The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-30

i, some time after he had finished the sym phony: Thus fate knocks at the door, and between that opening knock and the tremendous rush and sweep of the finale, the emotions which come into play in the great conflicts of life are depicted.
 "Berioz says of this symphony:
 " The symphony In c minor appears to me to be the direct and unmixed prod uct of the genius of its author, the de- velopment of his most individual mind. His secret sorrows, his fits of rage or de- precision, his visions by night, and his dreams of enthusiasm by day, form the subjects of the work; while the forms of both melody and harmony, of rhythm and instrumentation are as essentially new and original as they are powerful and noble.'
 "In the Fifth, as in the Third sym phony, we find that concentration of thought and labor which makes these two musical poems so all-powerful and overwhelming in their effect. It Is not marked by spontaneous flow of musical phrases lightly strung together, or by mere toying with musical forms; but each motive represents a concentrated essence of thought, which once heard, makes an indellible impression, and apparently ad- mits of no change. His sketch book shows what infinite labor Beethoven bestowed upon the modelling of these unique themes before he adopted the forms in which they are used in the symphony. Once they had left the masters hand l.. i. facts; and it took little more than the musical Vulcan at his smithy to drive these facts home until the merest tyro should feel their weight"
 Night Concert.
 This is the programme for the farewell concert tonight:
 PART l.
 1. Overture, 'Mignon' Thomas
 ?. Largo movement from the American Symphony-Dvorak.
 8. Suite Peer Gynt'-Grieg (a) At Daybreak; (b) Asa's Death; Co Anitrra S Dance; (d) In the Halls of the Mountain King.
 4. Overture, "The Merry Wives of Wind sor'-Nicolai.
 PART II.
 5. Stabat Mater-Rossini. Mime. Rider
 
 Veer, contralto; MT. Reed Miller, tenor; Mir. Gustaf HolmQuist, bass. Chorus and orchestra
 6. Concluding with Haydn's famous Farewell Symphony, when each musician in his turn blows out his candle and leaves the stage.
 Rossinis "Stabat Mater'' is a tuneful. glorious work. The solo quartet will shine and the festival chorus of 40 of Birmins- hams best voices will be heard for the first time. The orchestral introduction is rich and the orchestratlon throughout is exceedingly effective. The "Cujus Animan" will be sung by Mir. Miller. "Stabat Mater" are the opening words of Latin hymn ranked among the seven great hymns of the medieval church. It begins:
 "Stabat Mater dolorosa
 Juxta crucem 1acrymosa"
 C'By the cross, sad vigtl keeping Stood the mournful mother weeping"o The Rev. s. M Jackson, the well known Protestant writer, says: "As Dies Irae has been pronounced the greatest, so Stabat Mater Is deemed the most pathetic of hymns. It's author is unknown, but it is customarily assigned either to Pope h. nocent IT., who died in 12l6, or Jacopone da Todl, who died in 19Oa The hymn is still in constant use in the Catholic church, being sung on the festival of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin, and Is well known in a musical sense to all through the very beautiful and sympa- thetic music of Rossini."
 The chorus which will sing Stabat Mater tonight was trained by Prof. Fred L. Grambs, but 1t will be heard tonight with the orchestra under MT. Damrosch's baton.