New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-01
MUSIC.
Concert of the Russian Symphony
Society-Russian, Finnish and
Hebretc Music.

Modest Altschuler. took place in Carnegie Hall
Saturday evening and yesterday afternoon. A
single programme suf1ced for both concerts, the
society like the Nev-York Symphony Society. fol-
lowing IN this the time honored example of the
Philharmonic. The music which the Russian con-
certs afford opportunity to hear, whether or
it meets with critical appreciation, Is always
more interesting than the performance which it
receives. Mr.. Altschuler has gathered together
some good instrurnentalsts which sound discl-
plinary Of training might mould into an ex-
ceedingly effective concert organization 1t wonld
be at all surprising If it should emerge as SUCH
from the hands Of Mr.. Safonoff who is to conduct
some of it's performances this season outside OF the
metropolis. But thus far the performances nave
been unstable. rude and tentative; so much So
indeed as to make difficult the task of those who
are DESTROYS to learn the large lessons which the
concerts were designedly organized to teach; to
learn. that is. by actual contact of sense ana mhd
what manner Of music it is that the RUSSIAN CON-
poscrs of today producing. It is nearly thirty
years since Dr.. Won Btlow pronounced the dietum
that the best music of the period German music
he called it, that of Brahms and Raft excepted
was coming from Paris and St. Petersburg. ms
Frenchnen were not Cesar Franck and his dis
ciples, who had not yet begun TO worship thenl-
selves and burn incense under their own noses In
1875 but Massenet, Saint-Saens, Lalo and Dehoes'
his Russians were Tschaikowsky and Rimsky-hor-
sakow Tschaikowsky has come and gone SINCE
then and left his mark deeply craven on the
worlds heart. Rimsky- Korsakow is stun at WORK
pfqueing the curiosity as we'll as Irritating
the minds Of those who would like to know Il the
man once more forward than TschaikoWsky, =
worthy TO be called his successor. The RUSSIAN
concerts ought to provide the answer; pue lney ~
not or If they dc. are 10th to accept u w
should like different selections from his WORKS
ana performances Of them comparable IN merit
with those which we hear from organizations INTO
whose purposes propagandisn does not enter.
NeitLer the reputation of the composer nor the
popular desire for knowledge was served by ne
productions Of Rinski-Korsakows WORKS Wnicn
marked the first concert OF the Russian symphony
and the last pair. The Snow Maiden SUITE
seemed like Idle and infantile daliance with tones.
The music from the opera Christmas I've
reached a plane only q trife more exalted IN Us
dance measures a nazurka, czardas Scarcely rec
ognfzabIeY and poonaise It is exceedingly naive
proposition but it is indubitable that only scenic
representation of some kind can make TINS music
even toIerably interesting. We fancy that even Il
the opera It accompanies tableaus q some KIND
dissoIving Views in al probability such a. rum
stein wished to have shown while me choE uses
illustrating the dispersion Of the descendants ST
Shar7 Ham and Japhet in his Biblical opera, ne
Tower Of Babel. were singing. Without some 49,.
help such merely decorative music a tlI7 =
F2imskv-K orsakoW's must remain futile ne pc
IRE Is part Of it: the snowy scene IN Little Rus
sia the stars twinkltng through the crisp an le
stellar dance, the procession o. comets, re GERS
tai khorovod as the consultations move round th9
pole, tie coruscating explosion of flock q ne
stately dance III the salon Of the Empress, the
dawn OF Christmas Day. tae appartton Of the star
81 Bethlehem the approach Of Kolyada and Oysen,
yalzuIa,s return to his home and the worship oL
The villasers-au these things which BODY forth
fancies and beliefs Of pagan and Christian Russlae'
should pass before tire Of the listeners II the
music written to accompany them is 70 present
coherency, purpose and propriety e the ear ana
mind Even then the outer barbarian should &c
pre0ared for appreciation by a course n SLAVIC
folklore Voices. enter to describe scene IN
doubtedIv OF pagan origin though Christian IDEAS
have been grated Oh IT koyada Is S4aNlc sun
goddess n an ancient ceremony she useG p e
represented by a girl dressed IN white. who was
driven from house to house n the Yuletde. while
kolyadkt chat is Kolyada songs were sung by
the young people who attended her, and received
gifts from the people IN return Tor their songs.
This ceremony was introduced into his opera pS
T7i77sky- Korsakow, and the song was sung py
members of the Choral Art Society Of brooklyn at
TIE concerts under discussion The words OF the
song described the coming Of Kolyada N a charlot.
accompanied by 0vsen, yernal 500 VINO, AAe
Freyr Of Teutonic mythology, rides upon a poac
with golden bristles AfteTward there came z
Christmas canticIe sung BY men. Properly pre-
sented this music might have been beautiful and
impressive as 1t was, t was deplorably ineectlVe
ana LEFT the minds Of serious listeners gropng.
Much more Ineligible IN their appeal ana Pro
-oJInced in the impression which they made we're
the symphonic poem ct might better nave been
called a concert oyerture) Finlandla, by SloeAlGs
q concerto for violin BY Arensky Cplayed ~ Mss
Msud POWELL airs from Tschaikowskys operas
.sPfoue Dame" and "Iolanthe." and Rubinsteir's
..Damon" sung by Mr.. CampanarD and two eau
casfan Sketches BY IpcHtoff-Ivanoff. which haa
won favor at earlier concerts Of the society 7loeus
IS a Russian composer only on compulsicn- his
nusic basicaIIy German, IS tinctured Ike most iI
not ali 81 the artistic music which his native En-
land has produced with Swedish elements. PATTI
otIsn Is strong IN the Finnish breast but the char
acterstics 81 Finnish music are found only IN me
foIksongs Of Suoma As q Finn sioellus mas E
goodLy heritage III these folksongs, Tor IN them
there still flows some Of the blood Of Wainamoinen.
II should emulate the example Of the composers
& T7rssia F4rIand's oppressor His overture is
beautiful music clear and compact III form. lovely
Is roelodfc themes luminous in color. But we DO
not hear the voice Of the people il i as re hear
that voice in nearly every Russian measure. Per-
beps the day Of the Finnish composer IS only
dawning. Perhaps We shall yet listen to his voice
men II reaches the fulness Of its utterance We
hope So we should like to hear the vibrant cla1g
~ Yainanoinen's kantele and the wizard must
cans voice chanting the runic rhymes which had
ov,ar Is stop sun and moon IN their courses, shape
ia nuIi bend the keel and fasten the oars Of his
var boat: to draw together IN listening ave the
birds of the air the beasts q the field, the fishes
If the sea the wild men Of the woods and the
,rd of the sea floating upward on his lily pad.
w. would steep ourselves in the sorrowful song
z-hich broke The Did bard's heart a. he sang and
made his tears to flow river that. hurting
against a rock on the shore. was resolved again
into elemental drops which fell as pearls on the
rIacr, sands below Who shall sing for the
fraa+ words of Blood that stayed the red torrent
which flowed from Wainomoinens wounded knee?
III fair Is she the GODDESS Of veins-Suonetar,
the benefcent Goddess OF Veins AaTVelioIsly dot3
she spin the veins Of men with her beanLiIuI
sDindie with her dtstan OF brass with her spinning
S5tIeei az iron Come o Goddess Of Veins,
come INTO mel 7 invoke thy succoT. call thy
name Bring hither in my bosom a roll
of rudy flesh blue skeip OF VEINS. {hat me