New-York tribune., 1901-12-08
MUSIC.
TEE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

,veI.v was produced at the second concert of
= ,bfIharmonic Society last evening, but, while
= -4.s-ed curiosity and gave much pleasure II was
>. g. below TWO other numbers the programme
= the matter OF artistic value and interest that
= -rr+7- 10 wait Till they disposed of in a re-
d - +re concert The two numbers were not
V though the older and the work Of the su-
.,oe master in music was less familiar than the
p-nrs- They were Beethoven's second 'Leonore"
s.-rure and Tschaikowsky's Pathetic sym
- The name of the former when the num-
- ,s ignored. has familiar sound. but it appears
-. rarely on our concert programmes and when
4. soes appear. as yesterday il raises questions
-,i,h perhaps. might better be discussed in pro-
...onaI than in amateur circles There is no more
..,lisr or admired orchestral composition OF Bee
.,over's than the Leonore No. S'' overture It is
: -,Ilestone in the musical art a rnasterpiece a
-aSe that has often been enulated but never
-..ehed IN three-cuarters OF century of develop
,nf For some reason not easily explicabIe other
,.e than as a sign OF an amiable reaction a cult
hs recently developed in the interest of the
,u-. known as ''Leonore No. %" OF which the No
e rs a revision WefngartIer has promoted the
,novement in Europe, and has recommended the
.hott:cn OF the custom OF playing the overture
.Teonore No. g. between acts music at per-
so-nsnces OF the opera, '-Fidelio'' (which is COM
,n.ndable). and the substitution Of the 'Leonore
NJ % for the 'Fideiio'' overture in z major as an
,n.-cduction (Which is dubous). To serious minded
,eouie the problem presented is not a small one
n No had never been written No. would, in al!
likelihood. have received all the admiration that
has been given TO No. s; for its thenatic material
AZ the same and II rises TO the heights
NJ its successor But can have taken in the
No ell its funess without approaching the ire
nendous value OF Beethoveu's self-criticism. The
compsctness directness and intensity Of the re-
,yi.ed work make II e new creation.
Nr Paur read the Pathetic" symphony in a
very vivid and heart searching style albeit his tempo
III the last movement was open 10 very serious
question from abstract point of view That
proclamation Of hopeless pessiuisn would not have
been 80 poignant il had il been taken at
xlcwer tempo. for il q bad afternoon for the
wind instruments. and strong contrasts and sharp
accentuations had 10 make good many defects Of
fatonaticn in that respect. Mr.. Gerardy, who
played SaintSaens's concerto for vioIoncello. and
played well, suffered from the same shortcoming,
but in this instance il all the fault Of the
band Evidently the change in temperature from
the tuning to the hall set down the pitch Of
his instrument
The novelty In the scheme was symphonic pro-
iogue 70 'Edipus, the King" by Max Schillings.
Scope. purpose and style of the composition
Indicated IN descriptive article which appeared In
This journal last Sunday. The hearing more than
justified the reading. Herr Schillings thinks broad
II. Il not deeply. and his orchestra has splendid
capacity for heroic song. The antique note has
been eloQuently intoned. but It has seldom
been striven for with greater zeal earnestness.
The orchestration Of the piece is at sonorous
and eUphonious. In its songfulness il recalls the
young composers -'Ingwelde'' prelude which fig
ured on programme OF the Symphony Society
some years ago.