New-York tribune., 1907-11-16
The PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

The Philharmonic Society of New York began its
sixty-sixth season with afternoon concert for
many years called public rehearsal. and what
the term rehearsal implies) In Carnegie Hall yes
terday. The solo attraction was Nine Kirkby-
Lunn; the central feature OF the scheme the first
suite, put together by Grieg out of the incidental
music written by him for Ibsens Peer Gynt"
Nine. Kirkby-Lunn sang Berlioz's dreamiIy languid
song. La Captive $50 aptly denomnated by him
a ''revery'). with its surrounding haze of fImy
Orchestration and Oriental rhythms. and Richard
Strauss's "Hymnus." Both Of these numbers as
well as the Introductory Bach-Abert prelude
Chorale and Fugue' and the closing Symphony in
T minor by Tschaikowsky. had figured Phil
harmonic programmes before. the Bach-Abert tran
scription and the symphony frequently. The Grieg
number was TO the Philharmonic schemes,
and included at the cost Of a change
in the programme originally announced,
recognition of the recent death of the composer.
it would be agreeable to say that the society
wished. by including some OF his music in its first
concert, to pay tribute to the genius of the COM
poser; but 1t ought to be difficult for any serious
minded lover of the art to feel how this could be
done by performance of this music. so intimately
associate with a stage play. and, in its final
number absolutely dependent upon the scene for
its serious justification. For many years the Phil
harmonic Society, though its conductors like
Theodore Thomas and Anton Seidi were admirers
of the peculiar genius Of Grieg. found nothing in
his works suitable for its programmes except the
pianoforte concerto. Last transcription
of some little pianoforte pieces, which Mr.. Sedl
had made for his popular concerts and which had
been revised by the composer. were taken up by
the society. Now that the composer is dead it
would seem as If nothing but this suite could
serve a memorial purpose. II is exquisite music
in Its first three numbeTs-the first designed TO
delincate the mood of day dawn, appropriate to
any scene and any cIime the second special in its
essence and conceived to depict the strangely
unnatural mood which is created by the death of
Peer Gynts mother in Ibsen's fantastic
drama; the third an Oriental dance Of
beWritching charm and delightfully."- suggestive
of the inslnuating graces and moral hollowness Of
Anitra the daughter Of the Bedouin chief with
whom Ibsen's hero spends some time in playful
dalliance I'm the desert. But the fourth number is
a bit of musical grotesquerie which, without Its
accompanying scene and action in the drama, Is
simply amusing. Yet, in the opinion of Mr.. Safo-
noff and the audience here lay the centre of grav
ity in Yesterdays concert. 1t was rapturously ap
piauded and the conductor of the society violated
its rules, which have been enforced against per-
formances OF real pith and moment for many days.
and repeated the circus music. 1t now remains
for Mr. Walter Damrosch 10 begin the piece on
Sunday afternoon (when the symphony Society
Will hold its memorial service) little more dG
lontanO and A little more panissimo, to make
a larger racket at its climax, and we shall be able
10 say OF the gentle. long suffering GSieg in Ho-
meric phrase with change OF name):
Such was the mighty Edwards burial rite-
and nournfuIly await the next concert giver who
shall try to evoke mis- shade for only.
Nine. Kirkby-Lunn sang with opulent voice and
beautiful eloquence H T. IL