New-York tribune., 1909-11-15
MUSIC
The Sym phony Societg.

Nen' oiu not monopolize interest in the
occasion The concert was given in TIE
New Theatre. and curiosity touching the
~daptaoility Of that magnificent place as a
concert room was on tiptOe. II was not
IIlly satisfied though the general impress
SION was much more favorable than after
the rehearsal CT Antony and Cleopatra"
Fine days ago. The orchestra was dis
posed on the stage in a manner that was
eneeuve to the eye and was brought down
I the raH which separates the dramatic
orehestra from the audience. Il was ter
raced. and. for the greater part, incIose5
oy a scene sufficiently sumptuous 70 make
an imposing picture for all except the occu-
pants OF the pToscenium boxes and the
foyer boxes near the stage. For them
there eould be no help I'm room which ex-
tends so far on each side Of the prosceniurn
arch as The New Theatre does there the
view had 10 be partial. The best effects.
both Of sight and sound. were enjoyed bv
The occupants OF the galleries To them
the band OF musicians looked splendid. and
the volume of sound was superb and in the
highest degree impressive. Below there
were localities where the string instruments
seemed lacking in brilliancy and the general
Voice wanting In homogeneity. But all things
were not as favorable 20 the music as they
can be made. The stage is deep and has q
cspacious NAV 1t can swallow much sound.
and the boxing was not complete. No doubt
this VIII be Temedied as one result Of yes
terdays experiment. The vast difference
In volume and quality OF tone as heard on
the main floor and in the galleries suggest
ed that the greater depth ~ the higher
g!ons Is acoUstically advantageous. That
VIII be proved by time. No sensible and
experienced person will b. disposed 20 pro-
noUnce Judgment on such q matter after 4
single trial though IL Is frequently the case
that the best seats In concert rooms and
opera houses are those which are nearest
the ceiling and far from the stage.
The choice seats for music lovers In the
Academy OF Music at the Philharmonic
concerts were Tar back in the topnost gal
lsry; and this was true, also, OF the old
Academy in Brooklyn A great deal OF
study has been devoted 70 the science Of
acoustics as applied to Buildings within the
last few decades, and IL has seemed at
times as II principles had been discovered
which ought 20 insure success in the con-
struction OF rooms designed for musical
performances. Never were experiments
and observations made with more zeal.
labor. patience and ingenuity than those
which preceded the planning OF Boston's
symphony Hall; but after everything had
been done in accordance with principles OF
apparent validity the results we're con-
sessed TO be disappointing. In acoustics
the architect Is still slave Of chance. and
is generally free 70 admit the fact. The
authorities, from Pythagoras down 10 Tyn-
dali, have failed TO lay down a rule which
insures to designers Of buildings even
moderate or average degree Of success
The hall OF the Trecsdero in Paris was
built in strict conformity TO lines deter
mined by long and patient experimentation
with small models, the working theory be-
ing that sound rays we're reflected like
rays Of light When the vast room was
tried II WAS found 10 reverberate ike
bass drum When GARNER built his master
piece. the Grand Opsra. he fattered aim
self that IL was acoustically perfect: but
he took no credit 20 himself for that fact.
/. He wrote a book. and in it confessed that
he had trusted entirely 70 luck. Ike the
acrobat who closes his eyes and cliags 20
the ropes OF an ascending balloon. "Eh
bien." he remarked in conclusion, 'Je suis
arriver But he trusted 70 chance only be-
cause he rad convinced himself by long
study of the futility % trusting 10 any
thing else. IN his book he wrote,
IT Is not my fault that acoustics and 7
can never come 70 al understanding. I
gave myself great pains 20 master this
bizarre science. but after fifteen years OF
labor ! found myself hardly IN advance OF
where I stood on the first day. True, out
OF books and from my colleagues I learned
that SOUND is p-opagated thus and 50. and
that strings vibrate IN such ana such man
ner- I saw that grains Of sand srrewn on
a glass plate formed themselves into Ger
tain figures when the plate was rubbed
with & fiddle bow. and knew that the air
was the ordinary medium through which
tho sound Is conveyed. 7 was as well posted
IN those things as most masters of science,
ana thought that when later I should want
10 put ny acousticaI book learning into
practice a few simple formulas would DO
tie business easily enough. I had read
diligently in my books and conferred in
GustriOusly with iloscphers-nowhere did
I find a positive rule OF action TO guide me;
on the contrary. nothing but contradictory
statements. For long months / studied.
tested. questioned everything. and after all
this travail / made finally this discovery:
A room 70 have good acoustics must either
b. long or broad. high or low, 0f wood or
stone, round or square. and so forth
] mus G-aElODeQ tg us leaCIeESs SA4 -4cI
gave up theory for practice. and made an
izquisitorial pilgrimage 10 al the Euro
pean theatres. but only 10 md THAI the
best results were obtained IN one place
from wood construction, and in another
from masonry. and that rooms built after
the same model were widely different
acousticauy. Chance seemed as supreme
IN the theatre world as IL was in the dream
world OF Addisons essay. II the architects
: Of The New Theatre have trusted 70 IL. II
can be said Of them that Il not absolutely
successful they were al least Iuckier than
GARNER. who congratulated himself in the
belief that he had arrived"
The music of the first concert 20 which
the walls OF The New Theatre echoed was
exclusively that OF Beethoven. Mr.. Walter
Damrosch PLAYED first the second OF the
/ three "Leonore" 0vertures. which is sell
+ dom heard but sounded familiar because
4 there is IN IL so much OF the material thai
vas used BY the composer in the third
.'I.eonore" overture. which is merely the
second in a revised form. Then Mr. Kreis-
! ler played the concerto played IL with an
exquisite finish which carried his hearers
csntive IL was not a hawless PERFORM
ance. fer an impetuOus spirit seemed 10
threaten 70 break out. 10 the disturbance
1 OF the repose which ought 10 exhale from
every measure Of the first movement. Al
length the moment for the Liberation OF the
tr,,pssuosisv came II was in the cadenza
] ~ ~,r-.o=ffiar Of his own IA which tbeF-