New-York tribune., 1907-11-11
MUSIC.
4 CONCERT OF DvoRAKs COMPOSITIONS


Mr.. Walter Damrosch made up a programme OF
compositions by Antonin Dvorak for the second
Sunday concert Of the New York Symphony So
ciety which took place in Carnegie Hall Yesterday
afternoon. II is an old plant that a concert de-
voted wholly 20 one mans music is a tiresome
thing il has been uttered when the composer was
q Beethoven or Mozart a Schubert: and in the
majority OF cases ii has had no validity When a
great creative genius expresses himself in many
forms he can remain interesting for two hours: a
composer who cannot is not great creative genius
The affectation is of a piece with the protestatons
which used TO hear frequently from the self
eected champions OF what they called progress"
only q decade or so ago against the symphonic
form. Symphonies antiquated: symphonies
we're foolish: their movements had no relationship
with each other; they too long. and should
give place 10 the symphonic poem, in which all
that & composer needed, or ought, TO say COM
paced-said tersely and with rational psychological
connection. They were brave words; but the
representatives Of progress began to write sym
phonic poems which were longer than the old sym
phonies and which without the benson Of
pause. and now the same gentlemen writing
symphonies in which single movement occupies
as much time as did the four movements of the
classic masters.
Yesterdays concert demonstrated that an hour
and three-quarters OF DR.. Dvoraks music need not
he wearisome. and Yet a desire 70 give IL 'popu-
lar features prevented il from being in the best
sense representative Of the Bohemian composer.
The five duets C'Klange Mahren'O. If designed
as sop for Cerberus. were Ineffective because the
young women who sang them failed 10 make them
Interesting in any way. They the Misses
ssssard, who. told, have made a specially
Of duet singing in London and Paris. They are
plainly young women OF gracious instincts and
aTiable gifts. but they sufficiently blessed
with voices 10 I'll such a place as they were put
IN yesterday. The duets interesting and be
long 10 The compositions which first made Dvorak 8
name known throughout Europe others being the
Two SlaVonic Dances with which the concert ended.
The programme began with the Carnival over
ture. the second OF the three works which the
poser called an ''overture-trjlogy.' and to which
he gave first hearing at the concert in Carnegie
Hall on October D. 1892. with which he signalized
the beginning OF his activities in America The
next NUMBER was the finest fruit OF those activ-
ities The symphony From the New World" TO
ne second movement Of which Mr.. Damrosch gave
beautiful Interpretation, disclosing the excellence
~ the wood-wind choir Of his orchestra as sue
oessfu!y as he did the string band in the remain
ING instrumental number OF the scheme. This was
made up Of the larghetto and scherzo from the
Iefzetto for rWo vions and viola, a delightful
Work. designed originally for the entertainment Of
the composers household. 1t is a fine specimen Of
chamber music, and took the richer orchestral
garb most gracefully-a thing that cannot always
ne saio when string Quartets played with their
voices multiplied. A fine audience in numbers and
character heard the concert and applauded gen
stouslF ana with obviously honest fervor