New-York tribune., 1902-01-11
EW'YORk DAILY TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, JlASr1ARY H. 1902
MUSIC.
THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

There are two novelties on the programme Of
the concert Of the Philharmonic Society which will
De given in Carnegie Hall this evening, and which
were offered for first hearing to the audience at
the public rehearsal yesterday afternoon. II was
a large audience, and seemingly IL enjoyed a large
measure of qualification for though some question
may have arisen touching tho pleasure giving
paclty of one of the compositions. there was
plainly none about the rest about the perform
ance which all the music received.
Very familiar music Il the scheme was the C
minor symphony by Beethoven and the prelude
and finale from Wagners ''rarsifaT', less familiar
but yet known, Liszts extremely character
istic setting for contTato voice, solo violin and
orchestra of Lenau's 'Drei Zigeuner." in which
the vocal part was contributed by Nine. Schu-
mann-Heink and the violin obbigato by Richard
Arnold New we're setting for cOntIaltO and
orchestra of Tennysons poem, The Sisters" by
Richard Burmeister, and the symphonic suite en-
titled Elm Mahrchen'- GA Fairy Tale') by Josef
Suk, which described in this journal last Sun
day. 1t would be pleasure to speak words Of
praise of the composition of earnest and capable
artist Mr. Burmeister, but it is impossible
to avoid the conviction that his devotion to
Lisztian notions (they ought not to be dignihed
with the title ideals) has led him far astray in
his setting of Tennyson's old poem that
he is deserving, not only of dispraise, but
condemnation. If vocal music is to become in
strumentaI fantasies with vocal commentary.
something else ought TO be chosen for treatment
than old-fashioned ballads whose literary strucI-
ure is based upon form ana melody. melodious form
or formal melody. one chooses to put it. There
is nothing particularly admirable in Tennyson's
poem from literary point of view but he makes
potent suggestion to the composer in his reitera-
tton of the refrain, 20. the earl fair to see!
and a still more potent one to the musician of
modern mind in the crescendo in the refrain which
tells of the wind blowing in and tree, next
"howling," then roaring" raging" "raving, and
finally blowing again, when the deed of murder
is done and the debt of vengeance paid Mr. Bur
mester started out in picturesque fashion that
we fancied 1t was the storm music with its
growing and waning phases that his vocal mel
ody would float. but it not long before he
forgot the external theatre. dropped the refrains
which characteristic OF ballad poetry anu
which heighten their mood, and gave us instead
details OF the tragedy playing in the heart and the
room of the recitng murderess. down TO the toll
Of midnight by the castle clock, which does not
exist in the original poem. but was put into
the German version for purposes which the tamtam
made obvious.
1t is not easy to see how this manner of setting
poems which, in their original conception were de-
signed to be recited to unvarying melOdic for
mula (he reference is, of course, to the old 1olK
or minstrel ballad form which Tennyson imitateO
IS to be extenuated-least of all, praised Irans-
form them into instrumental music (as Brahms
did "EdwardO and the problem becomes easy
the solution delightful. But. despite the dramatic
eloquence of Mr.. Burmeister's orchestral compost
ton, a large debt remains due to the OLD poem III
his setting Nine Schumann-Heink declalmed IT'S
dislocated phrases with much intensity and much
torture OF the German language. but the music
did not add TO the music or the dramatic force OF
the poem, and therefore Disappointing from
the point of view exempIifed above. Liszt pursued
something of the same tendency in his setting or
Ienaus Die Drei Zigeuner." but he had plct-
uresque and suggestive conceits at hand, such as
the solo of the fddling Gypsy and the familiar
Hungarian cadence. and therefore his music whlch
Nine Schumann- Heink sang in finely dramatic
snrit made a much direct and ingenious
impression.
1t is to be assumed that The Tribune readers
have already guessed the character of the Incl
dental music which Josef Suk wrote for the
dramatic legend, 'Raduz and Mahulena, by the
Bohemian poet Zeyer. which was brought forward
in Prague nearly four years ago, and which Is the
basis of the suite which the composer has pub
Iished under the simple title "A Fairy Tale. II Is
modern in it's orchestral colorinS. modern in It's
harmonization strongly tinged with Czech color
Though the geographical boundaries Of its story
are puzzling) and nevertheless musical music.
Suk is a worthy disciple of his master, Dvorak
With all his tendency toward individual and ma
tonaI differentiation he still cngs to belief in
aesthetic beauty, and exempIifes II. The suite
shows growth in originality over the symphony
played by the Philharmonic Society last season;
it's third number. a funeral piece, is fine in con-
ception and execution and though the novelty can
not ask a permanent place in the Philharmonic
repertory because of its character 1t was good to
hear It once There was some crude. some impure
playing as usual yesterday, but the superb mus
cularity OF the band asserted itself again