them throb In sympathy.
Mr. Frank Damrosch has given us four
children's concerts thus far this season,
and who can tell the educational good that
he has accomplished! Most attractive have
been his programmes TO children of all
ages. Men and women as well as the
younger folk have been interested, enter
tanned and instructed. And in this con-
nection 1t is interesting to note the trend
of the winds of our different conductors.
Some are for amusement simply. some for
money getting, and some for instruction.
And in this third and last division must be
placed Mr.. Damrosch. His father, the
beloved DR.. Leopold Damrosch, had much
of the teacher in his makeup, but the
executive dominated him and although
he brought together and formed out OF
chaos the two great educational organiza-
lions known as the Symphony and the
Orator!o societies, his power was rather
ito do than ito teach" His son (Frank)
has much of the school teacher about him.
When he first took charge of the Musurgia
male voice singing society his programmes
were often voted dull and uninterest.ng,
but his men knew that they were learning
good music. When the Musical Art
Society was started, no one but Frank
Damrosch could have steered this novel
bark through the rocks and shoals that
lined her path, and now that she has land
ed safely in her port of prosperity she has
been found freighted with precious ancient
harmonies and forgotten musical beauties
which but for her good captain would not
have been brought TO our shores in this
ship at least.
Our critics are lav.sh.ng their adjectives
again upon the work done by the Kneisel
String Quartette, whose second matinee
was given on Tuesday. The organization
shows at each concert what hard work
will accomplish when guided by artistic
impulse, good musical training and a de-
termina ton to excel The members of the
quartette sink their Municipalities so COM
pletely in their ensemble work and strive
so earnestly to reproduce the musical
meaning of the composers represented
that one leaves their concerts feeling
fairly well acquainted vasA ths music