New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-05
play at the pension fund concert of the Gewand
haus orchestra.


play at the pension fund concert of the Gewand-
haus orchestra.
The honorarium paid TO DR.. Strauss at each
concert In which he took part included a fee for
the services Of Nine StraussDe Alma. his Wife
She to sing group of his songs and moth
ing else. Now, Dr. Strauss belongs to a society
OF German composers and publishers who have
associated themselves together for the purpose
OF exacting a performance fee, or royalty, for
every piece OF music written by the members
and used by the concert givers Heretofore per-
forming rights went with the purchase of scores
and parts. These fees can be collected only
works published since the society was founded,
about two years ago. At his American concerts
DR.. Strauss made up his wife's programmes
largely of his latest songs. and demanded the
royalty in every instance. For the honor of
producing the symphonic Domestica" at the
last of the festival concerts his hackers paid for
the score and parts for at least ten rehenrsals,
a fee for the right Of performance and fee 10
the conductor.
An admirer has called Richard Strauss
"Anarch of Art" Let him have the honor of
such a title. In more ways than one he de-
serves II. A laborer is worthy OF his hire In
the amusement world an artist is worthy Of as
large a share Of the money which he attracts to
the Golfers of his manager he honestly
get If commercalsm tainted the artistic at
mosphere Of New-Tork during the sojourn here
OF Richard Strauss, whence did II come? Who
brought II hither? AS for the love of sensation
alism attributed TO the metropolitan public.
there were but two sensational musical shows
IN New-York last season--the one was Par
sifal," the other Richard Strauss. The one was
taken. the other was left. We feel that DR.
Strauss's conceptions of the ethics of art are
scarcely more admirable than his principles of
artistic creation.
An Hungarian prodigy has stirred up London
and is preparing to come 10 America on tour
OF conquest next season. Franz Won Vecsey Is
the lads name. and he IS now eleven years old.
There seems 10 be no question as TO his ex-
traOrdinary genius. Joseph Joachim Is quoted
as saying of him: Il seventy-two years old.
but never in my life did ever hear the like or
believe it possible The father OF the prodigy Is
a we-to-do citizen of Budapest. and clever
amateur volinist his mother is also musical
and plays the pianoforte admirably Franz dis
closed his gifts when he four years old.
and his father promptly took him in hand. but
at eight years turned him over 20 Hubay for
development. He has now been Hubay's pupil
for three years Among the pieces played at
the four concerts given in London thus far
have been NieuXtempss first concerto, Bachs
G. minor sonata. Paganini's concerto in D. Tar
tnls ''Trilo del Diavolo." Vieuxtemps's ballad
and polonaise. and Mendessohn's concerto. In
It's notice Of the third concert. on May Il. THE
Daily Telegraph" said:
Vieuxtemps's first concerto opened the pro-
gramme yesterday. that the boys technical OPP
portunities began at the very outset They were
grasped OF course. with marvellous ease and the
close OF exacting work found the player fresh
and unexhausted. one regretted that the music in
itself apart from its value as means OF display.
had not greater worth. St Fieuxtemps knew
listener. An adago and a fugue by Bach
panied, and so calculated to expose the weaknesses
OF a less remarkable performer And yet the
and intelligent playing. OF faulty intona tion-so
concerned-one noted scarcely a trace. In a word
little Vecsey carried away his audience. and short
suffered to depart. A characteristics example Of
supposed to bring the programme to close but
when this had been played with consummate brill
on the performers Part-there was the usual
scene after the 'PaderewsRi" pattern and ga hered
round the platform for further evidence of the
were first given, with results no less Astounding
dnan those OF the earlier par OF the programme
enthusiasm was made. DIR. Joachim who was
keenly stirred by the afternoons doings But his
own youthful triumphs can hardly have .equaIied
those OF the boy who is now the marvel of our
musical world.
INere Is q gratifying appreciation or the music
which the late DR.. Dvorak composed under
American Influences il a review Of his compost
tions which appeared in the "Neue Freie
Presse" of Vienna, recently over the signature
of DR.. Julius Korngold. Says the writer:
Dvorak had already composed five symphonies
the last entitled From the New World
whence lie 1t. when he suddenly turned his
attention to the symphonic poem. He entered upon
the path OF Smetana and as Smetana's national
picture book My Fatherland' occupies itself geo
graphically and ethnolOgically with the country
and people OF his home, Dvorak turned to the
said. however. The MONDAY Witch" The Water
man and THE Golden Spinning Wheel provide
attractive music to repellant subjects. But
these pieces b. far not the best OF his crea-
a short time before he had produced blooming
creations in a department which was programme
less, namely. the last symphony in f. minor. the
quartets in + and A fiat and the string quintet in
of the composer had assnilated foreign Influences:
they had been neO-Teutonic in his symphonic
poems, here they American. But what n
measure OF creativeness in Dvoraks treat ment of
the bizarre and stubborn material! The most
wooden negro melody turns TO gold! Dvoraks
American music is become doubly actual in our
glorious cakewalk period
The good natured fling at the exotic dance
which has recently delighted the novelty seek
Ing peoples Of the European capitals does not
lessen the satisfaction which may be felt over
the fact that Dr.. Korngold at least recognizes
That there are American elements in the SYM
phony, quartet and quintet which DR.. Dvorak
composed while living in America. In this he
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