New-York tribune., 1905-03-08
MUSIC


AS usual. the departure of the opera has plunged
New-York into deluge OF concerts. AS yet. the
character or them is respectable. and of
their offerings more less interesting, but the
exploitation of pupils by teachers will begin,
and then will come the time when critical voices
will be hushed II all the concerts scheduled for
yesterday took place. there were five in which some
tribute was paid to the good in art. The recital OF
pianoforte music and songs In the afternoon
at Mendelssohn Hall by Miss Edith Thomp-
son and Ferdinand Jaeger. The lady comes
from Boston, and had previously been heard
In New-York at a concert OF the Kaltenborn
Quartet year ago last January. Amateurishness
marked the ensemble performance in which she
took part at that time and 1t was impossible to
feel the interest in her which she compelled yes
terday. when she played not only five pianoforte
solos. but also the accomplishments to ten songs
sung by her companion. She played these accompani
ments from memory and with delightful taste and
style. marring only OF them-that to Schubert's
WohlnY''-by excessive use Of the damper pedal.
so that its characteristic feature he nsstent figure
which suggests the ripping Of the brook all but
indistinguishable Her solos were the rhapsody
In G minor by Brahms (Which seems to have be-
come a stock piece of lady players), the Aria
from Sehumann's sonata in F-sharp minor two
'arabesaues" by De Bussy--fascinating tri1es they
are-one Of Lszts "Petrarca' sonnets and the
same composers ''Waldesrauschen." Musical quail
tiles of high order distinguished her performance
OF these pieces-a particularly fine OF tonaI
balance in the melodies. which were divided be-
tween lhe Two nandS, lovely graduation or nuanceS,
nice pose and admirable reposetuness. The play
ing was not deep. but it was musicianly and in
gratiating.
Mr.. Jaeger, a newcomer here. is the son OF the
principal teacher Of singing at the opera school
connected with the Metropolitan Opera House. He
has a light barytone voice. of pleasing quality.
which has been well trained. and he sings with in
telligence and taste, his enunciation being espe-
cially praiseworthy. He has yet reached artis-
tic maturity but is a present pleasure and holds
iSaSP for fba fJt1Ir
by Schubert. Wolf. Blzet and Gounod The enter
tainment which Miss Thompson and he provided
was in all things refined and enjoyable.
Also enjoyable in a way. but anything but re-
tned in its appeal. was the concert of the Volpe
orchestra which took place in the same hall in
the evening. 1t is old observation that the most
OF our orchestra concerts are badly out of per-
specuVe nowadays. Halls have grown. and with
them Of necessity. the orchestral forces-and also
aias! tendency to rude forcefuness of proclama-
tlon No one has an opportunity to know what a
beethoven symphony played under the con-
oltlons which prevailed in Beethoven's day
sounded like 1t was. therefore, with feel
ing OF pleasurable expectation that orches-
tral concerts in Mendelssohn Hall vera hailed
IL Is an agreeable thought that something like
'he amlaole intimacy which gave rise to chamber
'iiusic' OF which symphonies formed a part
might be restored. 1t was in the case OF Mr.
Frahkos Concerts of Old Music in which 1t was
agreeably stimulating to feel as well ss hear the
olte OF the bow upon the strings as one feels and
AedlS II "hen seated in close communion with a
string quartet. But in this old music even in the
arrangements made to meet modern conditions
there Is no noisy intrusion of the wind tnstr1l-
inents Last night the rude blare OF the
Drass made the enjoyment of the beautiful Sec
ono symphony Of Brahms impossible. It was not a
"oolng OF the senses and the fancy, but an as
sau4| Inc prazen din and the general crudity OF
the orchestral performance also rnarred the Bee
thoVen panoforte concerto in E fiat, and plainly
disconnected Senior da Motta, who was the solo
player, so that critical listener could wish to
discuss its features. The audience was about five
times as numerous as the band, and it's demonstra-
tons Of approval were ndiscrminate and out of all
proportion noisy.
In Aollan Hall in the evening the Adele Mar
gulies Trio, composed of Miss Margulies, piano
forte; Leopold ichtenberg, violin. Leo Schulz
Vfolincello, gave the last of three concerts OF
chamber music, introducing q composition by
composer hitherto strange to our concert rooms
in the shape of trio in F minor by Lange-AIuer.
The other numbers of the programme were Bee
thoven's sonata IN F for planoforte and violin and
Tschaikowsky's trio composed in memory of Mich
olas Rubinstein