Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-16
THOUSANDS LISTEN
TO SWEET STRAINS
CLOSING CONCERT GRANDEST
OF ALL
Mason Opera House Filled with Music
Lovers, Who Throng to Hear
Masters-Leave for
the North

The season of concerts which the
New York symphony orchestra has Of
fered Los Angeles audiences came to
an end last night.
The four concerts combined to form
an event of great interest to all pa
irons of musical attractions In the
city and the surroundings towns. 1t
also served to make delightful and
splendid climax to the musical season
which is now nearing its close.
Los Angeles has had a remarkable
opportunity this season of '07-'OS, an
opportunity of which it has not always
taken. full advantage.
Almost every artist of note available
for concert or recital purposes in Amer
lea this year has been heard here.
Regardless of the immense distances
to be traversed, the enormous guar
antees to be fulfilled, and the almost
superhuman diplomacy to be exercised
in managing some of these geniuses,
they, have been offered in due season
to Los Angeles auditors.
Some of these musicians have made
wonderful successes financially as well
as artistically but with others the bur-
den of the song has been in musical
harmonies and not the jingle of gold
in the managers pockets. These I'M
certainties are all a part of the i'm
presarios life, but for all that, much
gratitude is due Mr.. Behyner, who
has so determinedly persisted in secur-
ing the best of musical attractions for
Los Angeles.
He has used excellent judgment, too,
in his selection of suitable auditoriums
for the presenting of his artists, and
so far as the possibilities of the city
allow, did his best in securing the use
of the Mason opera house for these
orchestral concerts.
Completes with Drawbacks
The theater is lacking in the acoustic
qualities which make for fullest and
frmest resonance, and in some por-
lions of the house the effect was a
slight tendency toward fiattening of the
tones. Even with this very slight
drawback to most complete perfection
in the presenting of the program, there
is almost nothing at which to cavil,
although many of the thinking mu-
sicians will regret the program of
Russian-Slavic music was changed for
the Wagner selections
To be sure, with Mr.. Damrosch d.
recting, these selections became addi-
tionally interesting, but almost all, in
fact all of them, were so familiar
they lacked the interest which newer
and less hackneyed numbers would
have carried. Many of the numbers an
nounced in the original program for
Friday night had never been heard
here in orchestral arrangement, and
among the professional musicians they
would undoubtedly have been espe-
cially welcome.
Mr.. Damrosch, standing as he does
at the head of the Wagnerian inter-
prefers and conductors of this country,
certainly gave every selection with
mastery and decisive reading. His
skill as program maker was shown,
too, when in responding to an encore
after the brilliant ride of the Val
kyries," he offered the magnificent
piece of sustained tonal work in the
Introduction to the third act of ode
Meistersinger."
Mr.. Saslavsky, who played the violin
solo in the study Dreams" from
Tristan and Isolde" plays with a
wonderful singing tone, and uses a
magnificent instrument, from which
the tone rolls in full vibrant quality,
plainly perceptible even when in con-
cert with the entire orchestra. In his
solo work this and most expressive
shading We're two distinctly admirable
qualities, but there was in some of
the more legato work slight lack of
unanimity in bowling and lingering.
Work Is Wonderful
Whatever of criticism there might
be over the triViality and smallness or
some of the orchestra numbers given
in previous programs was amply atoned
for by last nights wonderful renditions
of great classics.
The Tschaikowsky "Sixth Sympho-
ny" in B minor (pathetique), was
played in it's entirety, and such read
ing of this gigantic work has rarely
been heard. To many this ponderous
symphony represents the writing of
a soul in torment, the agony of self
pity: but it's nobility stood out with
almost startling truth in the interpre-
tation of Mr.. Damrosch
The great Russian has risen to
heights of grandeur surpassed by no
other composer except the immortal
Beethoven, and even when plunged in
the depths of despair can find express
sion for the beautiful in his nature
through the wonderful music thoughts
of his symphonies.
The second part of the program was
made up entirely of the works of Wag-
ner. AS a Wagner interpreter Dam
rosch ranks with the greatest In the
world, and hence can speak with au-
thority.
The prelude to "Die Meistersingers."
with all its wealth of intricate yet