New-York tribune., 1905-11-17
MUSIC.
Mr. Sam Franko's First Concert.

The first of Mr.. Sam Franko's Concerts OF Old
Music for this took place in Mendelssohn
Hall last night. lis prevailing note OF fresh
ness and vigor; the orchestra gave 1t out in It's
playing and it sounded in all Of the compositions
except the vocal numbers by Bach, which. how
ever, had other charms and kept In harmony
with the prevailing mood by the fresh new voice
which 1t introduced. OF this, presently The
programme well calculated to pique curl
osity, especially among students of musical history
1t began with HandeIs concerto crosse in q minor,
which Mr.. Franko's played with fine spirit
and which sounded In Mendelssohn Hall just as
such music ought to sound-with the proper ful
ness and sympathetic nearness that intimacy
which is the soul Of chamber music. Double the
number OF players. treble 1T, and play such music
In a large han, and its charm is dssipated. Last
night the magic of its gracious righteousness
felt. and there came from the audience an un-
mistakable demand for repetition 1t followed
the finale. and Mr.. Franko complied with 1t with
obvious glaeness: it would have followed the Mu-
settle. had that come last without question.
After the concerto came q symphony in D by
Johann Stamitz with substituted ninuet from
a symphony in fat by the same composer. Who
Stamitz was set forth In The Tribune last
Sunday. There were grsybeards in the audience
last night, but probably old enough TO recall
the time when the of the composer appeared
last on a NewYork programme. Yet 1t used to
appear when the orchsstras in our theatres played
his music and that of PleyeI. Gyrowetz and Haydn
between the acts and also at choral and m1scei-
laneous concerts A childish period, as we THINK
for then Beethoven's symphonies were terra m
cognita or almost so but period when the Ideals
of the theatrical musician were many degrees
higher than they are now. Last night the music
sounded amazingly fresh and inspiriting, and IT
was demonstrated that when Haydn and Mozart
set out upon their symphonic careers they were
not pioneers, is often thought, but found the
highways made straight. the valleys exalted. tne
mountains and hills made low and the rough
places plain. True the ereseendes, pianos and
fortes which used to challenge the wondernlent
of the listeners to the Mannheim Orchestra, which
Stanitz directed. did not startling but neith-
er does the forte chord In the infante andante OF
the Surprise symphony make its hearers jump
in their seats Haydn thought it would Now we
can endure the noises of Bediam In the concert
room; even the racket Of Richard Strauss Hell
denleben" does not drive more than score OF
people out of doors at a Philharmonic concert All
the same. it was interesting to hear music as IT
was when the symphonic world was young, anu
with the old piece by Stamitz Mr.. Frankie won as
marked success as with the Handel concerto
The vocal number, already alluded to, was an
aria from a church cantata by Bach, was Gote
tbut dass list wohl gethan.'' called after the OLD
chorale which lies at its foundation, and was the
nroper lyric lesson on the Sundays for which the
old Leipsic cantor wrote the cantata. IL was
sung by Miss Lila L. Haskell who thus effected an
entrance upon the local concert stage IN most
dignifed and worthy manner. The air supmltteo
Il severe -
points Had she done should be chroniehng
something like a miracle. But in 1t she disclosed
voice which 1t will be pleasure to hear agaln-a
sweet round full. well modulated voice, obedient
to nicely adjusted and discriminating aural sense
Its tyrannical phrases tried her lung power SO
severely that some questions of her muscianship
must be left in allegiance; but it was plain from the
cordial applause which rewarded her effort, that
the audience desired her better acquaintance The
concert ended with Haydns Clock symphony.
An announcement on the programme stated that
the second concert, February ], 1906. would be
devoted to Mozart's compositions in honor of the
one hundred and hftieth anniversary of that mas
ters birth.