New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-17
MUSIC.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra

- was not until Mr.. Gericke got back TO some
'ling IKE his own first principles in the programmes
~ 'ne third afternoon concert OF the Boston Sym
phohy orchestra in Carnegie Hall yesterday that
the music became as completely entoys..,s as tha
concerts or the Boston organization usually are
ne return was made in the second part, when
niehaeissohn's Scotch" symphony was played
teore 1T the audience listened to the overture 10
oaht-Saenss lyric tragedy, Les Barbares'-:
nrahnlss violin concerto played by Miss Maud
dacCarthy, and three Moorish dances from Pro-
lessor j. X Paine's opera "Azara-' The overture
made no deep impression; IN fact 1t scarcely rip
pieo the surface OF popular interest The story OF
ehe opera for which IT was designed as an intro
auction Is gioomtly tragic: it deals with murderous
passions, aroused by the clash between halr-sayage
Ieutonism and Roman civilization. Mr. Philip
HaIe' the fascinating annotator OF the Boston
Oichestras programme gives us to understand that
the overture originally a sort of melodrauatIc
prologue In which rhapsode of the old order tells
now three thousand Germans rushing through
Gaul, drove before them into the woods the folk
OF the country and Roman legions powerless to
resist only Floria, the beautiful vestal knew how
10 stop them at Orleans; but vesta found a way
VI aVenglng IN the blood Of the conqueror the
rage offered to the gods. Floria is a vestaI virgin
VINO gives herself sacrifice the leader OF the
barbarian invaders: but LIVE, the wife of one of
the Roman consuls killed in the battle by the leader
Marcomir. pluuges her husbands sword through
his breast Strains sinister and threatening songs
nercely exultant. savage lust and high patriotism
might have Deen raised 10 color such a tdle but
Salnt-Saens did not give them voice. There was
some muttering in the orchestral depths the
clangor of muted trumpets cut through the or
chestral fabric at times, but the stern and bloody
spirit OF the story not bodied forth IN the
music nor moro than limited at master hand
marshalled the themes. trained skill wrapped them
In interesting harmonic and orchestral ntegument.
but fmpressiyeness and beatty OF thought and
presentation were missing.
MISS MacCarthy played the Mendelssohn con-
certo and the slow movement OF the Saint-Sagns
concerto In b minor at Philharmonic Concert
last season. and the entire concerto of Saint
saens. besides Beethoven sonata. at recital in
Mendelssohn Hall year ago. She invited gentle
interest by her unmistakable gifts then. though
failing to convince her critical listeners that she
had reached the full artistic stature expected of
a participant in such concerts as those OF the
Philharmonic and Boston bands Yesterday she
submitted herself to still test. Brahms's
concerto Is not pabulum for artistic adolescence.
but strong meat for strong men. Many Of its
technical difficulties were bravely attacked and
put to rout by Miss MacCarthy and there were
moments of neat charm in her performance of the
slow movement; but the sereney exalted proclama-
ton which permeates the work as a whole was
left unuttered. But she received extremely kind
reception from the audience.
Professor Paine's friends made strong appeal
TO Mr.. Conried last fall to have the opera "Azara"
for which he wrote both words and music. in
c1uded in the repertory OF the Metropolitan Opera
House this season. The effort failed for reasons
with which the artistic merit OF the work probably
had nothing 10 do. The ballet music played yes
terday did enable the audience Judge whether
much or little had been lost by the omission OF
the opera from th> current list. Mr.. Paines muse
is not one OF merry mood; she is Of sterner stuff
and her natural footgear is the cothurnus which
is ill adapted to tripping measures. There
suggestions OF the languid Oriental color
cessfuly applied by Rubnstein in his ''Feramors''
ballet in Mr.. Paine's dances. but the learned
poser seemed afraid TO follow a simple, melodious
way and no sooner announced pretty than
he began to enmesh It in intricate treatment Yet
the dances frightened the scheme of the concert.