The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-08
SYMPHONY CONCERT
A Sympathetic Criticism of the Musical Spirit of the
 Orchestra.
RESTLESS lNTERPRETAT
A Clarinettist Who scatters Musical Gems of Great
 Beauty.
Editor Journal and Courier.

to me that in the articles that have appeared from time to time concerning the work of the New Haven Symphony orchestra some of the most glaring faults have been entirely overlooked, while readings of the score widely diff fering from the interpretations of or chestras of unquestioned supremacy have been referred to as being particu- arly good.
 Local pride is good thing but if it blinds judgment and retards progress by withholding frank, honest criti- clsm, less of the pride would be bene- ficial
 It is my aim to point out, in friend ly way, certain defects in the perform ance of the orchestra last Tuesday af- ternoon.
 I do not consider myself an authority on music by any means, but being somewhat familiar with most of the classical orchestral music from repeat ed hearings in this country and Europe, I think have a fairly good standard by which to measure a performance.
 In point of attack the string section and thelwood wind may be called good, excellent indeed if compared with the Ibrasses, the latter always having a slow and very ragged attack, coupled with more or less oblique information.
 The attaining of q higher artistic lev el by the orchestra is impossible until this defect is eliminated
 The rythmical unity between the var ious sections of the orchestra is very often at fault. Particularly was this evident in the third movement of Grieg's suite Pier Gynt,"
 There is no doubt that this Is most difficult movement to play but 1t is equally free from doubt that the or chestra could play it better if the spirit of the composition received as much attention as the individual print ed notes on the sheet.
 Without artistic treatment music ceases to be music.
 l Failure to sympathetically under stand a composition may easily turn veritable fairyland into a clodhop- pers' ouadrille { The solemnity and wonderful expres- sion of grief in the second movement of the same suite suffered somewhat in being played rather hurriedly, giving the impression of restlessness, instead of the quiet pathos of a soul wounded unto death. The last movement of the Suite Tn the Halls of the Mountain King" was played splendidly. The increase of tempo with the constantly increasing dynamic effects was worked up in a splendid manner, causing one almost to hold his breath until the final crash of the climax. It was indeed well done.
 The playing of Dvorak's Symphony was about on a par with previous per- formances of the same composition.
 The first movement was well played rythm and color being exceptionally 1 good.
 The second movement has always been more or less of a stumbling block due to the same old trouble-restless ness in the performance of it, caused ! probably in this instance to the lacl of self-confidence of the soloist.
 He never. gives a note it's full value
 before going to the next and the eff feet Is painful, to say the least If fine performer on the English horn cannot be secured, why not SC. cure flrst-class oboe player for tn, solo?
 I While Dvorak undoubtedly had the peculiar and beautiful tone qualitie. of the English horn in mind when ht wrote 1t, am sure even he would prefer having it played well on ar oboe, rather than having 1t violated or an English horn.
 The last half of the movement wal much nfore satisfactorily played ant showed both the orchestra and con, ductor to the greatest advantage.
 Tn the scherzo the orchestra is prob
 ably more at home than in anythin, else it plays.
 The movement fairly bubbled ove with good things from beginning t, end, too numerous to mention.
 It emphasizes the fact that the or
 ohestra catches the spirit of a rapi
 movement much better than of a slov
 one.
 The fourth movement also was play ed in befltting manner with the ex
 ception of one or two calls from tn wild"-the brass section. I can not in justice to my own feel ings finish this article without draw 5 ing attention to the work of an indi vidual-the clarinettist.
 Wherever he comes to the surface e the tonal stream he scatters gems 0 exquisite beauty. His tone, his at
 tack his staccatos, his phrasing ar so lovely, so entraneingly beautiful an , artistically satisfying, that I do no ! think I have ever heard his superior : If the members of the orchestra tha ) are in need of it could be inoculate with some of his artistic virus, Ne' Haven would have an orchestra tn 3 peer of any in the world to-day : But even in it's present stage of de i velopment, Yale and New Haven an : the whole state of Connecticut, a : least it's music-lovng members, ar { proud of it's Symphony orchestra an
 are watching it's progress with lovin appreciation and none more so than IPSE. II New Haven, Nov z, 1907
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