New-York tribune., 1908-10-05
MUSIC
Beginning of Sunday Concerts.

Unless some OF the plans and purposes OF man
ayers which have been promulgated misCarry "a
circumstance that is not at all improbable) the
people of New York will be asked TO patronize not
less than 10 Sunday concerts between now and
the first day of next April. A beginning made
yesterday afternoon. when Mr.. David Fispham
gave song recital in Carnegie Hall and Mr.. Her
mann Klein made a beginning with his popular
concerts In the new German Theatre. MI HisphaIn
was heard by an audience that handsome in
numbers and inspired by d large measure CT adn1i-
ration for the singer His popularity evidently out
weighed many times the curiosity excited by Mr.
klein's much heralded enterprise and the as
silrled desire of the public listen to good music
of a miscellaneous character on a SUNDAY after
noon In case like this the element of personal
equation must be reckoned with it is. indeed. the
deciding factor, for IT is likely that of the at
teudants on the two concerts yesterday fifteen ex-
pected a. higher artistic delight from the singing
Of MT Bispham alone than one expected from the
combined efforts of Nine Rosa Oltzka, George
Hamlin. Julian Pascal and the Olive Mead Quartet
Yet that would seem TO be the lesson Of yester-
DAYS affairs TO the casual observer.
A pleasaRter concert room than the new German
Theatre could scarcely he imagined Music lovers
with memories reaching back 70 the season Of 1889
go will recall the impression made by tho Lenox
LyceUm Of that day. and the circumstance that
for a short time Il seemed destined TO play an i'm
porant role in the concert life Of the city It was
opened with Sunday evening concerts given by Theo-
doTe Thomas ard his orchestra The original shape
and dimensions of the room which had been built
for a CycIoraua- were left practically unchanged.
and u this fact probably due the circumstance
that it reverberated like drum. Mr.. Thomas's
Populars thirteen weeks. The next season the
hall was one of the battlefelds which the "Cava
leria Rusticana" fought. Mr. Hammer
stein hastily turned It into thea ire with canvas
prosCeniunl. and inprovised stage MasCagnt's 9
opera was performed in the evening Of the day on
which MI Aronson had precipitated a performance
at the Casino. This production. by the way. was
staged by Heinrich Conried. who may then have
been making his first experience with serious opera
In the season Of 1928 Mir. Seidl gave Sunday
night concerts the T1yceum, but soon after its
popularity waned and the musical entertainments
Of dignifed import which sought it were few. All
the had features Of the old hall have disappeared
with the remodeiug.
Now the room is small. the decorations have
restfuI charm for the eve the acoustic qualities
are excellent, and the arrangement O. seats gives
the place IN air Of elegance and the feeling Of in
tirnacv essential 70 perfect enjoyment Of chamber
music OF the vocal as we'll as instrumental order
The most enjoyable features OF yesterdays concert
the songs Of Mr. Hamlin. all delivered in
manly fashion and with the taste and intelligence
which have always marked his performance and
the playing of Miss Mead and her associates
Seven years ago Nine. Olitzka was member Of
the Metropolitan Opera Company Perhaps the
kndest thing that can bA said Of her singing is
thai II Is good now II vas then she Is still
prone 70 turn pathos into bathos by excessive
aTectation Of emotion
Mr.. Bispham was generous in his offering Of
pieces unfamiliar to ordinary recital lists AL his
songs were sung II English, though the second
group was made I'd Of examples from the pages
Of Schubert, Mendelssohn Schumann and Gounod
There also the familiar Scotch song. 'Faith1u
Johnnie" in Beethovsus arrangement, but without
the violin obbigato- The third group vas from
English operas composed by John K. Paine, a
Csoring Thomas and Arthur Sullivan. He con
cluded with songs by composers Of today N
I.oef7er, T. Morris Class Harriet Ware, Stdnay
Homer Ward Stephens and Graham Peel. He vas
assisted By Miss showalter. the possessor Of A
sweet and sympathetic soprano voice He sang
well, with careful avoidance Of most OF his beset-
ting sins r. =. X