New-York tribune., 1909-03-19
MUSIC
BOSTON ORCHESTRA PLAYS BRUcKNER.

When the present generation Of concert-goers has
grown old there may still be expected TO appear
here at decent intervals, new symphony by
Anton Bruckner. This, at least, is the indication
given by the OF progress thus far made In this
part of the world by the music Of the industrious
Austrian composer who finished his work and
passed in 1895. Bruckner wrote sheaf Of sym
phonies, but most Of them still unknown mere,
though another one, his eighth, in c minor, was
added last evening TO the local repertory by the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, under Mr. Max Fled
Ter. 1t took a little over an hour to make ac-
quantance with this score, and when its story was
told the impression made was not greatly different
from that left at least one similar occasion.
Bruckner speaks in the grand manner, ana with
voice that often attains surprising beauty OF or
chestral color. Certain of his procamations nota-
bly, that OF the brass choir in the final movement,
begin with the eloQuence of oracle, but ere they
have progressed far what they are uttering Is
found, after all, 10 be much more than some
musical truism long since bereft OF any but the
tritest character. Or to refer again TO the noPly
sonorous message of the brass instruments above
cited, 1t is of several passages in which Bruck-
ner has not been able to forget what Richard Nag-
ner had done before him; here 1t is 'ParsifaI
that haunts the consciousness of the composer and
his auditors
This c minor symphony is in four movements,
the first marked allegro moderate, the second a
sclerzo, with an andante middle section; the third
a very long and often very lovely adagio and the
finale a solemn summing up Of the matter. The
opening theme piQues curiosity. and at the same
time gives promise of grim power not destined to
be realized The melodic contours soon lose their
functional quality. and there long passages
from which the impulse and fervor of creation are
wholly absent Yet in this first movement
the least interesting of the four there are episodes
that momentary arouse the hearers perception OF
what is broadly persuasively beautiful The
scherzo is shorter and II represents the composer
at his best Its leading theme. aptly described by
the annotator of the programme book as possessing
a rough humor. discloses vitality and provides
basic design that Yields variety in its deve-
opment The trio OF the scherzo, already referred
TO, is gracious and winning. Bruckner set no
bounds his musical meditation in the adagio, and
It is fun of fine fancies, of them pursued until
they elude the composer and his auditors and some
again carried definite conclusions. The last
movement falls below the second and third in In
terest at least at first hearing but It IS stamped
with the same touch of grandiloquence that ever
and anon comes near TO being transformed into
genuine eloquence and conviction only 10 fall short
of comprising real Importance of musical thought
The performance Of this Bruckner score oy MI
Fielder and the Boston musicians strongly ac-
cented throughout. and the work fairly glistened
with orchestral felicities. The brass choir was
especially happy in its very considerable task
Bruckner leaned heavily upon this section Of his
band and wrote for It's members with consummate
skill. The role given 70 the four tenor tuoas by
the composer particularly fortunate. ana last
evenings doings emphasized the distinction and ef-
fectiveness of these instruments The audience
showed by lis temperate dpplauSe tHe' N4'N 49,
symphony had created deep impression
Not content with playing one novelty, Mr. Fiedier
followed the Bruckner work by Paul Scheinphug
Overture to a Comedy Of Shakespeare, Op. 10
Schenpfug is a German composer. about thiF-
ty-five years old and this overture has just been
published It betrays orchestral iuexperence in its
opening measures which lack incisiveness. though
the theme calls that quality. and Its introduc-
ton Of an English sixteenth century melody (Which
Mr.. Philip Hale Identifies with that OF Meridlah
H--f f-tfz To f-1i
taneous once infused into the score. however this
pleasant old dance tune exercises a happy infiu-
ence upon the remainder OF the overture, and the
piece as a whole proved worth giving. After these
two new compositions came Debussy's prelude 70
The Afternoon Of a Faun" which has been more
poetically played here and the concert ended with
the one commanding work OF the programme, NaS-
ner's prelude to Die Meistersinger"