New-York tribune., 1902-12-09
MUSIC4L COMMENT
"44ida m The Opera-OM md
hIesc Orchestral Works-HfrY-
Weingdrfner s .SymphOny.

We'ngurtner s Symphony.
Nerdi's Aida" had repetition night at the
Metropolitan Opera House. Perhaps it would he
hetter since the talk is of the present season 20
say that 1t had its first performance. the effort
eive II on the night of Thanksgiving Day having
resulted in fractional and disjointed affair." which
would best be wiped off the record could it only
nc forgotten Last night the cast originally pro-
posed was intact-4irnes. Earnes and Homer.
spectively. Aida and Amneris; Sgnori Di AIarchi
and Scott. as Rhadames and Amcnasro; Mr.. Ed
Guard de Reszke Ramfs and VI. Journet the
King The circumstance that all these people
knew their parts. could sing the music and GO
through semblance Of acting serves
he purpose Of operate artists. operated beneficial
II UPON the representation. and there much
more spirit in all the departments OF the repre-
s4ntation than ten days ago. Nine. Homer sang
somewhat carefully but the sincerity of her effort
and the moving quality of her voice produced an
excellent effect AS for the rest it convention
Al as il remain until the opera is put through
the 'ITagneran sieve Cas an heroic German tenor
7.sed 10 describe the operations which he sub
iected dramatic operas not of Wagnerian vintage)
and satisfactory to the public, it will remain
until the public learns 20 make other and greater
demands than il does at present.
None Of the tasks with which the conductors
of concert orchestras confronted seem so be
set with difficulties that Of finding new works
with which TO enlarge and enliven their reper-
tories This is not because of any want OF will
ineuess on the part OF the conductors. industry
on the part of composers enterprise on the
-,srt of publishers. The difficulty seems to be in
the character Of the music written The new
works do not wash we'll, do not endure Mr. Theo-
dore Thomas has extended welcome in the most
generous and catholic manner to new music
throughout his long In the days OF rivalry
between his Symphony Orchestra and Dr. DAM
rosch's Symphony Society New-York used 10 hear
more music in a season than any three OF
the European capitals Chicago has succeeded to
that privilege now. But it is questionable if Mr..
Thomas has made one-quarter as many perma-
nsnt additions 10 his repertory during the last
decade he did in the half decade from 1875 to
1881. Yet there many men writing music
now as there then. They pushing young
particles. too, whereas the contributors TO the
orchestral lists twenty years ago men of
maturity ard sobriety-Inen like Wagner. Brahms,
TsehaikoHsky. Saint-Saens, Dvorak, Raft, Rubin
stein, Goldmark and Volkmann. Will the men
q; to-day loom up in the perspective in twenty
years from these do? One need not
be either hidebcund conservative habitual
Croaker 10 doubt such contamination
At the two concerts of the Philharmonic Society
Mr. Walter Damrosch has given two novelties
2 symphonic prelude by Rofredo Caetani, who is an
utter stranger all the concert lists in the world
except one or two, and symphony by Felix Wein-
gartner. Ia Boston Mr.. Cericke. in six concerts
has produced symphony by Hans Huber, who is
almost a veteran. overture by Rimsky- -Korsa-
kow C"The BetrotheG of the Tsar,' which are
hear this week., and Joseph Sul's 'Ein Mahr-
cheH.' which was one of the Philharmonic So
ciety's novelties last season In Chicago Mr..
Thonas's list OF novelties equals his concerts. In
eight concerts he has brought forward eight new
orchestral works Here is the list: Overture,
Der Improvisator,'' by D'Albert; excerpts from
siDoonroschen." by Humperdinck: overture to Les
Barbares," saint-saans: posthumous rondino for
wind instruments, by Beethoven (givea here by
Nh. Sam Franko at one of his archaic concerts);
suite "-K0nig Kristian H." by Sibelius symphonic
poem, ''korshom." by Jarnefelt; 'Pomp and Cir
cumstance.'' military marches. by Edward Elgar;
overture, THE Rutterfys Ball. by Cowen The
last two compositions in a popular concert
it will be interesting to note how long 1T VIII be
before any Of these compositions appear upon
programme in New-York, Boston Cincinnati
again. Perhaps there is music here which ought
10 be heard not only again. but soon and often.
Good music is not always appreciated first
hearing The symphonies and orertures which are
most admired those which heard oftenest.
But they also those which the most beauti-
ful in thought and workmanship. Here. We fancy,
is where the difficulty lies with the music Of
to-day. This is period Of vlrtuosfty in all things
artistic; and such period is not creative in the
best sense Few Of the compositions, even Of the
men Of approved standing in the roster Of living
composers endure the test of transcription for
the pianoforte- They need the glow and glitter Of
The instrumental hahirnent enable them hold
the attention There much that adrra-
bic in the WeiRgaftner symphony in E fat, which
played by the Philharmonic Society last Fri
day and Saturday. There was splendid mastery Of
the learned elenents-of form and poyphony, OF
harmony and rhythn-but the melodies not
striking In contour nor pregnant with meaning,
compelling in beauty. Herr Weingartner is q
Sef-reliant, forward man. A modern, he yet re-
speets the giants Of earlier century, and is not
ashamed try follow in their footsteps: but
it only the spendor Of his instrumental voice.
not the eloquence Of the themes, which made por-
tions Of his symphony Interesting and inn
rressve With the compoEers of to-day, It is man.
ner, rather than matter. And manner without
matter is unstable.
lshei its handbook No. L. and by so doing brought
a cessation but perhaps a temporary respite
10 iaburs which have occupied Mrs. John Crosby
Brown for the better part Of decade. The book
s the catalogue of the Crosby Brown collection Of
musical instruments of all nations concerning
some Of whose features The Tribune has had con-
siderable to gay Ia the past. AS Mrs Brown made
the collection of instruments. which is Of the
treasures OF the Museum. also did she perform
the ssib ef the work the handbook. which is
not a descriptive list merely, but compact and
systematic treatise On the development OF the
musical instruments OF civilized people She has,
however. avaIied herself Of the help of gentle
eninence in the field OF musical investiga-
zion illustrated by the collection These gentlemen
ere A. j. Hipgins who contributes a special in /
trodaeton on keyboard instruments. and the Rev. |
F. ". Galpin, Of Hatfield Vicarage, England. who
not only assisted AIRS. Brown in identifying and
classifying the European specimens, but wrote
prefaces TO the various chapters in the book de-
voted these Instruments Mrs. Browns con- !
tribution 10 the Introductory matter, besides ex-
planning the methods followed in arranging and
Classifying The specimens, gives interesting ac
Of the origin and growth Of the collection.
From this account It appears that It had its be