New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-06
MUSIC.
THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.

The fourth Of this seasons concerts Of the Phil
harmonic Society will take place this evening in
Carnegie Hall Yesterday afternoon witnessed the
public rehearsal This pair of concerts VIII be inc
fifth in regular course and an extra pair next
Friday afternoon and Saturday evening Is under
the musical direction of Mr.. Safonod, VINO, as his
reception yesterday afternoon showed. has won
warm place in the admiration OF the Philhar-
monte Society's patrons It suffered in effective
ness from excessive length. There were only four
numbers the programme, but one OF
these was Tschaikowskys Manfred symphony.
whose verbosity gave its composer pause
a few years after il had been written. De-
spite the fine. virile, varied and picturesque
reading which the work received its long stretches
Of iteration and reiteration had a depressing eff
feet. especially in the first and third movements
and made the appreciation of the novelty which
followed it difficult This novelty was a vtolon-
cello concerto by Joseph Jongen, young Bel
gian, and was played by Jean Gerardy. to whom
it is dedicated IT was the first performance
Of the work 1t is not likely to be the last MI
Gerardy played it with consumnate mastery ana
as if he had set his heart upon compelling admira-
ton for IT It deserves admiration II large meas
ure, though it does sgnalize either very lofty
long sustained fight OF creative imagination.
It is noble in intention, however. 1t breathes
the modern spirit; cesar Franek's ideals
sneak cut Of it, and sometimes his voice is
heard as well The solo instrument Tivets
attention, but not in the old manner It is only
a potent agent in the development of a tone poem
with moods and poetical conceits. There is none
of the old homophonic writing; no solo with or
chestraI accompaniment The three movements are
sharply contrasted, though they some them
attic material in common. Polyphony rules, and
the modern harmonic devices are used. but melody
is not forgotten. Tune is not treated with con-
tumeIv There are moments of exquisite beauty
in the first movement and OF stirring rhythnieal
incisiveness IN the last The second movement IS
overwrought and an effort to reach climax 70
ward the close wearisome and Ineffective 10
Doubt the impression which the composition would
have made would have been better had the senses
and nerves of the listeners not been so long kept
tense By the symphony
First and last numbers Of the scheme were III
marked contrast to the middle numbers Either
one might have been spared had the conventions
Of our concert rooms permitted. At afternoon con-
carts there are Of necessity late couers-dweilers
in tbA suburbs slaves and victims Of railway time
tables They do not like to miss the symphony
Conductors do not like to have the symphony dlsIo-
Gated bv tardy ones So there had TO be an open
ing overture and Mr. SafonoH chose Mendelssohn 5
midsummer Nights Dream" Why, was not
wholly clear The care with which he conoucted
i however and the pains which he took to con-
trast its fairy and human natural ana super
natural elements might have led one to suspect
that he believes that there Is saving grace in oo-
casonallv masking the face Of music that has be-
coma TOO familiar The notion has its merits. Mr..
safonoff believes in the rubato even in Mendels-
son and in letting individual voices Of his brass
choir lift themselves in comment amidst the trip
ming oT the fairy folk. After the concerto theEe
had 70 be a prelude. Of course, and 10 lldt en-
Faethoven's .cEgmont' overture was used Inc re-
suit was concert which lasted two hours ana d
hals