New-York tribune., 1900-12-08
MUSIC.
Tur PHrLHARMoN1c SOCIETY

,s,,isu and Issue preliminary circular OF warn
80 an6 instruction 10 their patrons IL is 10 be |
.sSca Cor granted that they contemplating |
-,sfhing very much out of the ordinary line OF |
.ne,- performances. All this they cid in prepara-
-, cor the second concert OF the season. which
Iii take place IN Carnegie Hall this evening. and
.he audience that heard the public rehearsal yes
,erday afternoon discovered the reason why The
CENTRAL number OF the programme was the latest
svuphonic poem OF Richard Strauss. entitled Elm
y5eldenleben" Last May the music reviewer OF
she Tribune reported briefly this work from the
Nav festival at Cincinnati, and said that Il seemed
- hin that II was music gone mad. ana that II
composition proceeded further along the lines which
A exemplhed IL would cease 10 be music.
Il is more pardonable 10 be pronunciative and
dogmstc by telegraph at long range than at short:
hut even now II il not for the incontrovertible
fact that Richard Strauss is puissant a repre-
sentative OF tendency that he has coerced the
world 20 consider him with sOlemnity that seems
almost abysmal should like 10 dispose OF Elm
Heldeneben" with repetition Of the thoughts sent
over the wires from Cincinnati seven months ago
ana add 10 them the expression Of a conviction
which must be made with deep regret that n the
composer Is not already a bedamite he is the
high rad 10 Bedam and viii reach his goal young
as be is. within haH decade Such things are
not 10 be sai6 lightly, and they not said in
this case. but with profound seriousness and equal
" profound sorrow. Ths musical people OF New
York have had ample opportunity 10 become IA
niar with the genius I'VE may call Il that in
KnoueSsl
come into notice within the last generation has
received such prompt and much attention as he
F5ls absolutely unknown 10 the pubic
when Mr.. Thomas and the Philharmonic Society
brought forwara his symphony in F minor. playing
A. from written parts. on December is, 1854 The
work evinoed most smiRhle gifts, and right gra-
ciously they recognized. Fine powers are
those OF Herr Strauss, said The Tribune. FOR IN
stance IN effect; the work is that o. natural SYM
phonist. the composition finished and unconstralneo
Throughout, the melodies and harmones fow With
out effort and invention keeps pace with technical
skill in the creation and development Of the plastic
ideas IN the piece. II was nearly ten years before
the symphony was heard again. and meanwhile the
composers Serena6e for wind instruments. his SYM
phonc Fantasia ITALY his Don Juan" Mac
beth" and Death and Apotheosis'' had been heard
here Steadily the interest IN him grew and though
the fear found expression that his genius get
ting into erratc courses and that like Phaeton. he
punging along either 10 his own destruction
that OF the world OF art, yet was he heard with
boundless attention. Then came the prelude TO Act
III OF his 'Guntram," November 2, 1885 his IAN
tastic rondo I'll Eulenspiegel" March o. 1896,
and his also sprach ZRrathustra' December l6,
1897. Don Quixote' the successor OF Also sprach
ZarathUstra" and immediate predecessor Of Elm
Eeldenleben, was announced by the Philhar-
monic Society last season, but the last Mr.
Paur abandoned Il. Why? The explanation
never given. Perhaps Mr.. Paur despaired OF find
ing the machine for the production Of wind called
FOR by the score But any theatrical stage manager
could have helped him out OF that dilemma. and
the score may have been sternutstory enough in
itself 10 serve for aught we know 10 the
contrary. Perhaps Mr. Paur was not sure Of
the sympathy OF the public and feared 10
put its patience TO a trial: perhaps in
spite OF his devotion 10 Strauss ideals exemph-
fed IL the case OF Also sprach Zarathustra,' and
again IN Elm Heldenleben'' he failed 10 convince
himself that Don Quixote' demanded a hearing.
whatever the reason, we had TO forego Don
ouixote" and after yesterdays renewed experienee
we are reconcfed 10 our fate.
Fin Heldenleben" IS an advance on ALSO sprach
Zarathustra only IN the perverse consistency with
which II pursues the goal OF ugliness The aovo-
OF Strauss contend that these works Illustrate
a higher form OF programme music than thar cult
waited by Berlioz and his immediate predecessors.
As q matter q fact, they are q century behin--
F3erlioz IN everything except the mastery OF the
technics OF composition and orchestrarion. Elm
Eeldenleben." composition intended 20 de-
Nneate procession OF IDEAS. images concepts. IS
as naTvely dependent words for Its exposition
as any old descriptive sonata by Kuhnau and II
falls short OF the Kuhnsu standard in degenerating
snto blatant noise IN its pursuit OF realism which
Kuhnau music did. II is say
that absolute beauty has place in picture OF
battle because battle is q beautiful thing 20
contemplate. There may be Characteristic beauty
which win appeal TO the fancy and stir the
lions without painfully assaulting the drums.
And n the contemplation OF such a subject
Herr Strauss has chosen here-the life history OF
humanity's hero-the hrst demand that IS made
upon al the arts is ideaIizauon. II not with
out significance that the overture 10 'Egmont"
stood at the head OF the programme yesterday, and
that the Rnnotstor OF the Philharmonic Society
drew attention 10 the manner IN which Beethoven
told the story OF the oppression OF the Neither
lEnders the death OF their idol and the liberation
OF their country from Spanish tyranny. IN tones
which made appeal in every direction. and would
have done so had the programme contained in the
simple title been wanting
We are assuming some familiarity with the mat
ter ano manner Of Herr Strauss's symphonic poem
on the part OF The Tribune's readers because OF
what printed in these columns last Sunday
bun perhaps il will be best TO tell what the work IS
and here the annotator OF the programme has been
sententious enough at least, TO be quoted:
Though the music is continuous it falls into six
divisions IN the progress and procession CT which
y may be assumed that the composer has at
embodiment of high purpose and large ability. This
here Is Characterized IN The first division and mis-
musical symbol is the pri2cipa subject the germ OF
the entire work. II is sixteen measures long, and
,ts frst haif e given OUT by horns violas and
the eighth measure. This fundamental theme. out
Others Wbiob nav he supnoses 70 seIjneste specisI
essihoa uons-the hero's wealth OF fancy. warmth
tsys one commentator; mis- self-reliance. energy
ene VII power, tmpetuosity and emOuOnality. says
another IN the next division the hero's opponents
e-a also Of connprehencng greatness; faulthnders.
entlops cavlers lovers Of the Estle contemners OF
ne nlg, apes, hypOcrites Caric1sUre Is here the
slaTacteristic device OF the composer Now comes
80 lofe period. The hero meets her who shall be his
ooasort (vioiin solo). Her genteness, capricious-
osss ~ ana pretty Wiles brig him 10 the attitude
published duet when is interrupted by trumpet
S Selis ron distance which summon the hero TO the
=. !. embazoned on his banner There Is a picture
phsnf ~. 81, 5, q Witch ne hero smsrges tTum.
ie-,@ e@oe ~ Is period OF bodily rest but intel
i N eelNiy. here the oeV,ee OF the composer
15 ~ contfapuntal fabric-fragments OF the sym