New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-10
NJ USlC.
Theodore Thomas's First Perform
d1lceS.

-0iiids' an Autobiography, Is given up 10 a llst
~ compositions which the editor of the BOOK
MI George p Upton, asserts were introduced into
ms country by Mr.. Thomas. He introduces the
0hapter with the following note;
Tbo me following record of works rendered by Mr.
locality an o af e rst tine IN TINS h
Erod sseTupulous care, Mr.. Thomas himself, ME-
6re2eIick Stock assistant conductor of the Chicago
14rcneStra Mr.. Theodore McNicol its librarian and
cn nn editor of this work having co-operated in Its
therefore cannot but prove of important historical
tune it will interest the general musical public as
PROOF of his wide research catholic taste and ar
'iS'ic MISREPRESENTATION.
It VIII appear presently why every sincere adj
ihlEec OF the late conductor might well wish thar
ne mad not been implicated in the work OF COM
pllauon. The Autobiography Is sure to fail INTO
'ne hands of many persons unable TO judge OF tHe
correctness of its statements, some OF when are
Inohstrous in their absurd disregard of the TRUTH
IL therefore becomes the duty of all who respect
the Ver1tes of history to assist in pur8lng 1t OF
as many errors possible. beginning IN tl;it
direction Is made in this article. The confessed
purpose of the editor in compiling the list OF al
legged novelties with the help of his distinguished as
sistants was to enhance the greatness OF Mr.
Thomas in popular opinion; for in and OF itself
the mere fact of conductor having oeen the hrst
to produce composition in country Is nothlhs'
Such circumstance may be purely fortultous' 1t
Is a different matter when new work OF perIha-
nent value is in danger of being ignored or wheIe
a valuable old work is saved from threatened Cd
livion. There is also some merit in Irritating an"
maintaining popular interest in orchestral MUSIC
by evoking curiosity touching compositions anu
the tendencies of new composers AS for the rest
assiduous devotion to first performances generally
publishes for the greater part little else thaf'
enterprising spirit in the face OF hVely conIe
tition. such, for instance. as existed between M
Thomas and Dr. Leopold Damrosch in the Iate
70s Concerning the nature of this rivalry an
anecdote was printed in The Tribune last January
which is sufficiently illuminating to deserve repeu
ton When word reached America IN 1915 tI'"e
Brahms had completed and published ms hIsI
symphony the musical people OF NeW-f DIX a"al'0u
its first performance with keenest interest 1heo-
dore Thomas and DR. Damrosch were equally eager
to be first in the field with the WORE. "hen IL
Damrosch hurried to his music dealer Win al
order he found that Thomas had been there Deioie
him and had extracted promise from the oe"ler
to provide anybody else with the orches'r"l
parts Even copy of the score was oehle" -
him. Dr. Damrosch was in dismay, when, to MS
delight of his pupils, a lady, surPriseo nm
by putting in his hands a complete copy ol TIC
score. Hearing of the doctors predlcameht' she
had gone to the dealer and bought for herself the
score in the usual way. The score was promptly
divided into four parts. which were Distributed
among as many copyists, who. by d1hgeht laooI'
produced the parts in time to enable Dr. DahroScE
to perform the symphony week before MS fiF"i'
Those were the days in which Mr. Thomas pro-
cured much of his music from the composers IN
written copies.
Now let us see how some of the history" in this
chapter of the Autobiography has been made.
The first example must make everybody WISH lhaC
Mr. Upton had taken care to acqut Mr.. IhoIhaS Vi
ocupIicitv, 1t is gravey stated that the Ninth or
Choral" Symphony of Beethoven was nrst per-
formed in America in Brooklyn, under the dlrec-
ton of Theodore Thomas on April a. 1850 inns Is
the most preposerous claim of ALL since the history
of the symphony in connection with the Phlhat-
monte Society is universally known and is set out IL
e,,Il +ba aariaJ
published on the occasion of the ftieth anniversary
of the society, in 1892 That the book was In the
hands of Mr.. Upton is proved by the fact that ne
uses it's information frequently. but always with
scant credit is also told In the late Sir George
Groves book Beethoven and His Nine SYM
phonies," the distinguished English writer having
taken more pains to verify simple fact in the ms
tory Of American music than the compllers OF the
list in the Thomas book. The Ninth symphony
was first performed by the Philharmonic Society
under the direction of George Loder, at a special
concert given for the purpose of raising funds Tor
philharmonic Hall May 20, 1915. Mrs. F. Rietzel
wife the old hautist of the society VINO was Iohg
it's vice-presdent and always an intimate friend
of Mr. Thomas) sang in the chorus, and. in all
likelihood often told him of the circumstances
of the performance Moreover the symphony
was repeated on April %, 1860, under the direc-
tie.n of Theodore Esfeld. 1t is also claimed
that the first performance of Beethovens third
pianoforte concerto in c minor. first brought
forward in Brooklyn on January r. lSb WIN
pianists like Schlesinger Scharfenberg, Dresel,
Tfmm and others active in the city more than
generation before this time it would be folly to,
give credit to this statement Moreover, it is OF
record that the first movement of the concerto was
played at Philharmonic Society concert on Febru-
airy 1862 Credit is given to Mr.. Thomas for the in
PRODUCTION of movements from chamber music pieces
of Beethoven, the meaning being, of course, that
he introduced them into the orchestra. a ques-
tionable proceeding at best, and surely not one
emitting him to the honor of having introduced
the music to the American public For instance,
the claim is made in behalf of the cavatina from
the string quartet, op 100, the date being set
down as October &C. 1866 yet it the pro-
granarne Of the Mason Bergman organization, in
which Mr. Thomas played first violin, on April %.
1856. There were kings before Agamemnon and
chamber music organizations before that of Mr..
Mason ard it is more than likely that Beethovens
thirteenth quartet had been performed before the
last date at least claim of first time is made
on the programme. The same remarks apply to
srch pieces as the trio for strings called Ser
enade" the grand fugua, op. 1873 Though here
there is a remote chance of correctness). the theme
and variations from Brahms sextet, op. IS the
riations on the Austrian National Hymn from one
| of Haydns quartets, and such arrangements of
| pianoforte pieces as "Traumerei' and ''Bilder
| Oster" by Schumann, the Turkish March from
the sonata by Mozart. familiar to every miss of
| fourteen who has taken few terms Of pianoforte
lessons ETC. Mr.. Upton to the contrary not
ryithstanding fail to see how revamptng ia
| music new gulSe cannot but prove
Of important historic value TO the musical stu
dent or be a proof to the general public of Mr..
Thomas's wide research catholic taste and artistic
! enterprise"
| In making the following corrections of the list
| vouched for by Mr. Thomas. Mr.. Stock (vvhose
| knowledge could go back of his own experience
| in Chicago), Mr. McSicol and Mr.. Upton, the
sources of information the Tribures criticisms
written by the same hand for the last twenty-four
| years. the writer's memory backed by other rec
/ tbe memorial history OF the T1hfIhar-