New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-05
MUSIC.
Concert of the Symphony Orchestra.

Concert of the Symphony Orchestra.
Mr.. Walter Damrosch brought the Sunday sub
scription concerts Of the New-York Symphony Or
chestra to brilliant close In Carnegie Hall yester-
day afternoon. His programme invited interest
and the performance rewarded It. The calamity
which has overtaken Mr. Edward Mcdowell hav-
Ing aroused popular curiosity touching his music
Mr. Damrosch put two OF his compositions the
list. They were pieces composed some nineteen
years ago. when Mr.. MacDoweIl was living in
Wiesbaden. under the II 7piration of the Song OF
Roland THE Saracens'' = a gloomy and barbaric
Oriental march: Fair Aida tender piece OF
sentiment designed to picture the gentle and low
ing nature of Oriandos wife. known In English
story Aldabella. The significance OF the two
works is not great. Both marked by distinc-
ton in harmonization and Instrumentation. but
neither illustrates large flight Of the fancy They
were correctly entitled when Mr.. Mcdowell called
them fragments on the score II was easy TO
follow them with cordial interest but impossible
to avoid the feeling thar they had been conceived
as something portentous, but had been kept within
their extremely modest dimensions by the giving
out OF the composers inventive ingenuity and skill
And to follow them with pieoe OF such ebullient
spirit and fancy Beethoven's eighth symphony
was to make them shrfvel in the memory till they
became utterly inconsequential. Mr.. Mcdowell
was stoutly opposed to the giving OF concerts Of
American music and wanted to be measured by the
universal Standard but IL II doubtful II he would
have approved Of the test which his little pieces
with all their aristocraoy Of utteranoo sub
5eoted to yesterday. Yet. had Mr.. Damrorch put
them anywhere else IN his scheme, they would
have Jared worse Thay could neither have fol-
lowed Beethoven preceded Richard Strauss
without greater disaster than overlook them tbs
first number IN a scheme made up Of character
stto products Of the genius OF those two masters
and Brahms The only comparison which they
endured with a modicun Of success with the
pianoforte concerto in d minor Of Brahms. and
n Ia ma tero IF
The concerto was played by Mr. Jossry, who was
enthusiastically greeted when he came upon the
stage and plainly given to understand that despite
his infrequent appearances, he lives warm
ly In the admiration Of the lovers OF pianoforts
playing ever he did Mr.. Josetry's selection of
Brahmss first concerto a of wonder 70
all who ignorant Of the propaganda zeal
which fills his SOUL II would be difficult TO find
In all the literature of the panoforte another COM
position which asks Of the player such salfsacrt-
fee and abnegatton does this ooncerto When
Brahms gave 1t TO the world In 1859 he flung chal-
lengs at the feet of every convention dear to viz
tuosi- The work was overwhelmed with fierce
condemnation when he played It. He brought 1t
forward in Leipsio but with all OF the old music
capitals devotion TO Nine. Schumann. who
one OF the first performers to sspouse It's cause.
neither she eny else ventured to play 10
again for fourteen years. In fact. It was only
after thirty years of work IN It's behalf by such
champions Clara schumann, Won Bulow. Mary
krebs and Lesohetitzky that It into it's s.
tate in Germany. Mr.. Josefy's friends know that
he has harbored wish to play 1t throughout the
United States for more than decade. We
call only single performances OF the work prior to
that of yesterday. That was by Mr.. Conrad An
sorge at a concert of his own at which he had the
help of Mr. Joseny. in Steinway Hall. In April.
1890 1t had not been heard in New-York for many
years. remarked The Tribune's reviewer at the
time ''and probably will not be heard again In
many more" The mournful prophecy has been full
filed to the letter New-York waited two years
longer than Leipsio before the work had it's nsxt
presentation. And yet the innate nobility OF thu
music apparent In 1890 s It was yesterday.
Johannes Brahms made me- Is stamped upon
every measure OF the work; he made of
strong conviction and IN trusst love-. Is schosd by
every phrase.
The first movement strikes loftier IN spirit
profounder IN thought and more beautiful In ex-
preston than anything in the moro popular CON-
certo in fiat It has real epic GRANDEUR. Ur-
fortunately, however. the orchestral part IL
oppressivsly sornbre IN color. thick and opaque.
1t yields nothing TO the solo Instrument the
union between them Is not angelic wedlock but
austere, seIt-contained association. Together the
forces preach solemn evangel. one too serious 70
admit OF extrinsic adornments. The Adagfo
is borne angels wings. In the original
Brahms had written under the melody the words,
''Benedictus qui VENT In nomine Domini." The
harmony between thought and expression is per-
feet but the voices are not seraphio or stherialI
they human and clogged with the Imperfect
tons or terrestrial speech- There Is ring or
merriment, CLINT OF humor in the finale, though
the lighthearted rondo form is employed in it. The
BASES move heavily and synoopation. persisted IN
too much. denies its and becomes a rstard-
ing rather than a propelling force.
The music, with all it's significant beauty In not
!diomatio of the pianoforte It Is music OF thu
kind in which Mr.. Joseffy Is at his best The
chief charm OF Mr.. Josefy's playing has always
come from his command OF the beautiful elements
IN the Instruments voice. The heavy hand which
It Is said Brahms had (normally rude and forcefuI
yet capable of deeply poetical expression). seems
to have determined much Of the ooncerto's idion-
We can ina CINE much OF the music played more
assertively than It yesterday, but Wa cannot
imagine more poetical tenderness than Mr.. Josefry
breathed into the solo passages OF the slow move
ment or more devout and consistent reading
than the work received as a whole II a fns
exhibition of musicianshp and remarkable trio-
ute of affection.
The first ana last movements Of Besthoven's
merry symphony were captalIy played. the last
especially with correct appreciation OF its rude and
sometimes boisterous humor; but we think that
more life would have benefited both the middle
movements The bewitching Aregretto scherzando
was too heavyfooted TO disclose all its grace. But
the precision OF Mr.. ,Damrosoh's players and their
in the symphony and Strauss death and Trans.
hguration.'' which made close. Next Tuesday
will bring repetition of the concert Yesterdays
audience numerous and heartily appreciatfve
OF the delightful offerings. H 3. K
TRANSATLANTIC TRAVELLERS.