New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-30
MUSIC.
End of the Worcester FestiOal-Mr.
Chaduick's Neso Symphonic Poem.
IRON stan Correspondent Of The Tribune,l
worcester Mass September


rrrop, n star Correspondeat of The Tribunel
Worcester Mass. September p
Two concsits Of a miscellaneous character wound
m the forty-eighth festival OF the Worcester Couh-
a.. Musical Association to-day. The skies continued
- smile propitously, and the meeting came TO
brilliant and successful close leaving performers
managers and public weary, but happy. The choir
h.6 nothing 20 Go to-day except TO give a swelling
cosa TO the evening concert by singing the choral
-.-t OF Wagners ''Kalsermarsch." The pro-
-ernoe of the two concerts were widely different
:, character. Dignity marked the first, friToNty
+bA second AS usual. Nine. Macouda, Nine Bou-
a., Mr Ramlin and Mr. Bennett sang in the
evening, and Nile. Joltvez played the VIOLIN this
ns,ng an addition to the programme arranged after
her popuIar success on Thursday afternoon. She
reved Sarasate's 'Zigeunerweisen." All the ladies'
wore their prettiest gowns including those in
IN. audience. Nine Maconda sang the polacca
from "Mignon." and she commended amiably with
q flute In the mad scene from Lucia
Nine Bouton abandoned the hackneyed list
and sang an aria from Ponchlelfs 'Promessl
sposi" Mr. Hamlin sang ''Durch die Wader,
durch die Auen' from Der Freischhtz." and MI.
Bennett an aria from Ponchielfs -Gioconda-'' The
orchestral numbers were the suite from Delibess
Sylvia two movements from Arthur Foote'S
serenade in E major, the scherzo ''L'Apprenti
sorcier" by Paul Dukas; a bit OF between acts
music from 'Pelleas ct Meiisande," by Faure. and
the march by Wagner. Mr.. Kneisel conducted all
r,,t the final number He has it would seem. fallen
under a.
.enaporariiy resting. The afternoon concert was OF
6 different order. It opened with Mendelssohns
Italian symphony. after which Mrs Kelsey sang
.0-of che sapete by Mozart. Next there came ne"
work newly composed. and performed for the hrsI
tirne.a symphonic poem by George W. Chadwick
untitled ''Cleopatra''-of which something more
-resently Two numbers brought the concert 10 a
close Tschaikowskys pianoforte concerto an D
fat minor played by Harold Bauer ana the
Academic" overture, by Brahms. This Is a Wen
rounded. well balanced scheme, wholly worthy VI
the festival and all in any wise concerned IN H.
Mr. Chadwick's symphonic poem is the latest OF
his compositions and written in the summer and
fall Of last year at West Chop Martha's vineyard
where he spends his vacations. and at Boston, Where
he fills the Office of director OF the New-Englahu
Conservatory Whether or not it marks a real
advance over his earlier overtures and symphonies
I ar1 not prepared TO say. 1t does in striving ana
striving is commendable: but a stfT-necKed "oI4o
still continues to look upon accomplishment with
greater appreciation than aim and effort. MI.
Chadwick would like to keep up with the times
and keeps open ear and open nina 10 me
doings Of his colleagues the world over. he
IS not ashamed to assmilate the gooo nor
particularly fearful of putting forth a venture
some foot himself but ne is not always successful
in his destinations or lucky in his experiments
No one can blame him for barking back 10 the
story of Antony and Cleopatra, for 1t Is fuu OF
such stuff as music is made Of external pomp and
circumstance, the glory of masculine strength ana
feminine charm puissance Slapped by indulgence,
vigor yielding to seduction, and all oVerspreao
with the charm against which philosophy is I'M
potent and in which the weak and err1ng Aho
comfort and Justification. Other composers Will
adventure after Mr.. Chadwick Just as he has adj
vertured undeterred by a long line OF ilustFlous
failures. It is singular that music has nothing
either in the first second rank which
took its cue from the old romance so heavily
weighted with fateful consequences. There is an
opera by q composer, named Enna- whose name
paeps forth sparsely and tinidly in the RECORDS
az the provincial stage of Germany, but Masse 5
work based on Theophile Gautier's brilliant tale
.TJne Mutt de Cleopatra and the many operas that
preceded it. are vanished. There have been over
lures too but even Rubinstein's lived itself out in
Nev-York in a single concert Of the philharmonic
Society; and that was long ago. Mr.. Chadwick S
work has free field. VIII it survive? We fear
not It is very long and might be curtailed with
less disastrous effect upon its destiny than. as
somebody once said would have resulted
10 the fate of the world had the Egyptian Queen S
nose been q trife longer or shorter. One trouble
would seem to be that Mr.. Chadwicks vouminous
discourse deals with themes that not particu-
larry striking in themselves. He has escaped some
criticism by going to Shakespeares source, Plu-
tarch instead of Shakespeare's historical TRACE
dy, and selecting situations and words that bear
more directly upon Cleopatra's character than upon
Antony's The music is concerned with her Ian
guorous and consuming passion in the first instance
and his undoing In the second It begins with bit
Of pretty delineaton which suggests the music of
the waters when Cleopatra came sailing up the
River Cydnus TO meet Antony at Cfcia 'in a
barge with gtIded stern and outspread sails of pur-
pie, while Of silver beat time to the music of
flutes and flies and harps." High and streaming
chords from the vioIins throw a simmer about
the ripping music, for which the composer has.
consciously unconsciously. chosen the instru-