New-York tribune., 1907-11-18
MUSIC.
A CONCERT OF NORTHERN WORKS.

Tho programme offered by Mr. Walter Damrosch
and the New York Symphony Society at Carnegis
Hall yesterday afternoon may well have melted
more than few of the numerous auditors present
to attempt 10 isolate some quality common to all
the music then performed some characteristic
echo of the North represented by Ireland, Wales
and Norway. To those who like to ticket and
pigeonhole their ideas. though no exceptions.
variants could exist. the North in it's musical ex-
preston. suggests freshness and purity. vigor,
simplicity and directness. and also frequent un-
dertOne of melancholy, akin to the cloudy
skies and mist yelled hills OF high attitudes
The South. by a similarly inclusive method
of labelling. signifies moods of languor,
now passionate again of reckless gayety and
in general less frank and open The music
that Mr.. DamrOSch played may easily have been
taken as exemplifyng the correctness OF thess
main distinctions. while at the same time indi-
eating that every rule has exceptions. First ON
yesterdays list Sir c. Villiers Stanford.s
Irish symphony, and this followed by Mr.
Edward Germans welsh rhapsody new bera
and conducted by the composer. The second half
of the concert meant a memorial 20 Ed
Vafd Grleg, whose death In September of this
year has already been the occasion Of numerous
recent performances of his music here and in
Europe. The Norwegian represented by his
A minor planoforte concerto. played by Mr.. Ru-
d7lph CAM. and by his first Peer Gynt'' suite
stanford is an Irishman, and il this symphony
be not sufficient credential OF his authentic Hi
beTnianism one need but recall his sparkling op-
eretta. "Shamus o O'Bren." which New York heard
a decade ago. Mr. German Is a Shropshire man
by birth. but that county is near enough to Wales
10 qualify him TO speak and compose as one of tba
Celtic hill people. and in this rhapsody he frankly
uses old Welsh melodies his themes. The Nor
wegian quality of Grieg is OF course Obvlous-ha
was the musical prophet Of his country What
then. could yesterdays curious listener find OF
distinctive Northern spirit common to the utter
ances Of these three Northern composers? Mainly
perhaps. the eanesness and sobriety that unlerlay
in large measure the Welsh and Norwegian nusic
and that even the Irish work could not wholly
escape. despite it's delightful jig in the second
movement. A sense of responsibility. inherited
perhaps in part from the hard struggle of all
Northern peoples with nature for their very exist
is perceptibe in the Irish symphony's first
and last movements. while it IS the keynote OF
Loudly Proclaim and Men of HarIech.' two OF
the old Welsh songs most successfully used by
Mr.. German And Griegs concerto is heavily
weighted with this quality. Beyond this, it would
be difficult to find common basis for the musical
thought Of these compositions except that the folk
song character pervades them all Fortunately for
Mr. Damrosch's audience the individual qualities
of each work were far more numerous than those
which they all shared. and the concert had
variety, within a limited range.
OF the Irish" symphony itself It is enough now
TO that 1t fitted neatly into the scheme OF the
programme and that it is well worth hearing about
often it has been played here of late years.
which is seldom. Mr.. Germans welsh" rhapsody.
which he conducted with spirit and animation is
almost a suite in FORM and is built with adnirabs
cleverness about the interesting melodic framework
set up by the composer from the fine stock OF
serviceable materials in the storehouse OF Welsh
national song 1t deservedly applaUded. and
1t will doubtless be added to New York's largs
repertory OF occasional pieces.
In the Grieg concerto. AIr. Rudolph GAM dis
closed his musical appreciation OF singing melody
and tender sentiment. but IN the forte passages
his tone was often forced and shallow The Peer
Gynt" suite brought the concert to popular close.