New-York tribune., 1900-04-01

trifes and put off the highest demands OF art:
in six months you now-cert anly not. After
mas h9 year haf Gea and w Entire but we
must not shorten them carelessy and irrevocably;
cam come"y6u Would not consider it better to
9e up Of up or for
other matter. If you are of my opinion, the only
will soon see if he has learnt something, and If he
has some respect and consideration for us ,,o,,
again. as the only one Of all my friends who has
great want in order to keep up my courage and nd my my
hear' trusting 10 near SPI65 RfcH2RD fIa 0 0WAGNER
The Philharmonic Society Will bring it's fifty
eighth a close with public rehearsal this
afternoon and a concert tomorrow evening. For
this closing function a notable programme has been
prepared, the elimination of which will be Bee
thoven's ninth symphony. This will be preceded by
the Bach-H -Hellmesberger Fugue in minor, and
three Wagner numbers, viz: Prelude and "Glorih-
cation" from "Parsifar'; "Waldweben." from
"Segfried'' and "Bacchanale,'' from "Tannhauser."
The solos in the finale of the symphony will be
sung by Nm =. de vere-sapio Mrs Carl Alves
William H. Rieger and Ericsson f. Bushnell: the
choruses by the combined Rubinstein and Apollo
clubs The first performance of Beethoven's Choral
Symphony in America took place May 20. 1886
in Castle Garden, at an extra festival concert given
by the Philharmonic Society. George Loder
the conductor, there were fifty-four men in the
chestra and the object Of the concert to estab
a
cety. The first repetition was on April Is, $780,
when Theodore EIsfeld conducted and the choruses
were sung by the German Lederkranz. Subse
quent performances by the society have been given
follows: April 29, 1865 (when. owing to the
assassination of President Lincoln fortnight pre-
vious the lode to joy was omitted and the funeral
march from "Eroica" played instead. Eisfeld,
ductor; February 1, 1868, Bergman, conductor
April 2S 1871, DIR. Damrosch conductor; February
r. 1881, April TO- 1886, and April r. 1890, Theodore
Thomas M AnriI
Anton Seidl, conductor. The symphony had been
prepared for performance at the last public re-
hearsal and concert of the ffty-sxth season, on
April l and O. 1885, but Mr. Seidl. the society's con-
ductor dying March 28, of respect to his
memory the choral part again omitted, and
the Death March from Wagner's "Gotterdam-
merung'' given in its stead under the direction of
Frand van der Sucken.
1t is something of pity that as often as the
'Tannhauser" Racchanale has been played In New
York programme has yet printed the stage di-
rectons, which form a programme to the compo-
siton and explain its varying moods The Bac-
chanae composed for Interpolation In the opera
of "Tannhauser'' when it had its unhappy Partisan
production in 1861. 1t is elaboration of first
in the Gave of Venus and to lead into it
Wagner sacrificed the original concluding portion
OF the overture in which there is recurrence of
the pilgrims cantice. That the Tristan mood
was still upon Wagner when he revised the begin.
ming of his opera is made obvious enough by the
new music which came with the extension of the
bacchanalian scene. The music gains much from
the stage pictures which accompany 1t in the per
formance, and were conceived by Wagner to take
the place of the conventional ballet but some help
may perhaps he derived from condensation of
Wagners stage directions, which. let It be said,
however. bafied the mechanical department even
Of the Festival Theatre at Bayreuth. The scene
represents the interior of the H6rselberg where
Venus holds court. II Is a wide cavern which
curves TO the right in the background and seems
10 open up an interminabe vista. From a ledge
high above waterfall plunged downward the
waters glintlng emerald green. and from the
rocky basin IN which they fall brook flows which
Sirens reclne its shores and NRiads bathe in its
waters. Before grotto Venus reposes a luxuri-
couch in tho foreground and before her his
head on her knee. the minstrel Knight TannhBuser
Graces recline in graceful postures around the
couch, where also lie in wild confusion a large
number of Cupids asleep. The entire is sur
fused with rosy light. through which the green
of the waterfall and the white foam OF it's FLASHING
waters shine. A flnly. blush vapor rests upon the
surface OF the lake in the distance A band of
Youths bearing goblets lie picturesquely upon the
projecting cliffs above They tempted TO join
band of Nymphs who dancing about the foot
OF the waterfall. Bacchantes rush In and by