New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-05
MUSIC.
The Nesc-York Symphony Orchestra.

At the second concert of the New-York Sym
phony Orchestra, which took place in Carnegie
Hall yesterday afternoon, Mr.. Walter Damrosch
gave interesting exposition Of two kinds OF
dramatic music. He performed Tschaikowsky's
symphonic poem. THE Tempest and the Incl
dental music composed by Schumann for Byron's
Manfred" In the former the Russian composer
(whose music. by the way. threatens to monopolize
undue share of the attention of orchestral
institutions this year, attempted delneation Of
scenes and moods from Shakespeare's play. Schu-
mann's music, employing solo singers and
chorus, well orchestra. written TO
accompany the dramatic poem itself, and it is
a noteworthy fact that, though the poem was never
designed by Byron for stage representation, Schu-
mann's music had the effect of putting it into the
repertory of a number of German theatres, though
1t lives chiefly in the arrangement for concert per-
Torrance. with reader TO speak the speeches which
have been set as melodramas. and connect the
scenes with brief descriptions ard excerpts from the
poem which independent of the music In
this form the work produced yesterday, with
Mr. David Bispham enacting the role of the rhap-
sode, a quartet of solo singers and choir from
the oratorio Society caring for the vocal parts
The work OF condensing the poem had also been
done by Mr.. Bispham, who followed, in the main,
the arrangement made for Edwin Booth when he
took part in performance of Schumanns music
given by the Philharmonic Society on May s. 1862
1t was then that the composition had its first
complete performance in America.
Yesterdays production was. in matter and spirit.
removed
nent which concert managers ordinarily purvey
for their Sunday patrons but Mr.. Damrosch had
his reward. The hall filled, but it held
a fine audience and the music listened to with
an intensity of interest peculiarly impressive to
the observer. Nor this to he wondered at.
Mr.. Bispham rose to real eIoquence in such scenes
the address to Astarte and Manfreds death,
and Schumanns music, with its poignant melos
and Understanding harmonies lifted the poetry
into the pure and upper ether of art Schumanns
nat dr ElN-rf.
poem and there is music of his retrospective,
eloquent in its voicng OF the selftOrture of
the soul which he felt with the unhappy poet,
this. The exposition t. be complete should
have had the entire poem a commentary, and if
possible, mimic representation of the Alpine
scenes depicted in the glowing verse; but it at
tanned much OF it's effectiveness for all who
able to recall the figure OF Count Manfred, the
strong man, torn by remOrse struggling with
himself binding supernatural powers to his will.
warming infinitely for forgiveness and release tort
ured by a pitilcss conscience. living in a solitude
which was solitude no more but ''peoped with the
furies." We know of incidental music COM
posed for the spoken drama comparable with this
except Beethoven'3 to Goethe's "Egmont" and
MendeIssohu's TO Shakespeare's Midsummer
Nights Dream; and it surpasses both Of these
creations in emotional depth.
After Schumanns music was over there re-
manned little in the memory of Tschaikowskys
Tempest" Notwithstanding that 1t made an agree
able impression on the heaUjng-an agreeable i'm
preston not a profound one The plan Of the
composition suggested by the composers
friend Vladimir Stassow. one of the young Russian
school Of composers that was long antagonisttc IN
its attitude toward TschaikOwsky. Stassow's pro-
gramme was ingeniously Contrived for a SYM
phonic poem 1t presented first a picture of the
sea- now wide stretched and placid, then tumblinS
and roaring tumUltuoUsly in the storm in
voked by Prospero, which casts the youth Fer
nando upon the enchanted island. There are
pictures OF Fernando and Miranda their meeting
and love-rnakng. of Ariel and Caliban, Of Pros
pero first invoking the storm, then laytnS
aside his magic power bestowing his blessing on
the lovers, and setting out calm seas, with
auspicious winds and expeditions sails. The music
is rather superficial. and, in view of much that
Tschatkowsl1y' composed afterward Cesar Cuis
criticism on it's first performance, that the storm
was so noisy that it accomplished no more than
to make one wonder at the means employed TO
create the din, seems almost amusing. There are
fine delneative effects in the score, and dgnlhed
beauty in Prospero's conjuration Of the elements
II was a gratifed audience that left the concert
room after two hours of uplifting music.