New-York tribune., 1909-11-08
MUSIC
THE SYMPHONY SOCIETY.

THE SYMPHONY SOCIETY.
The first OF this years Sunday afternoon
SUBSCRIPTION concerts by the Symphony
Society took place in Carnegie Hall yes
terday afternoon IL was originally in
TENDED that the concert should be given
Gas all the rest Of the series will be) in
The New Theatre. but the fact that that
Oeautiful room has not yet been opened 10
the public compelled a change. Perhaps
lt was z fortunate circumstance. as the
ulsatre would scarcely have held the audi
shce which Mr. Walter DamrOsch edited
ana entertained yesterday. EdifcatiOn and
enter 'alhinent. as well as amusement in
'he sense suggested by the classical root
OF the word, must have been in the con-
ductors mind when he planned the pro-
sramme- IL began with Sir Edward Ell
gar symphony in A fat, which Mr. Dam
sosch introduced to New York's music
ioFers last January. and which made so
ueep an impression at its first hearing
tlat ne felt Justified I'm repeating it twice
within a month and making IL feature OF
the concerts which he gave later in the
principal cities of the West The SYM
Phony Is noble music. and its hearing yes
tsrday again called up the conviction that
Is not only one of the proudest musical
products OF Great Britain for q half cent
ury' out in thought ana workmanship, in
sheer beauty and spiritual exaltation, the
hhest work OF it's kind produced anywhere
since the last symphony composed by
bFanms Mr.. Damrosch and his men have
worked their way pretty close TO the heart
or the composition. They play il with
Keeling warmer than respect or reverence.
ana though there were places in which in
teresting features OF its intricate struct-
ure were LETT undisclOsed. IL stirred the
audience TO an expression Of gratitude and
delight not often met with IN our concert
rooms
After ff,y minutes OF music Of such seri-
Gus import Mr.. DaInrosch evidently thought
II unwise further TO tax the minds and emo
tiols OF his audience. There was a nause
Tor rest. and then came q second part COM
posed OF pieces which fell lightly and pleas
antiy into the listeners ears. All OF II was
unfamiliar, and two Of the three coruposl-
u"hs were announced as given for the first
time IN AmertCa-nO doubt correctly The
hrst of these consisted Of four numbers from
pallet, lie petits Tiens." by Mozart, an
overture OF considerable dignity as well as
grace and beauty. and three dances. the
second OF which served an admirable sub
sldiary purpose In disclosing the excellence
OF the orchestra's flute. There are hun
arcds OF compositions by Mozart which have
never been publicly performed in New York
ana never will be. but not all OF them for
the reason that has kept this ballet music
silent As music by Mozart IL is not Of
great moment. but has enough blithe charm
10 deserve occasional performance at an
orchestral concert of a popular kind. II
mas nor been heard before. We fancy, simply
because it has not long been known 10 even
students OF Mozarts music For eighty
FIVE years it was lost, and the concert ar
rangenlent which Mr.. Damrosch used YES
terday was not published until about two
years ago. The story Of its composition is
interesting. In I77s, when Mozart was
twenty-five years old. he made his memo
rabls visit to Paris. There he met Jean
Georges Noverre. whom he had known in
Vienna as director Of the ballet al the Court
Theatre Marie Antoinette had him called
70 Paris. where he became dancing master
10 the royal family and director of the bal
let at the Acad5mie Noverre promised 20
use his influence 10 get him a commission
70 write an opera for the Academic, bu;
nothing came Of it. The prospect set Mo
zart 10 studying Freuchss however. and in
letter 10 his father he described il as "of
music than even German. While filled with
the ambition he wrote twelve pleees-an
overture and eleven contra-dances-for a
ballet contrived by Noverre entitled ''La
petits riens" There were six pieces by
other composers-'six miserable French
songs" wrote Mozart 10 his father-anh
the ballet had four performances. II made
so little an impression on his mind. how
ever. that when his father asked him about
il few weeks after il had been produced
the fact that he had written II had all but
escaped the mind OF the composer.
Baron Non Grimm. who had been exceed
inSly kind 10 Mozart when he was travel
ling as prodigy, praised the ballet in his
letters. but said not a word about Mozart's
music. In fact, he vas never mentioned in
connection with il. Otto Jahn. who wrote
a monumental life Of Mozart, and KocheI.
who compiled a monumental catalogue Of
his works, both record the incident OF the
composition OF the ballet and agree in
saying that the music had been lost. IRE
covfrably lost are Jahn's words. but Mr..
Nuittir found the score IN the Library OF
the Opera in 1873, and an arrangement OF
it for concert performance made by Georse
GohIer. and published ia 1907 by Breitkopf
and Hartel.
Prom Bohemias Forests and Meadows
which is No. OF the set OF pieces entitie
Ma Nlast." Dy Smetana, 20 which the
much more beautiful ''Nltava" belongs, was
as good as new, though il cannot hold
candle 20 The popular symphonic poem and
the still more popular overture 10 THE
Bartered Bride" Still. IL was fresh ana
invigorating, whereas the RimsSy-korsa-
kow's transcription Of q Russian tolksonS
sounded rather empty, Ike a wen sci
march made up OF commonplace ideas.
II. F.. n.