The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05

zounoR's B fat minor sonata by Ossip
Ga~brilowitsch.
February 2S-First performance here Of
Ausorgshd,s rThe Fair Of Sortschinsk. .
scriabine's first symphony. Rubinstein'G
Caprice Russo for piano and orchestra,
and Hippolitofi- IvanoR's second Caucasian
suite, all'at one Russian Symphony con-
cert. .-sa-
March s-Revival Of Era Diavolo' at
the Manhattan.
March i4-Firgt performance here Of
Scriabine's symphony entitled sThe Divine
Poem at the Russian Symphony concert.
March 21-First performance here OF
Debussy's The Sea- by the Boston orches-
ira. rIt &C.,
March 25-First performance here OF
Cigars oratori0. "The Kingdom" 90
Apritz-Frstb performance hera Of Gabriel
Faure's plano quintet In d minor, by the
Kneisei Quartet.
April s-First performance here Of DR..
Hartmann's oratorio. EST. Peter"
April lo-Revival at the Manhattan Opera
House Of La NavaITaise." Mime. Calve in
the principal role.
While this retrospect affords no wide
ground for graduation, It presents certain
reasons for encouragement. The frequent
publication Of frothy articles deScanting
upon the vast amount Of money expended
by the New York public for musical delight
are misleading because based on the popular
American misconception that the mere
act Of purchasing something expensive
IL meritorious. To be sure, 1t bespeaks
some growth Of taste In a community when
it ceases to spend all its money on broiled
live lobster and "wine' and parts with much
for the sake Of spiritual ediication. But
the argument would be quite as properly
applied to the theatre, wherein people
most assuredly do not seek uplifting and
ennobling influences, but diligently search
for pruriency, cheap melodrama and
pitiable musical farce.
No, it is not the fact that New York spent
last winter far more than 1t ever spent
before for musical entertainment that
signifies. Neither Is the significance in
the establishment Of a second opera house.
The value Of this additionto our local must
cal life has already been discussed in this
place, but lot us never forget that opera
goers are as q GLASS distinctly unmusioal.
Deprive them Of their stage pictures and
their adored personalities n ask them to
listen to music which is just music and
nothing else and you quickly find that their
hearts are faithful to the singer and the
theatrio excitement.
Furthermore. even at their own preferred
form of musical entertainment they are
continually demonstrating that they are of
the number Of those who having ears hear
not. Ugly noises proceeding from human
throats get just az much applause from
these music lovers as purely musical
sounds; and. a has frequently been noted
here, they appear to rave a particular
fondness for singing but of n At any
rate they applaud singers who are con-
tinually Oh the pitch just as enthusiastically
as they applaud those whose information is
accurate.
The true importance. then, Of the recent
musical season L. as intimated at the outset
small, but 1t IL none the less worthy of record,
In the first place the public, even includ-
ing the operagoers. showed a larger readi-
ness than ever before to listen to new works.
At the Metropolitan several operas new to
the patrons Of that house were produced
and heard with attention. in some cases
with interest, and In at least one with de-
light. At the orchestral concerts some
new works Of weight were brought forward
Anu uOdIu WIN IuOLO bilhu uDudl i'll
ton.
In making this assertion the writer Is COM
PEELED to except the enthusiastic demon
STATIONS which followed the performances
Of certain compositions Of MIR. Soriabine at
the concerts Of the Russian Symphony
Society. , This organization, committed as
it Is to a policy Of p~ropagandism. does not
stand free from prejudice. 1t is to a certain
extent bound from the outset to believe
in the music OF the Russians, and Its ap-
plause for the works Of Mr.. Scriabine was in
the nature Of a compliment rather han Of
an expression OF approval.
On the other hand the indications Of
or dissatisfaction given by the
splendid audiences OF the Boston Sym
phony Orchestra and Kneisel Quartet con-
stitute the finest inc most disoriminative
opinion Of this town. The people
who 60 to these concerts know what they |
like and why they like it. and when they
thunder as they did last autumn over Muck's
Of the Brahms D minor symphony
and politely fan the air as they did for the
Symphonic Domestica' their ~nuancing
is as eloquent as that OF the conductor
An interesting feature OF the season
was the fight hither across the western
ocean OF distinguished composers from
Leoncavello, S~aint-Saens, Puc-
clni, Coleridge-Taylor, ~Scriabine, Egar,
Hartmann, all Of these came to search out
the land in which interest in their works
sufficient to reward their visits. Let
us not forget, too, that the public welcomed
serious consideration some new choral
compositions OF artistic dignity. The beau
Crusade Of the Children by Pierne;
THE Kingdom and DR.. Hart
st. Peter were accorded sym
hearings and the first two were
certainly taken close to the public heart,
The visits OF the composers were OF less
TO Us as personal exhibitions
than as evidence that the profundity and
OF our interest in the tonal art
is making itself felt in Europe. Doubtless
The reproaoh that we care for nothing but
opera will continue 10 be thrown at us,
Tor in England no attention is paid to our
musical doings, while on the Continent
only Germany observes what il going on
here and the proportion Of Germany's
produced here is small. Hun
dreds OF compositions regarded as i'm
oortant over there are permitted 10 pass
recognition here.
Dnlxy fhoaa shiloh afrika ,tnt,aIaIiw daSn