New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-06
MUSIC.
.c...,,,b,7uia Domestica" BIZ Richard
<fr0lSS
Strauss.

"Wednesday has been set down in the mu-
fe'-,.-s.r for the first pushc production Of DR..
- "a strauss latest composition. a work TO
Rcn" = h,s given the title. symphonic domes-
sfioh :, ,,lu be the second time that work OF
% ,,ose-'s win be launched upon it's
o. s-.,r-york concert room. The first was nearly
- -,.aes ago when Mr. Theodore Thomas
~ -, forward his symphony IN y minor at
80. - she philharmonic Society. before which
y =. s,ond IN che capacity OF conductor after
= .-..er, festival devoted exclusively to the ex-
~ ~ his works II over. 1t would have been
80, tribute 20 the society had his latest SYM
80 ,-ork been reserved for its concert but
-. .,e circumstances that was scarcely TO be
- by. Strauss is making 4 concert tour OF
.,nf-v and other than artistic considerations
y. =. consulted. His name is writ 50 large
p u.r,s ~ oontemporaneous musical history
~. ,bs production Of his latest work is Incl
-. - erst class importance Through his cour-
= s-s that % his managers il is possible 81 this
= - nrepare the public for the hrst hearing
-.-sly and properly. critical appreciation must
.,sfpon~d an after the performance. The most
- c,n be done is 20 crafty. rleasurably. n pro-
- md fustihsble curiosity touching the nature
, -. work the apparatus which IL enlists the
-,..e material which enters into SITS structure
= 80 tschnical method pursued IN Its compost
- To the inquiry which VIII spring into every
~ .,Dcerning the poetic basis upon which it rests
u. ,--,aents which prompted the matter and man
~ . A., erpressior-fOr the world knows that Dr.
go Il a 'programmatic symphOnist''-no de-
- ,-suer can be vouchsafed for, as IN the case
. .,s vast and fascinating humorescues, TIL
--,,-.oersrs lustige Streiche" and Don oui-
- N. composer has provided no verbal COM
-,.-v sor his music preferring. Tor the present.
80 10 let the bearers OF his music seek out its
.,rfs-ances An that he has done is to provide
,-sshensive mint IN the sd5ecJival portion OF his
49, and IN 8 few brief utterances TO his friends
n, symphony Is "dOmestica-" ana 10 a journal
,rie inouirer in London a little more than year
go No said: My next tone-poen VIII illustrate
Az N mA family life IL viii be partly lyrical
.,-,v hurnorous-a trife fugue. the three subjects
,,ussenting papa. mamma and the baby This
-, win nave TO suffice for the present, or
.-s1 his Official commentators and eNpOunders. II
= hss such, viii lay open 10 US the operations of
A. brain while the music was taking form and
sewing EXPRESSION. We could have wished that
az this much had not been said printed, and
a music been permitted 10 make its virgin appeal
= music Thus a better test would have been
,soded OF the charm Of the work upon the unso-
,,ssicated minds emotions and imaginatiOns OF
~ frst hearers
-ss symphonic domestica" was composed last
mar The score (which win soon be issued from
a, uress Of Bote a. Book. Of Berlin, II IL has not
,-ssdy been issued bears at its end the date line,
-rnsrorenburg December 81. 1903" II is dedi-
ss,se e the composers wife and child; ITO my
s.,- vif. and our youngster" runs the dedicatory
,rs.iuaon II is formidable ''nartitive" in its
array Of contrapuntal device and Instruments.
among the latter there no extra-musical agents
a noise Hke the wind machine in Don QuiNote"
Or Tho Watchman's rattle in Till Eulenspiegel."
mn an interesting extension 81 the conventional
ns There is a touch OF archaism In the resurrec-
fo Of the oboe darlore: the effectiveness in its old
ennloyuent has been amply attested by its use in
recent wears in some Of Bach's music. ne also en-
Isis al group Of saxophones. instruments whose use
has hitherto been confined chiehy-thOugh. We be-
eve not sxclusively-tC music written for military
bands Constituted as Dr. Strauss would like TO
haVs r. the orchestra playing the symphonic do
msstca' would contain lo5 men, the distribution OF
instramfnts and players being follows; one
Dicclo huts three large flutes. two obOes one
oboe damofe. one English horn. one clarinet in
y. one clarinet in A. clarinets in B fat. one
bass clarinet four hassoons. one contra bsssoon.
four sax0ph0nes. eight horns four trumpets. three
rombonos. one bass tuba, four kettledrums. tri-
angie tambourine. glockenspiel. cymbals and big
eEuuz ego players for the last four instruments).
sixteen frst viOins sixteen second violins twelve
yiolas Vfol0ncellos eight double basses and
haTs
There no pauses in the symphony, and though
aGt sn sections which in character. tempo. and.
AVA. structure suggest the movement in the
az form The finale is plainly indicated; also the
hnruction and first allegro. A scherzo IS sug-
rsncd and also a slow movement. The melodic
nnisial Is common 10 al the sections and is
hue N IT'S elementary form in the following
fre themes: