New-York tribune., 1902-12-12
MUSIC.
THE BOSTON ORCHESTRA,

~.
After last nights demonstration it would be idle
even to attempt 20 gansay the hold which the
t1oston symphony Orchestra has won upor the
Ne"-fork public 1t is indeed. an extraordinary
sentiment Of admiration and affection which can
rise superior to the most discouragiuG conditions
as did last nights audience in Carnegie Hail The
weather. which had been disagreeable all day was
most unkind just the hour when the tourney to
uhe music room had to be undertaken The means
OF conveyance were uncomfortable and uncertain
yer twenty minutes after the concert began the
hall contained an audience which rnust have rlaa-
dehed the heart of Mr. Gericke as we'll as the
management 10 the latter it spoke of present
prosperity and greater favors vet to come; to the
former II proclaimed appreciation of the offer
lhss OF himself and his men more gratifying than
contemplation of monetary gains
'ie programme had two features of special in
eiest whlch must receive attention, although there
Is no need Of such things at the concerts of the
0oSton organization There would be nothing
hackneyed in its schemes even if they We're made
up OF musical tales not twice told but one hun
uieu un1es reltera ted. Something approached this
last night when Mr. Franz Knesel played Bach's
concerto in A minor He had not played this
music here before but for ninety-nine concerts
given by the orchestra in New-York before that
OF last night he had the head Of the violins
ana al the lrst concert in Steinway Hall the young
Vlolinist had provided the solo feature How youth
ful he looked then but how finished how gentle
now rehned was his performance of the Mendes-
sohn concerto! Has sojourn in America dulled his
artistic sensfhilities, lowered his taste deadened
his conscience? Not whit. 1t a loftily ars-
tocratic sentiment which inspired his playing; a
rare devotion 10 purity of thought and purity of
expression; and the hearers accepting the gift as
tribute TO their taste and UNDERSTANDING gave in
return generous measure of appreciation and
hearty token of gratitude. The incident char
acterisc and significant from both points of view;
and heart warming. The relationship which exists
between the Boston Orchestra and it's New-York
audience is unique in the musical life of the
tropolis and lovely as 1t is unique.
1t is scarcely necessary go into the details of
Mr. kneisels playing OF the Bach work Above all
technical sway there hovered that serenity and
reposefuness that chastity, that clarity of utter
ance that freedom from ali slack and vulgar
amalsam which have made his rare appearances as
a solo performer the same periods of artistic re-
freshment as his frequent appearances at the head
of his quartet The second feature of special inter
est the production of composition hitherto
new to local concert rooms 1t was an overture to
an opera entitled 'Zarskaja Newesta' ('The Cars
Financee'O by Rimsky- -Korsakow We are told that
the opera. which had its first performance in Mos
in 1S99 markedly successful: also that in
the opinion of Russian critics the overture does
correspond with the dramatic nature of the operas
story. 1t is easy to believe this The work is de-
cidedly light waisted in idea and commonplace in
workmanship. Only its voice-not its thoughts
mastery, to have been expected from the
thrice genial composer. The Russian speaks out of
il, but it is the Russian of st. Petersburg and
Moscow with his shell of sleek veneer-not the
Russian OF the faraway communal villages and the
dreary wastes whose rude idom has made Russian
music what it is to-day. After hearing IL the
audience ready to appreciate that the "Eroica'
symphony in Mr.. Gericls.s reverent lucid beautiful
and convincing reading sounded less conventional
and hackneyed than the Muscovite novelty. Before
the symphony came Ifszts ''Tasso"-sound scintil-
liant sound signifying nothiDg-had Meyerbeer writ
ten il, as well he might.