New-York tribune., 1908-01-25
MUSIC.
THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
brilliant one

/ --ba -ner,orv Of MacDoweu was honored at the
fifth afternoon concert of the PhiIharmonc Society
n, the substitution Of the funeral march from the
.-F--oica'' symphony for the second movement from
+,a third Rasoumowski Quartet by Beethoven
which was TO have been played by all the strings
Of the orchestra. Mr.. Arnold, the concertmaster
and vice-president of the society, made brief an
77ouncement Of the fact from the platform, there
not having been time enough to change the printed
programme To those who knew the history Of
Mr. MacDowell's most important orchestral COM
position, the Indian Suite" first played here by
The Boston Orchestra January g. 1896. under the
direction Of Mr. Paur, and then by the Philhar-
rnonic Society. under Mr.. SeidI, two years later
there another reminder Of the dead composer
in the opening number of the concert-Dvorak's
symphony From the New World" In the obtt-
uary notice of Mr. MacDoweH printed in this jour
nal yesterday attention called 10 the fact that
the American composer was cOntenporaneous with
DR.. Dvorak in demonstrating that native American
folk-song elements were capable Of in char
acteristc body of artistic music, the Indian Suite
having been fully sketched before Dvorak's sym
phony appeared. though It was not completed and
performed till three years afterward, the composer
wishing himself 10 get better acquainted with what
10 him. as well as TO the world kind of
music For this statement the authority was Mr.
MacDowell who the occasion Of the first per
formance OF the suite in the Metropolitan Opera
House called the writer's attention to evening
spent some four years before at the Botolph Club,
in Boston, at which the subject of American folk
song discussed, and reference for material was
made 10 Dr. Bakers brochure, ''Ueber die Musk
der Nordamerikanischen Widen In DR.. Bakers
collection Mr.. MacDowe found the principal theme
Of his first movement "a Harvest Song of the Iro-
Quos). the subject Of his second movement "a
Love Song of the Iowas) and. indeed. all the abo-
rignal themes which he used in his composition.
This merely, by the way, a timely bit of mu-
sical history.
The American" symphony had 4 particularly
animated performance yesterday. 1t was evident
that the Philharmonic Society has not forgotten
the reading which established by Mr.. Seidl in
the hearing composer when II had its earliest
performances and that Mr. Safonof had entered
heart and soul the spirit of the splendid work
Scherzo and finale seemed specially 10 his liking.
though there of tender and poetical
feeling in the slow movement. For the last
Der Of the programme Rinsky-korsakow's Easter
overture had been announced, but the composition
calls for chime Of bells, and the rehearsaIs dis
closed the fact that could be found which
could be brought into with the orchestra. A.
the eleventh hour the overture had to give place
10 Richard Strauss symphonic poem. Tod und
Nerklarung" old feature Of the Philharmonic
Societys repertory.
The solo feature Of the concert (of which there
viii be repetition to-nght) Griegs pianoforte
concerto. the solo part played by Katharine Good
son The lady's fine musical instincts and excellent
technical equipment have called praise in these
columns on several occasions They never showed
better advantage than they did yesterday All
the poetry Of the beautiful work exhaled by her
pay wing all its characteristic color and all its brill
fancy though much of these elements was crushed
under the ponderous weight OF the orchestral part.