The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-26
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
an Innovation in Topeka.
Programme Was Different and
Conductor Was a Novelty.
MELODY EXCELLENT.
Those Who Appreciate High
Glass Music Were Pleased.
There Were Nearly 1900 Peo-
pie i'm the House.

A new school of players were heard
at the concert of the Chicago Symphony
orchestra at the Auditorium last night.
They gave a new style. of programme
and were led by new fashioned leader.
The concert was a pleasing innova-
ton from the surfeit of band concerts.
The wearing off of the blare of brass
and tinkling cymba1 has been gradual.
The Banda Rosa playing was the max
imum for crash and roar, the Innes
concert was SO much quieter and now
the Symphony orchestra has filled the
large Auditorium with a melIowness
that all the bands fail to possess. There
was not large audience, not as large
by half as the attraction deserved, and
those who listened seemed in a lethargy.
Now and then they reused sufficiently
to award a goodly encore but it lacked
spirit There We're exactly 1,473 people
in the house which would have filled
either opera house to overfiowing.
The members of the orchestra were a
somewhat slovenly lot in their man
ners- While the people were finding
their seats before the concert, the play
erS We're lounging on the stage. Some
sat on chairs and some sat on trunks,
some sat on the steps and some leaned
against the wall. Some nursed their
knees and others lounged in reclining
attitude. They did not remain. unseen
in the dressing rooms until the proper
time and then march in with a snap
and dash like band. They wore black
dress suits and black ties. The leader,
Adolph Rosenbecker. dressed as the rest
and was an innovation as a leader.
RoSenbecker uses a light stick, it
looks like a piece of rattan, with which
to conduct his so players. He has not
one spark the artistic or aesthetic in
his manner of leading. 1t was plain
matter of fact business with him. He
might pass for a ring master with a
circus if there was long lash at the
end of his baton. He never wavered
- 1t
leading the players. He stood straight
and beat straight, square cut time with
none of the flourish and round corners
to it that most leaders use. There were
many motions of his baton that were
the same that a driver would use on the
box of stage coach or tallyhO when
he wished to send the lash swapping
about the ears of his six in hand. Ros
enbecker never once coquetted with his
players. He was not carried away in
a dream ship on the crest of the wave
of music. He was standing on the time
in a pair of calf skin boots on a wooden
platform with a programme of nine
numbers to complete. 1t is all business
with Rosenbecker, He wore medals.
The opening number, 'Tannhauser |
overture was interesting inaSmuch as |
it displayed the abilities of the organi- |
zation. There was plenty of crash and |
sufficient volume to bring out the char |
acteristics of Wagner. The audience |
did not seem to be particularly entllus |
iastic over it but secured an encore. The |
second number was the Concerto, first |
movement, by Wieniawski, played by |
Jan Van Oordt, the solo violinist 1t |
was a difficult selection. 1t displayed |
the wonderful quality of tone that Mr.. !
VanOordt could produce from his Strad. |
The player looked sad and detected as !
he stood waiting for the orchestra to |
finish the introduction. His hair is long |
and matted down over his eyes and |
forehead 1t curls up in front like the |
lowering horns of water buffalo. But /
1,air haiT
The tones he produced We're smooth and |
pure and strong.
Perhaps the most enhancing num- /
Der was Roses from the South /
waltzes by Strauss 1t seems that one |
might say "of all the waltZes the great
Strauss wrote, give me the one heard |
last" When Edouard Strauss and his
Vienna players were at the Grand two
years ago they played Artists Life"
and THE Danube" waltzes. 1t seemed
at the time that nothing could be
quite as much out of their Strauss Sc
lection. Even the most unmusical
heard strains in the waltzes that have
been whistled. Feet We're sure to beat
the easy, swinging time of the move
ment. All Strauss WaltZes have sim
ilarity, and they are all good in these
days of syncopation and marches.
Nine. Ragna Lime sang ARIA from
of Nine Nordica there have been no
sopranos heard in the Auditorium who
possessed the confidence, force and
power of Mime. Lime, although her |
voice was not as mellow as some. She
also sang "Herodiate'' by Massenet.
Mr.. E. c. Towne, the tenor, did not
appear Arthur Kane announced that
the programme would be changed, and
that Franz Wagner Che pronounced it
-'Vaagner,') would give a cello solo in
his place.
The concert closed with "Huldfnungs
March by. Wagner. 1t proved con-
that even a symphony or
chestra can handle Wagner and make
plenty of noise. The Chicago Sym
phony is creditable organization, and
deserved larger audience.