The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-31
MUSIC OF THE SUMMER TINE
NOTHING SERIOUS rs ACCFPTED
. IN TIE WARM WEATHER.

- thetlo Relaxau0n-bSahms snu nsca
Pit In Cold Storage - The Brass
rand and the Popular Melody.
Sunrneri The season Of relaxation. men,
tai. physical and (alasD too often moral.
VIII the summer girl bear the analysis
Of the stern Cato OF public nlanners2 But
that Ia another story. With the summer
sirl. except In 'TannhSuser' or -Mignon.
the musical department has naught to do.
No, even the intellectual scalpel Of Nordau
shall lay bear the secrets of that part Of
her organism which corresponds to the
heart Nordau may penetrate the gizzard
Of Wagner, but he shall not move the
musical department to consideration OF
the summer girl. But summer! The sea-
son Of rela 1ation, az Aforesaid that Ia an
oil inclusive matter.
what, shall there he no more cakes
and aleu- Or shall all summer play he
spioed with ginger hot i the mouth? Hardly
that; for is 1t not known OF men. aye, and OF
women, too. that summer is the silly season.
Else why should we cal! it period OF re-
laxation9 But come; let us cease TO wonder
and TO question. Let us assert ourselves,
for the interrogation points are running
low In the font.
Even In the spring and play time OF the year.
That calls the unwonted Nager abroad
With all her littic ones, a sport!ve train.
To gather kingcups In the yellow mead.
And prink their hair with daisies. or TO pick
4 cheap, but wholesome. salad from the brook. -
Even in that celestial period when woman
bursts into new glory in her blossoms and
films, and man, quarrelsome man, may
fall out with a tailor for wearing his new
doublet before Easter the Stiffness Of sum-
mer casts Its shadow before. Farces OF
whipped cream and powdered sugar come
10 take the place OF comedies OF contempt
raneous human interest" in the playhouses.
young persons OF immature Judgment
and small experience assail the shrine
Of Shakespeare imagination in Romeo
and Juliet vioiinists who have met with
much approval IN Oklahoma suddenly
appear in Mendelssohn Hall. and young
women with voices ike the chirping OF the
untimely buebird offer song recitals.
But summer, real summer, Is come when
the summer nights dream Of orchestral
concerts breaks upon the vision Of the
town. For weeks past tho waste places
Of this vast desert called New York have
been fruitful In flaming proclamations Of
the concerts OF the only Mr., Duss, These
concerts begin tonight somewhere In tho
Madison Square Garden. What shall there
be seen and heard will be recounted ap-
propriately when tomorrow makes history
Of to-day. II Duss succeeds In giving
summer night concert which is either
fish or fieeh he will be awarded his full
beaker Of sparkling praise.
The reader will not have to possess powers
OF diyination to discover A note Of doubt
in what has been said. That note sounds
because this writer. like Daniel Webster,
knows no way Of Judging the future except
by the past The records Of days now gone
do not encourage beautiful hopes OF high
art In summer concerts. In fact. there is
sone reason why summer music in these
degenerate days does not seem to appeal
foredbly to the gadding populace. When
that statement is made the man with q
reminiscent mind always says Il don't
80 Why. The Thomas concerts in Central
Park Garden were ono Of the institutions
Of the town"
Well, they we're while they lasted but
they came to an end. The public lost
interest In them, Just a. it afterward did in
Theodore Thomas himself. II let him 60
TO Chicago and the concerts to 'oblivious
Lethe." The good Anton Seidl tried sum-
NOR concerts at Brighton Beach. where
he had the support Of railway company
and a glorious company OF good women;
hut the ant meanders peacefully wherc exc
the vermic1ilar music OF Liszt unfolded
its undulating coils. and the hollow re-
verberations Of oceans breakers sound
where once tho plaintive groans Of Wag-
merriam tubas brought tears to the eyes of
septle maidens reared in the vrtuous
seclusion Of Brooklyn.
Long haired. pale-faced. patient Henry
Schmidt conducted summer concerts OH
the roof Of the Madison Square Garden.
and faithful few gathered to listen But
the few dwindled away till at last the chief
listeners were those who lolled from their
windows across the street and gave no
revenues to the shrinking cause. Franz
Haltenborn gave summer concerts in the
ST. Nicholas Garden. and the eye was glad
dened with a vision OF great crowds. drink
Ing In beer and music and passing the
peaceful hours in moist content But
those who acquired information not given
10 the world at large learned that a sub
stAntia! subscription, or guarantee fund.
mao 8tQSQ IN carrying tHO* concerts
through their term Of existence. and that
at It's end no profit could he found. Mr.
Kaltenborn gave summer concerts again
last year at the Circle Music Hall, but he
has made no announcement for the SUM-
NOR now at hand.
SO these projects have come and gone.
and, parting left not wrack behind.
Most Of them have left pain and sorrow,
for their paths have not been paths OF
pleasantness, and disappointment has fol-
lowed them all their days. Is there fixed
and irnpalpable limit within which divine
music must oonfne herself? Is there great
invisible gulf between winter and summer
which she may not Cross? Surely it seems
IS II there were The records Of the dyn &
sears, at any rate. show in no uncertain
manner that this town will not take music
seriously in the summer.
About the middle OF April a curious fall
ing of In the character of the musical en-
tertainment OF the town may be noticed.
The final orchestral concerts are given
and the chamber music organizations make
their farewell bows. Bach is carefully
wrapped up in cotton batting and laid away
among the mothballs and camphor till the
cold weather comes again. Schubert and
Schumann are sent away into the seclu-
sion of q cold storage est Adjustment. and