New-York tribune., 1906-05-26
MUSIC.
Nezo Works for the OratorSo Society
"A Beethoven Tempo Mark.


DR.. Frank Damrosch's plans contempla4e an ex-
tremely interesting OF performances by the
0ratorio Society next season. There will be five
concerts. the dates being December T. 18 and q.
Anarch - and 26 This rather unusual arrangement
~ ~ yates invites an explanation. December 26 and
. "il' as usual. be given up to the afternoon and
evening performances Of Handel's Messiah"
bringing the fourth and fifth concerts within a
"eeA OF each other has for a purpose the close
JuA'apositon Of Elgar's Apostles (Which is to be
:. oPe"'0U with Its sequel. to which the composer
IS Just now putting the finishing touches A dis
patch from Cincinnati a fortni9bt &C. o-,,,o the
information that Sir Edward had the orchestration
"a "is Ora1or1o' which is to continue and complete
the Story or the Apostles in hand while attending
tAe music FESTIVAL in that city 1t is understood
uat the original purpose to retain the name THE
Apostes and designate the new work as Parts
III and " has been abandoned and that the new
work VIII have title Of it's own though that fact
VIII not imply change in the scope or character
OK the composition. The Oratorio will have its first
performance at the festival in Birmingham, Eng
land next October
For the first concert. on December 4 DR. Dam
rosch has in view a novelty that is creating con-
siderable of stir in Europe It is Gabriel Piernes
Ehe Chldren's Crusade" a musical legend In
fouF parts. with which Mr. Pierne carried off
special prize offered by the city OF Paris IN 1891
1Ene poem was written by the late Marcel SchWOb
anu anu the work had its first performance at the
Theatre du Chatelet on January is Of last wear
on April Of this year 1t was produced for the
hrst time In Germany at Augsburg by the Ora
toTienverein and made profound Impression AS
VIII easily have been imagined. the work deals
Win the unfortunate attempt Of Juvenile pilgrims
70 reach the Holy Land in the thirteenth century
M. PIerne's music employs a chorus Of children
as well as Of adults. The argument of the ora
toFio Is based upon the following excerpt from the
Chronicles OF Albert de Stade Jacques de Voragine
and Alberto des Trois-Fontaines:
About that time a. D. 12lg many children, with
Tai leader and without guidance, did fly in re-
making for the lands beyond tho seas, And to
they the made answer 'TO Jerusalem in search OF
safoasy saf Ey 1d Lend c.o They carried slaves and
beyond cooEnc Tbev trayee e o anan came rd f9a a
embark upon seven great vessels TO Cross tbs sea-
And a storm arose and two vessels perished in the
children as were saved the reason Of thOr journey
these replied I'VE do not know"
Somebody has been discovering antique mares
nest in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. 1t refers to
the correct metronome mark for the trio in tho
scherzO of that work. The mark In all reprints of
the original score indicates that Beethoven wanted
the instrument set at lie for whole notes. that IT,
that the tempo should be that resulting from n6
fact, Beethoven. only a week before his DEATH die
tafed letter to MoSchees in which he set down
the metrOnomic indications for all the movements
of tho symphony for the benefit OF the Philhar
letter in his translation OF schndler's biography.
but gave the indications incorrectly. The original
score published by Schott gave the mark for the
trio correctly, as half-notes equal 16 but
for some reason. possibly carelessness the
part Of the engraver. the tail OF the half
note indstinct, and in subsequent edi-
tons. those of Schott. the half-note ap-
peared as a whole. Some writers are trying to
make to-do about the matter now. although il was
all thrashed out long ago Sir George Grove printed
the marks twice correctly In his book entitled
Beethoven and HIS Nine Symphonies" once at
the head of the chapter devoted to the Ninth Sym
phony ard in the course OF his historical dis
cussion. when he called attention specifically to
the Oft-repeated error The book was published
in 1896 In 1t he says
The metronome marks in Beethovens works are
not always OF his putting; but in the Ninth
Symphony there be mistake, they
Society in letter to MoscheleS, which he dictated
on March 1s 1897 only days before his death.
Of the inventions Exhibition OF 1855 in Albert Hall
give them verbatim because they are not correct
On his translation OF Schindler) In the last
critical edition Of Beethoven's works.
Sir George then appeEds the metrOnomical table.
putting the two narks OF the Scherzo as motto
vivace dotted notes 11S and Presto Cthe Trio)
as half-notes 115 IN a footnOte he adds the follow
ing explanation:
In all the modern editions including those of
schott this Qhe mark for the Presto is given as
whole notes 1l6 But though In Schotts original
score the miniIn In the metTonome mark above the
slaves has lost its tall so as at first sight to look
something (only something) like sembreve, yet in
that below the slaves It remains unmistakable
Ininiu, as Beethoven meant II to be. See the Pro-
T. 1875 ''' -'iI'0''' S-''''''''''i 80 9'' 1''
e.snIIDO~ rAee 0EI ave pE1I,p,,n