New-York tribune., 1905-02-26
MUSICAL COMMENT.
Concerts, Opera and Operetta.

tVHtCft tos OPCfu ara opCICtCu'
In the eyes OF the managers OF the Russian Sym
phony Society evidently the most interesting feat
of the fourth concert which took place in car
negie Hall last night, was symphony by hal-
linkof, a young composer who died at the age or
twenty-five. four years ago leaving compositions
which considerable in bulk whatever they
may may not be in value. TheA symphony IN G
minor. which had its first American hearing. under
the direction of Mr.. Modest Altschuer, is the hrst
OF two works in this form. 1t would be presumptu-
to attempt to adduce anything touching the
degree of the composers talent from it, though II
indicated plainly enoul that kallinikon was not
an offspring of the Young Russian School Neither
Liszt Berloz Rimsky-korsakow' nor
Tschaikowsky hi2 model He seems TO have
tried to bark back to the classic composers VINO
wrought out melodic ideas with respect for oruer'
symmetry and lucdity, believing that he was DONG
his duty his people If he reflected the CHEEKY ele-
ments in their nature rather than the tragic groom
which hangs them and the boisterous gayety
TO which they resort in their search for iorseiui
ness. Unfortunately. his themes. while marked by
individuality, scarcely symphonic in character
and his handling of them is anything but nasterlS.
II he sought to avoid that extravagant vivdness OF
coloring with which some OF the best OF his con-
freres have sought to conceal their lack OF meIodlc
invention and logic. he succeeded-he succeeded
indeed. WE'LL but his restraint seemed to
spring from incapacity in handling his material
His orchestraton sounded like the work of a nov
ice In this he suffered much from the arch radical
Musorgski, with whom he was associated in last
nights programme. From this composers opera
'Khovanshchina' three excerpts payed-the
Introduction, Dance Of Persian Women and
Turkish march Here was lurd color thrown on
in splotches and also a hint at the dependence or
the Young Russians the folksongs OF the people
Our old bourah friend "Ay ouchnem' spooked in
its principal melody and was doubtless responsible
for the commentators suggestion touching Songs
of the Boatmen the Moskva River. In the
Persian dance the intervalhc device of an aug
mented second was effectively used and delinea-
tive music the three pieces were effective. Mr.
Archambault the possessor of a beautiful barytone
voice, sang air from Borodins Prince Igor,
and made good an impression that he was called
on to supplement the number. The concert closed
with suite of character sketches by Arenski, en-
titled 'Slhouettes."
The finest feature of the Concert for Young Peo-
pie. conducted by Mr.. Frank Damrosch in the
same hall in the afternoon. the performance
of Beethoven's fourth pianoforte concerto by Mr..
d'Albert and a strikingly fine feature it was, for
the pianist has never played with such perfect
skill and delightful taste here this Not
only did he firmly restore the beautiful compost
tion to the place of honor from which Mr.. Hof-
mann's indifferentism at the first Philharmonic
concert last November threaten 1t, but he COM
PEELED forgetfulness of his excessive strenuosy IN
the z fat concerto and most of the music which
he played his recital He also played some
solos The orchestral numbers were Schumanns
symphony in minor. the seherzo from one of
Cherubini's string quartets and two of Dvoraks
Slavonic dances.
The Metropolitan Opera House was crowded to
the walls twice yesterday-in the afternoon when
Strausss operetta Die Fledermaus'' had its second
repetition and in the evening, when Aida" was
given for the fourth or fifth time this The
performers in the operetta were the original ones,
and the performance was the most captivating that
the work has vet received, Nine SembTich being as
sparkling as ever Notwithstanding that II was her
fourth appearance within six days. In AIDA"
nearly all the parts in new hands, so far as
this is concerned. Nine. de Maccm was
TIE Aida, Mime. Homer Amneris, Mr.. Saleza Ra-
DANES NJ Ciiraldoni Amonasro Mr.. Journet Ranhs
and Mr.. MuhImann the King The performance
went spiritedly and compared with the prouder
casts of the earlier productions, gaining in dramatic
force from the acting of NJ SaleSa and Nine de
Macchi. The tenor was in his finest condition,
and sang as well he acted. In the case of the
lady praise must only to her intelligent acting
and her fine dramatic dicton.
Mrs Lille Birmingham whose home is in San
Francisco and who has recently returned from
studies pursued in Europe-with Bouhy in Paris
and Henschel in London, If we have been correctly
informed-gave song recital in Mendelssohn Hall
last Friday afternoon. The natural loveliness.
plitude and power of her contrato voice challenged
a gracious critical attitude when she began singing
a series of airs and songs arranged in what has
come to be the StereCtyped order-claSSic airs Ger
Lieder, French melodies and American songs
but ii became apparent that the lady
either in a state of unpreparedness or the victim
of vicious notions the subject production.
There is nothing TO be said against her masters
and it would be ungallant to say that lady who
will sing in four languages is lacking in linguistic
attainment; so at a loss TO account for the
fact that her vocal merits quite overshadowed
by the faults which seemed to grow out of her in
comprehensibly vicious treatment of the vowel
sounds. Certain it is that this feature of her sing
ing offset not only the extraordinary beauty of her
voice but also rendered nugatory the evidences of
artistic requirement which and to
the fore. only to be dissipated by a which
sounded like unaccountabe interloper among it's
fellows.
WEST POINT CADETS GIVE OPERA.