The sun., 1908-11-13
MUSIC MADE FOR RUSSIANS
THEIR OWN SYMPHONY OR.
CHESTRA PLAYS 1T.

Tina Lerner Comes All the way From the
rSCountry to Play . STUPID COneeF.
to- Orchestra Plays Tschalkowsly'
Pathetic" symphony Patheticaily.
The first concert Of the Russian SYM.
nhony Society's season took place last
night at Carnegie Hall. The programme
consisted Of Tschaikowsky's sixth SYM
phony. Ladow's 'Baba YaEs," Glazou-
now's -Marionettes.' Rachmaninov's sec-
ond piano concerto and Rimsky X orsa-
kow's Spanish caprice. Tho solo per-
former was Tina Lerner. who has recently
arrived from Russia. This programme
was too long by precisely the extent Of the
time It took to play the pieces by Liadow
and Glazounow. but Conductor Modest
Alsohuler has educated. his audiences
to expect their skerbet between the real
courses Of their feast and he has reaped
his lust retribution In teaching them to
like the sherbet best
AZ any rate the only thing that stirred
lis hearers to enthusiasm last night was
the childish trihe OF Glazounow. which
had to be repeated. Now, just here one
sorrowful word has got to be said. II it
was to educate people to taste for this
sort of nonsense that the Russian Sym
phony Orchestra was organized. 90 be It.
But the institution cannot make itself
the propagandist Of this kind OF art and
expect to be regarded as subject Of criti-
cal consideration.
On the other hand neither can it play
Tschaikowsky's masterpieces as 1t played
the Pathetic symphony last night with
out calling forth comment of unpleasant
character. The unimportant fancies of
the Russian composers do not need to
be thrust upon public which hears plenty
Of real music, and the genuine works Of
art made in Russia should not be torn
to tatters in order that Russian Sym
phony Orchestra may have occupation.
Rachmaninow' s second piano concerto
was played here with the Russian Sym
phony Orchestra by Raoul Pugno on
November IS, 1905. At that time The
sun noted that the composition seemed
quite aimless and altogether ungrateful
TO the pianist. But Miss Tina Lerner
rushed in where Pugno failed to tread
with success. Yet he was much bigger
pianist than she. physically as we'll as
artisfically. Miss Lerner demonstrated
last evening that she could play fast
and that her fingers had been through
the usual course of exercises prescribed
in conservatories for the instruction of
the young in the art Of manipulating the
keys. Her scales were perhaps not as
clean as scales should be. nor was there
in her SUGGESTIONS Of chords that power
OF sound necessary to make them VIC
torious in their combat with the incessant
din OF Mr.. Rachmaninow's orchestration.
But it was nice, ladylike playing and
made one feel that gentle, warm. half
somnolent feeling that comes over one
in the time of commencements and fair
girl graduates. AS for tone. perhaps
Miss Lerner has more than she chose
to let loose last night That which was
heard was small and Of monochromatic
SORT The rich tints Of the piano may
or may not be at this players command.
but in the unimportant pages OF this
Rachmaninow concerto they found no
suggestion for their exercise.
In short. Miss Leiner came a very long
way to a very little Her performance
was of a mild and soothing nature. She
may indeed be regarded as a great player
n Russia. She may be the Fanny Bloom
feld-Zeisler of Yakutsk or the Teresa
Carreno Of Vladivostok: but those places
are far, far from old Broadway. They
are almost as far as Miss Lerner's play
ing is from the kind that creates public
intarast in thia erneriennai citv