New-York tribune., 1908-03-20
MUSIC.
THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
New and Old American Compositions

DR. Muck paid tribute 10 American music az the
last of the evening concerts which he Is 10 coouCe
here at Carnegie Hall last night. He made I'd MS
programme Of compositions by Frederick > con
verse Charles Martin Loeffier and Edward A Mac
DoweIl. The first two were new the last 'he
Indian Suite" which had figured on three OF four
schemes by loca. orchestras this season oI-
cial interest in II was therefore enlisted oHlS
by its superior performance by the men nom
Boston and the obvious sympathy which Dr
Muck exhibited in its Interpretation. II there
of that aboriginal spirit N the com
position which its title the suo-tities over 't9
various movements and its employment OF 1e"
Indian themes suggest It would be pleasant duty
to discuss the reading given by the conductor
but Mr. MacDowell made no study OF the charac-
teristics OF the musical idiom OF the Indians So
far their performances are concerned ana
Or. Muck could not go beyond the printed page
All that he said Of last nights performance
OF the suite therefore, Is word OF praise foT the
brilliant quality the bands playing and the com
pleteness with which it performed its task
Mr.. Converse's contribution to the evening was
suite put together from the incidental music
composed for Mr.. Percy Mackayes drama Jeanne
dare" The suite was obviously made to save
the music from the fate of the play We rear
that it Will not prove exception to the rue
which time seems to have established Tor music
Of It's character Some of 1.-THE second movement
for instance-has independent beauty whose sP-
precaton does not call for the exercise OF fancy
warmed by the incidents OF the drama or the
familiar tale of the Maid of Orleans: some Of 1t
will appeal in vain in spite of its dramatic OF
poetic association. What may be said OF II IN gen
e-aI in the way OF appreciation applies to Its ntu-
raness-conventionality, if the extremists prefer
the word-of utterance at time when there Is a
prevalent notion that the only new music worth
listening is that which subjects the old ana
accepted elements Of the art to violence 1et
there are those-aud they not necessarily al
Philistines though the appelation is coming into
good repute). who think with SeIden and Goldsmith
that many old things most worthy Of affection
old scales old harnonies old instrumental COM
binations even. OF course. we must have the new.
and have them as Mr.. Loefier gave them TO Us
last night in his Pagan Poem with It's mo-
rnents Of exquisite imaginative as well as sensuous
beauty These moments. however were epIsodIc,
and while listening the composition, which ve
were invited TO hear as music inspired by the
eighth eciogue of Virgil the conviction would not
down that the piece had been labor1ousiy 0ulit
around the passage for three trumpets played N
the distance. with its accompanying song from ths
English horn and pianoforte. That music sounded
antique if must have ii so. and sounded
moreover Ike the evocation OF enchantsr's
wand but much OF that with which il IS asso-
ciated must wait till Debussy has completed his
education Of the PhiIistnes before it can boast cf
being understood and admired IL was brilliantly
played. of course though it wrenched the neuTitic
right arm of Dr. Muck which he spared as uluc1
as possible in conducting Mr.. Converses music and
called for telephone aid the conductor of the
stage. who had to give the cues 70 the hidden
trunpetcrs Fl. E x.