New-York tribune., 1909-11-11
MUSIC
THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY


Al Carnegie Hall last night the rrst OF
a series OF historical concerts which are 20
be given on Wednesday evenings this sea-
son by the Philharmonic Society took
place under the direction OF Mr.. Mailer.
ASIDE from the reorganization OF the
ehestra. or which mention was made last
week this concert was the first fruit OF
the new regime for which the society
abandoned the communal and cooperative
Character which distinguished Il for sixty
seven years. There are TO be six OF these
historical concerts. and their programmes
nave been planned 10 cover the field OF
music from the period of Bach down 20 to-
day A large stride was made last night
when the names Of Bach. Handel Rameau.
Iretry and Haydn were on the scheme.
Inc representation was unequal. Bach and
Hadyn monOpolizing the orchestral music,
Handel and Gretry being disposed OF with
opera airs, and Rameau with the familiar
hsaudon from "Dardanus." This circum-
stance and the fact that the first OF the
Bach pieces was a eompages Of movements
IT ON two OF his suites. instead OF single
composition in IL presented in It's integrity
initiated somewhat against the educational
value OF the scheme. though II added 20
us variety, and for that reason may have
Deen more agreeable 10 the audience than
more severely consistent list OF pieces
would have been. Concert audiences are
not conservatory classes. and II was per
haps unnecessary 10 enforce upon last
nights assemblage that at the time o,
Bach all the movements which made UP
the art form called the suite were In the
same key. Mr.. Mailer took the Overture
Rondeau and Badinerie from the suite in 3
Minor and consOrted with them the well
known air and gavotte from the first
OF the two suites in -. To complete the
old masters representation Mr. Theodore
Spiering. the new concertmaster OF the
philharmonic Orchestra. played the viO-
lin concerto in f major. All this music
has long had place in local concert
schemes; 50 has the symphony in ID mo
: In Breitkopf q Hartels edition.. which
brought the concert 10 a close. The un-
familiar pieces were the opera airs. and
for them. as well as for the exquisite man
ner in which they were sung. a hearty
expression OF gratitude is due TO Mrs
Rider-Kelsey. They were an aria canta-
bile from Handers "Fisvio'' beginning
"Quanto dolci quato care" and an aria
q d'tmitazione C'Naissantes feurs'D from
Gretry's "Cephale et Procris." which Mrs
Rider-kelsey sang in English Both are
gems, and with them the singer has made
a welcome addition 70 the concert roper
tory.
Not only the music but also the man
ner of performance was in keeping with
the period chosen for representation Mr..
Mailer conducted all the music except the
symphony seated at a clavier. WHICH took
the place Of the old harpsichord and played
the figured bass part Ohe Continue" as IL
was called on II. The instrument is here
called by the generic name OF the old
stringed instruments with keyboard sim
ply because there is no other name which
will Ar. II was not a harpsichord but a
Steinway pianoforte with hammer action
modified 10 produce a twanging tone
resembling that Of the harpsichord but
OF greater volume. Mr.. Mahler used
a similar instrument at the opera when
he produced Mozart's ''Nozze di Figaro
and Don Giovanni last season. The ef-
feet is obtained by using small hammers
Of wood and iron. The effect was not
favorably received by the musicians in last
nights audience, but was probably as near
that heard in Bachs day could be OBJ
tanned considering the vast difference in
conditions. Even IL the old art OF playing
the Continue were not lost we should have
To hear this music from small band in
2 small room and with real harpsichord
in order TO obtain a full realization Of what
the suites OF Bach and the concerti grossi
OF Bach and Handel sounded like when
they were written.
The effect Of the ciavier was unduali-
fiedly admirable however in the accom-
paniment TO the Handel air, in the original
score OF which the bass stalks unclothed
with harmony beside the voice. and the
other instrumental parts are practically
silent except In the tnterludes The
GretOry number is in a different case, for,
being an air Of invitation" flutes AMI
oboes are freely employed in harmony with
the text.
"Naissantes ieurs. cessez d'eclore,
Oiseaux indiscrets. taisez-vous."
10 suggest the singing Of birds.
Being occupied with the accompaniment.
Mr. Mailer had TO do without the pre-
cision which he would have obtained had
he given all his attention TO directing the
band, but the strings gave a better ac-
count Of themselves than they did last
Thursday evening. Mr.. Spiering created
the impression Of a refined. well equipped
and sensitive musician, but an obvious
nervousness robbed his performance OF the
concerto Of that supremely essential quail
ity in all art-repose. H E X