New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-12
MUSIC.
The Philharmonic Society.

Inere was so much that was Inspiriting In the
hrst public rehearsal OF the Philharmonic Society
Yesterday AFTERNOON that most'enthusastic meet
ing may be counted at the concert this evening
at Carnegie Hall. The conductor was Gustav =
kosei' or Frankfort-on-the- MAN, who offciated at
tho second and third concerts last season. II
seems 70 nave been due to the conservative char
aeter OF his programmes that hs was unable 10
create the popular excitement then which his
French and Russian coadfutors stirred t: but that
Iact dld not stand In the way OF appreciation OF
his sterling qualities as Interpreter and leader
sensatonalism IT, or ought to be. foreign TO the
spirit OF the Philharmonic concerts. Better such
sound satisfaction and delight Herr KogeI gave
yesterday. when he warmed the hearts OF all OF
his hearers with concerto crosse IN by Handel.
BY clothing the old skeleton with warm.
rudy, lovely flesh Yet he had his noisy
triumph. too. after the finale Of Tschaikowsky's
symphony in minor, which he has worked out in
a wilder more passionate and more picturesque
mood than any of his predecessors heard in New
York
Into this deIirious whirl of variations on one Of
the briefest and strangest folktune phrases (onIy
those can call It a folktuue who have made init
mate acquaintance with the music which the Rus
sian people make to give outlet to their crassy
contradictory feelings Of deep melancholy and mad
gayety) ever but TO symphonic Herr Kogel in
ieeted the wild recilessness of utterance native to
the Oriental gypsy. He turned the colossal band
loose in riot OF tone which produced most effec-
lively the bosterous merrir1ent Of popular gath
erlnS IN the Gar dOrnaius-that species of
ment which is not inspired by Joy OF living but
consciousness OF impending death Tschaikowsky
was repudiated by the young radicals Of the Rus
sian school net national enough in his ul11-
steal idtor- Yet OF those who affected to de-
spise him for his supposed TeutoaIsm or cosrno-
poitanism has brought greater honor to the folk
song Of Russia than ne by his treatment OF Il In
forms large and dignifed His love for the natural
music OF his people unbounded Writing 10
his patroness. Nine. Meek Just after the
OP
which is imbued from beginning to end with the
spirit or Russian peasant life which initiates a
RUSSIAN folk song in its second movement and
frankly uses Russian folk tune in its last he
confessed that he frequently began a composition
with the avowed purpose Of developing a folk tune
Ofteu' however land the finale OF this symphony
was cited as an instance the tune presented itself
without volition his part. His own melodies and
harmonies which bore likeness TO those created
by the people he explained on the ground that he
had been reared in the country and became per
meated In earliest childhood with the indescrfbabl e
beauty OF the characteristic features OF Russian
popular music, and passonately loved the Russian
element in all its manifestations The most obvious
difference between Tschaikowskys treatment Of ma
tional themes and his irtoerant contemporaries apd
successors grew out Of his more perfect sense OF
beauty.
The scherzo with its obstinate pizzicato has had
a more lucid performance IN New-York than it re-
ceived yesterday, but perhaps never a more char
acteristic one. Tschaixowsky's own conception OF
the movement when he wrote IL was that it ought
to be played as fast possible. He so wrote to
Nicholas Rubinstein who conducted it at its first
performance in Moscow; but he changed his mind
later and wanted the tempo more moderate. Herr
Kogel seems to think that the composers first
opinion was correct. He sacrificed charms 10 sp=ed
yesterday (many bodies like the Philharmonic Or
chestra must move more slowly than a symphony
orchestra Of ordinary proporton), but the result
certainly met the description Of the composer:
"Capricious arabesques intangible figures which
fit through the fancy If one had drunk wine
and become slightly Intoxicated . the discon-
nected images which fit through the brain as one
sinks into slumber"-which have nothing TO do
with reality" but '1ncomprehensible. bizarre.
fragmentary." All IN all. Herr Kogels reading was
mastery and the performance nightly stirring.
In Josef Hofmann's performance OF Beethoven's
panoforte concerto IN G. which began the second
part OF the programme. there singular lack
of distinction Perfunctoriness marked its every
phrase The performers attitude toward the lovely
work seemed to be OF complete indifference.
It a distinct disappointment where much had
been expected. Compensation came with the Con-
certo Crosse IN D, by Handel, performed in the
version made by Herr Kogel for modern concert
use This use contempIates large forces and large
concert rooms. and Herr Kogel has increased the
sorority of the work without marrIng its outlines.
besides adding material drawn from the harpsi-
chord part, which has been abrogated long ago.
The solo players were Richard Arnold. Gustav
Dannreuther and Leo Schulz Here. in the weight
OF the string tone, manifested the one feature
OF the Philharmonic Orchestra in which IL IS
unique. There is resisting the effect of such
body Of strings. with it's foundation OF fourteen
double BASES The besetting sin of the Orchestras
wind Instruments disclosed itself in Dvo-ak's
close; but the spirit OF ;he performance was thrill