New-York tribune., 1907-11-17


formance in Boston by DR.. Karl Muck and the Bos-
ton Symphony Orchestra IS a piece for orchestra
and piano by Charles Martin Loceier tor many
years second cOnce-tmaster OF tho orchestra II
is entitled "A Pagan Poem" Like most OF Ioet-
her's compositions. It Is programme music "A
Pagan Poem" IS based one OF VirgiTs 'Ec-
logues."
An interesting experiment will be made by Wal
ter Damrosch at ore OF the Sunday afternoon con-
certs OF the New York symphony Society In the
near future He holds that the Wagner theory or
an invisible orchestra and conductor for operas
could be applied with equal justice TO concerts as
the mechanism which the conductor has TO employ
in obtaining his effects from the orchestra as well
the movements OF the musicians in performing
their respective Instruments need not be visible
10 the audience Mr DanlrOsch believes that these
contribute nothing the audiences musical enjoy
ment. which be obtained only through ths
sense Of hearing. II is true. Mr.. Oarnrosch admits
that to many the movements OF the conductor may
furnish certain interpretative key to the music
but 1t remains TO be how much Of this IS real
and how much imaginary. The experiment OF an
invisible orchestra and conductor will therefore
be tried In the future, and it Is likely to
arouse curiosity.
Ermanno Wolf Ferrari. whose setting OF a Da-s
OF Dante's la Vita NuOva'' C"The New Iife'O "a
to be sung by the Oratorio Society on "Wednesday
evening, December (. for the first time In America
IS OF toO recent reputation to be included in any
put newest musical dictionaries. Wolf
is striking example OF double nationality. Born
in Venice in 1876 of Italian mother and a Ger
man father the New Life music is said 20 show
his art 10 De almost blinguaI as was that ot
one OF the foremost translators OF the VITA
Nuova,' the AnglO-Italian Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Like Rossett Wolf Ferrari retained his Italian in
teuSty but underIad IT with a more substantial
foundation than is common among modern italian
creative artists German thought and German mu-
SIC influenced the young Venetian potently from
his childhood; Bach and Beethoven were familiar
70 lsm in his school DAYS.
BY the time he was seventeen young Wolf Ferra1
was at Munich, studying with very good grace
under Rheinherger- The youth endured the rtzor-
Gus teaching OF Rhei1berger less well than had
some of his American predecessors in the Munich
academy. but his two years there left a mark upon
his musical personality Leaving Rheinberse-
Wolf-Ferrari continued studying. but not until he
returned to italy. in 1895 did he discover italian
music, from Palestriua Verdi
'Sulamith" was Of the first works OF Wolf
Ferrari publicly performed This choral compost
ton won recognition in Italy in 1Se9. Three years
later his opera Cinderella" was heard at Bremen
ard in the same year some of his chamber music
was performed Munich. The Bavarian capital
was also the scene on March y. 1875. OF the pre-
miere of The New Life" The POrges Choral
Union sang il in the Kahn Orchestra Hall. and 10
seems 10 have created immediate and deep I'M
preston. The composers wife. Nine. Clara Wolf
Ferrari, sang the soprano solos So pleased were
the officials Of the famous Conservatory Benedetto-
Marceno, in Venice with the Munich SUCCESS. that
they promptly appointed Wolf Ferrari IT'S directoA
a post highly esteemed
The New Life meantime has been heard %
numerous cities of Germany Holland and Italy. n
has appeared in English version. and il is
expected to gain a hearing in several English
and American cities DR.. Frank Damrosch and the
oratorio Society however. will be the hrst Arneri-
can forces to perform H. Besides The New Life"
the first concert OF the Oratorio Society will also
bring forward the short but celebrated Song OF
Fate" by Brahms