New-York tribune., 1908-02-02
MUSIC.
OPERA IN CONCERT FORM.

OPERA IN CONCERT FORM.
of the country especially in cities and towns
which visited by the Boston Festival Orches-
ira in its spring tour, put aside the cahtatas ana
oratorios which supposed to compass the nelo
of their activities and took TO singing the music or
operas-"Faust,' Garner and Aida beng the
favorites. Lovers of choral music deplored the
fact. but answered that few of the cities and
towns In question had the opportunity TO en-
JOY a stage performance Of the operas and were
entitled hear the dramatic music, which made a
wider appeal than did that of works purely or
largely epical in character Last summer while
Mr. Walter Damrosch was in chicago with MS
orchestra he startled his New York friends by
publishing a vigorous defence of the custom, go
ing far, indeed to apply 1t TO the later works
of Wagner. the ground that the scenic repre-
sentation always inadequate and, therefore,
disturbing to the imagination warmed py the
music, which he maintained, in spite OF all that
Wagner had said and done was the chief element
his lyric dramas. He repeated his contention
in his lecture on 'sPeleas ct Melisande,' though
eonfessing that music did not exist at all
for its sake, not music qua music.
but only gave atmosphere and mood to
Maeterlinck's play. Last night he showed that he
had the courage of his convictions, for in sub
scriptiou meeting of the Symphony Society he gave
a performance IN concert style Of Tschaikowskys
opera Eugene Onegin" This opera however, can
scarcely be placed by any amount OF special plead
which is the work that was in Mr.. Damrosch's
mind DIT surely could not have been Tristan und
Isolde" Die Mestersnger'' 'Parsifal. for
these admirably adapted for stage representa-
tion), in that OF "Peleas ct Melisande, which
by his own confession could not possibly be SUBJ
jected such treatment Only three arguments, II
would seem us, could possibly be advanced in
favor OF Concert performance of Tschaikowskys
opera. One is that 1t is work of great musical
value. which deserves to heard in New York,
great lyric theatres another. that its dramatic sig
niicance is small that 1t loses little by being
deprived of action. costumes and scenery; a third
that Tscheikowsfy stands so high In popular favor
with the local public that the performance Of the
music of OF his operas would prove to be popu
lary attractive. and thus be financially beneficial
to the large and costly undertaking in which Mr.
Damrosch is engaged.
This last consideration may be dismissed
unworthy of Mr.. Danlrosch and the Symphony
Society. The first has something to commend il,
but those who attended last nights concert and
were compelled 10 keep tight rein on their
Tisibies while the people the stage in evening
dress carried conversations Of the most prosaic
kinda lover scolding his betTothed because she
had danced with another man, the men indulging
in a quarrel which ended in a challenge to mortal
combat, the confab of stited phrases the field
of honor-nust have wished that the music, which
really effective under the circumstances. had
been given without disguise and frankly as
excerpts from operate There is much
music this kind in Tschaik0wsky's OPERA and
all of it would have benefited from dissociation
from the scenes which could in no manner escape
being absurd.
On the second point Tschaikowslzy's utter
ances might be quoted In defence of Mr.. Dam
rosch. but that does not alter the case The COM
poser constructed the book out of romance in
poetry by Pushkn. fer which he had an almost
idolatrous admiration. When told that the work
dramatically ineffective. he. glowing with love
for his music, expressed his contempt for dramatic
effect and said that he did not for stage
performance Yet he journeyed from Italy TO Mos
cow TO witness its first performance by students
at the Moscow Conservatory and rejoiced at the
triumph which II at tie imperial opera
houses, where, in the long run it achieved great
popularity.
Very thin and pallid is the dramatic blood which
flows in the veins of Eugene Onegin,'' but very
beautiful Is much of its music. To our ears true
national color tinges only one number-the stir
ring songs of the reapers In the first scene, with
its choral dance-sung antiphonally between
precentor and the choir. the foIksongs Of Rus
sia almost universally sung. But. though they
speak the universal musical tongue. the chorus
Of rustic maidens the waltz suggestive in its
structure of the waltz In Gounod's "Faust'), the
nazurka, the polonaise. the song OF onegin in
which he confesseS his inadaptab ability to domestic
life and what may be called the death song OF
Lenski, and better than all IN its beauty and
dramatic fitness. the scene In which Tatjana
writes her confession of love- fine specimens of
the fecund rneIodic gift OF Tschaikowsky and his
rnasterfui command OF the technics OF composition
We wish that the pistol shot which in the opera
laws Lenski low, but in the concert room is an
impertinence, had not blown so many or the pleas
urabIe impressions away.
To help him in presenting the music OF the opera
heard for the first time in America, Mr.. Damrosch
had the orchestra of the Symphony Society, choir
Of singers from the Oratorio Society; Miss Rose
o. Brien, nlezzo-soprano; Mrs. Hissem de Moss So
prano: Mrs Tayior-Jones contralto; Ellison Van
Hoose and Paul Dufauit' tenors; Emilio de Co.
gorza barytone and Tom Daniels. bass OF these
singers Mr. de GorgoZa was thrice admirable, Mr..
Van Hoose most admirable and Mrs. Taylor-Jones
in n high degree cornrnendable There was little 70
prafse in Mrs Hissem de Noss's singing she was
ont of her element and besides had taken the place
Of another at the eleventh hour. Tie audience was
generous In its applause, and its attitude toward
the performance perhaps best characterized
by it's great enthusiasm French couplets
sung bv Mr Dufault- The concert will be repeated
This ar.ernoon H. Z. K.