New-York tribune., 1905-12-18
MUSIC.
Concert of the Nezc- 2 ork Sgnepbon1y
Orchestra.
FRENCH AND RUSSIAN MUSIC.

/ Echoes Of the recent visit of NJ Vincent d'Indy
We're heard at the fourth Sunday concert OF the
New-Eorl Symphony Orchestra, under the dlrec-
ton or Mr.. Walter Dan1rosoh in Carnegie Hall yes
teTday afternoon With the help Of NJ Raoui Pugno.
Mr.. Damrosch brought forward NJ d'Indy's SYM
phony in G. for orchestra and pianoforte. entitled
Symphonic sur air uontagnard francais," The
concert began with a of variations for orchestra
on Russian folk song theme by group Of Rus
sian composers. namely. Artciboucheh. Wihtol
Liadof. SoHoloT and Glazounof. Whether or not
Nr. Danrosch had purpose In bringing the
French and Russian compositions into juxtapos-
ton we do not know but the circumstance invites
attention because of the opportunity which It gave
to compare the difference in ideals and methods
pursued by the two national schools of composition
which are just now most eagerly pushing forward
for recognition. What NJ. d'Indy calls symphony
Is nothing more or less than a set of variations
needlessly separated into three movements. a
theme which. though described French noun
ta1neers melody, sounds much more Ike u
tune from the Highlands of Scotland The
circumstance is not particularly significant except
as 1t recalls the fact familiar to all students of
the subject, that European people poor
as the French in beautiful and affecting folk poems
and folk melodies There is some strength in the
folk songs of Brittany, where ancient British In
fuences still live (the melody of ''sezz Gwingamp
the Siege Of Gwngamp-which de Ia villemarque
printed in his 'Barzaz-Breiz; Chants populaires de
la Bretagne.' is note for note that of the Welch
''Rhyfegyrch Cabden Morgan''-"Iarch of Captain
Morgan''), but the chansons of the French people
possess little potentality for national school
OF characteristic expression 1t is because of this
probably, that the spirit OF artfciality has ever
peTvaded French musia The inspiration OF the
first distinctive school of composion-that Of the
clavicia composers like Chambonieres. Couperfn
and Rameau-was the dance. Dramatic expression
came into the French lyric drama from without
from Lully. the italian, and G1uck, the German.
The Russian school is different Much
later in origin it no came into consciousness
Of itself than it began to draw its ufeblood from
the songs of the Russian folk. On those songs
the Russian school long continue to feed, for
the field has scarcely been opened For every new
form, for every advancing step In the technics or
the art for every new ideal toward which a great
longing may go out from the soul of the Russian
composer, the quickening pulse may be found in
the vast reservoir of emotions compassed by the
peoples melodies. The young Russian composers
are recBlessly daring in harmonic license, keen
1y alive their contemporaries in France to the
value Of instrumental combinations, even moro
passfonately devoted than they TO the desire TO
make music a medium Of physical as well SIS
psychcal deneation, but they still adhere TO mel
ody as the first principle Of the art They can
afford It. because they have melody. The varia-
tions which were heard yesterday are not great
| music They preached no evangeL Tney pro
claimed only ingenuity. learning and beauty. Ihey
belong to a kind Of writing which the RUSSIAN
o,,nosers have particularly affected during the
last three or four decades. Cooperation In COM
| pages of variations is q favorite form OF mutual
compliment among them But the variations are
always q tribute TO the melody. NJ d'lndys
variations are distortions OF the theme, rather
than an extended Illustration and enrichment OF IL
| Great eleverness, great ingenuity even great
though Ill directed learning, mark the treatment 10
which he subjects his theme with It's ScoeIish
color. The curious find the result 1Feqoei'.lS u.
interesting but seldom uplifting. The fancy Is IT.
ritated but the imagination is not fired nor the
emotions aroused.
| The +heme is torn into fragments and each frag-
nent worried in turn. The formular1es soon lorce
themselves upon the recognition OF the Judiclo0s
and ANALYTICAL listener and after that something
| like CONSERVATION seizes him whenever a motVe
presents itself which admits OF use as a naouVo
estimate The use will follow. It is as lneVltaole
as fate and it will pursue you to utter wedrlhess
And so on with q dozen other devices 1t was
bit saddening but also dverting, yesterday a1ter-
noon to note what was most obvious from the con-
duct Of the audience, that those VINO were nolsest
and most persistent in their applause a1ter Lhe
symphony thought that NJ. Pugno had played a
pianoforte solo. At Sunday concert a solo per-
former must be called out after his performance
| until he plays something more N. Pugno was
called out, again, and again and still again In
vain did he try to convey to the nofsemakers that
not he but the orchestra had played the SYM
phony; that he, as Mr.. Danrosch in some kindly
appreciatve and instructive remarks had indi-
Gated had been. not solo performer. but a mem
ber Of the band playing one instrument out OF
fourscore There must be encore" At length
he yielded to the inevitable. Mr.. Damrosch came
forward and said that, the audience having so
synpatheticalIy accompanied the performers to
the mountains n. Pugno would invite them to
take the short step from the French mountains
to Switzerland. NJ. Pugno would play NJ. dIndy's
''Helvetia" for pianoforte solo. What came from
the pianoforte was Bendelesque murmur, tiny
undulatory melody Qike the swing song in Mr..
Messengers ''Veronique'), ripping scales,
pretty harnonies. much repetition. and al was
over. And this was "Helvetiar'
Miss Bessie Abott, an American singer, who got
the foundation of her musical education IN New
York from Mrs Ashforth. continued it in Paris
with NJ Jean de, Reszke after she had become
member Of the company Of the Grand Opera, sang
the second of Astriahamantes airs from Mozart's
l.'Magio Flute" with orchestra, and three French
songs to Mr.. Damroschs delightful pianoforts ac-
capacity as an operatio artist and singer OF high
grade artistic songs. Her voice is small. but pure
llimpd and Of pretty quality. Neither in training
nor In natural capacity Mss ABBOTT called to sing
the Mozart air. It is essentially dramatic, though
this fact is overlooked because of the elaborate
vocal embroidery with which Mozart tricked It out
Ito please his sister-in-law, for whom It COM
posed. It demands the grand style. and, lacking
that II would be but foolishness even II the
ford passages were sung much better than Miss
Abott sang them yesterday. The music disguised
lher true quality, which not disclosed until she
Sang the songs vidals "Ariette." Tschaikowsky's
'Berceuse'' and Bzets 'Vielle Chanson." In these
Miss Abott's voice and diction equally charm
ling She sang well. her voice was as winscme
her face and figure, and she conveyed the senti-
Inents of the songs most delightfully."- and oonvinc
lingly. Enthusiastically recalled. she sang Ger
man song. H r IL
"PARSIFAL" AT THE OPERA
Mr. Conried has announced four performances of