New-York tribune., 1906-12-21
MUSIC.
A RUSSIAN COMPOSER AND RUSSIAN
MUSIC.

Despite the small rnodicum of encouragement
which the Russian Symphony Society receives
from the general public, It continues ntrepidly
its self-imposed task of making propaganda for
the composers of Russia. Last year Its plan
to extend it's influence beyond New York by
means Of concerts in other music centres. with
Mr.. Safonof leader and Rachmaninon the
composer, fell through. presumably and accord
ing 10 report for lack of popular support
However it made good it's promise TO introduce
another one OF the younger Russian composers
at the second of this seasons concerts last night
in Carnegie Hail. and again Mr.. Safonof repeated
the act OF patriotism and friendship which he per-
formed when Mr.. Lhevinne effected his entrance
on the American concert platform. The new
conner is Mr. Alexander Scriabire. who brought
forward a new pianoforte concerto in sharp
minor, while Mr.. Safonoh conducted the or
chestra- Like Mr. Lhevinne and Mr.. Modest
Altschuer. the conductor Of the Russian Sym
phony Society. Mr.. Scriabine a pupil Of
the Moscow Conservatory of Music when Mr..
Safonof was it's director and an amiable as we'll
patriotic motive was therefore at the bottom OF
his cooperation. The propagandism of Russia has
been a striking incident in the history OF music,
however, for a score OF years more, and II may
very well be that there higher influences than
is generally suspected lack of the movement to
acquaint the Occidental world with the artists
and the art of the great empire OF the
Gar. It has been somewhat difficult in the
past to maintain interest in Mr.. Alt
schuler's programmes of exclusively Russian
music and a year ago were ready to set down
the really significant results attained nil. It
only when music with which the Philharmonic,
Boston and Symphony Orchestras had already made
us familiar was played that a lively sympathy for
the music of the Muscovite school felt The
personal interest injected into last nights concert
by the presence of Mr.. Scriabine, who presented
himself in the twofold capacity of composer and
pianist. worked a change. Whether not it will be
lasting cannot be said; there some significance
in the circumstance that. despite the new music,
the new panist-composer and the admired conduc-
tor of the Philharmonic Society," the audience was
not noticeably larger than the gatherings of last
year.
Mr.. Altschuler's programme not long, but il
offered considerably more than be decently dis
cussed in a newspaper review written after the
concert. There was a symphony by Glazounof in
D-his third the concerto by the guest OF the even
ing; three short pianoforte solos, also composed
and played by Mr.. Scriabne. and Gypsy Capric-
clio for orchestra by Rachmaninof All OF
this, except the solos for pianoforte, was
These last graceful and pretty salon
pieces, one Of which Mr.. Lhevnne has already
made popular-the nocturne for left hand alone.
The music would sound quite we'll If played
withstwo hands and might. without serious loss to
musical literature. be left to such unfortunate per-
formers as the gifted Count Zichy. who is unfortu
nate enough to have only hand. But the count
does not content himself with writing music for
his own left hand; he has composed songs and cho-
raj pieces well, and If we mistake not, an opera
AS it is. Mr.. Scrablne's nOcturne is a pretty show
piece though from the point Of view OF its musical
contents it held it's own very we'll with the mazurka
in z minor and the etude in d sharp minor with
which 1t associated last night. Mr.. Scrtabnes
playing did not make profound impression, being
devoted more to external glitter than to beauty of
tone and expression This quality, moreover, had
still finer exempli1cation in the slow middle move
ment Of his concerto, which is tuneful. with a
sweet and tender righteousness and which Is en-
broidered with scintillant arabesques from begin
ming to end. A kind sympathy for the work Is
invited by its directness and the absence from 1t
of the unmeaning and pompous padding which fills
many pages in latter day concertos 1t has a
spirited and rhythmcally energetic finale, too. in
which the solo instrument struggles valiantly
against the orchestra. but is overwhelmed by the
braZen cohorts at the end.
they threw down
Old Jertchos substantial town
How could a pianoforte hope to prevail or even
endure, against them?
Mr. Gazounoff:s symphony has had it's hearing
question If it will win its way beyond the lists
Of the Russian Symphony Society, though its
Scherzo would make popular feature Of a miscel-
laneous concert 1t seems to labor under the all
too common difficulty of paucity OF pregnant and
plastic ideas, and a plethora OF mere workman
ship. H E. x