New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-02
AN EVENING OF MozARTs MUSIC.

Planned to exhibit the jocose as well as the seri-
side of the composers genius. the trbute which
Mr.. Sam Frankie paid to the names of Mozart at
his Concert of Old Music in Mendelssohn Hall last
night was a thoroughly enjoyable as well as in
structive affair. Mr. Frankie produced symphony
by the master. but he has explored the symphonic
field on earlier occasions. and lie brought forward
two compositions of symphonic dimensions These
were the best known OF the Divertmenti chat in
fiat with horns) and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
for VIOLIN viola and orchestra which is heard occa-
sionaIly, but at much too long intervals. II was
played last night by Mr.. Leopold Lichtenberg and
Mr. Frankie. with nice appreciation Of Its sylistic
character but not always OF its most effective
tempt. The best OF the orchestras work. and
that in which the propriety OF the conditions
rounding the concert was most strikngiy vndi-
Gated. was done in the slow movement OF the Di-
vertimento The entire composition is bravura
piece for the vioins and pretty testimony TO the
skill Of the composer that instrument. which he
played almost instinctively a child and on
which he might have become virtuoso had he
wished or not been overburdened with other
and greater missions
Mozart's correspondence bears testimony TO the
fact that he played the first violin part IN Munich
In IN that is. when he was twentyone years old,
and made the company stare. Y played IL
were the greatest fiddler In Europe he wrote homo
TO his father. and he would have been had his
father heeu able 70 put ten or dozen more hours
In each of his days and overcome his prediction
the pivertmento he explored all the regions OF the
instrument on it's simply meiodic side and its
capacity for display and Mr.. Franko's men dis
tinguished themselves by the finish and precision
with which they played the virtuoso music. An
appropriate opening found In the Fan
tasia for strings and organ. which Mr..
FRANKIE brought forward when he moved
his concerts into Mendelssohn Hall Here
he had the capable help OF Mr.. Charles Gilbert
snross and suffered little handicap from the in
strunent which far from being all that concert
organ ought TO be. An interesting fact in connec-
ton with the Fantasia which originally writ
ron for a mechanical musical instrument OF the
kind that was universally popular in the eighteenth
can+ury is that. with obvious appreciation OF its
Atrrihed beauty Mozart promptly rewrOts it for
r.anoforte four hands and that the autograph
manuscript of this transcription is among the
artistic treasures reposing In the house OF DR..
Christian A Herter. OF this city. As played last
rirbt n had undergone another change having
been arranged for strings and organ by Alois
schr,itt for a meeting OF the Mozart Society in
Dresden four or five years ago.
The serious part or the anniversary celebration
ended with the Divertimento. Then the orchestra
left the stage and a small band. headed by MIR.
Henry Schritt with Mr. Frankie at the desk of
the viola PLAYED the musical joke described in this
journal last Sunday parody upon amateur COM
nosars and perforuers IL Is capital bit OF fool
ing and was played so capitally that IL kept the
Character that has Yet attended one OF these Con-
certs of old Muslcl convulsed from beginning TO
end. II was musical audience, and not point
MAS Lost "A N n