New-York tribune., 1909-03-17
MUSIC
BEErHovEN,s CHORAL SYMPHONY.

l
which Mr.. Walter Danrosch has conducted in Ne"
York. the forces under his control nave s'ei
given. The programme consisted OF a single nun
Der. and this performed twice. The nunoef
was the Choral Symphony. The scheme OF oou-
BILE performance Of the symphony smacked a good
deal Of sensationalism in the announcement Won
Bdlow tried the experiment once IN Germany out
much could be forgiven the erratic doctor Whlch
could scarcely be pardoned in another. But MI
Damrosch seemed not only willing to endure the
comments which he must have known WouId De
called by his proceeding but TO invite others,
He not only repeated the symphony, after oTleA
intermission. but he essayed an experiment win
out precedent far as we know ana gave liie
solo parts into the keeping of a small chorus OF
thirteen voices-three sopranos. three contraAtos'
four tenors and three basses- He also caHeo To-
gether a chorus, unusual in its composition at
least, of three hundred voices from the Ora
torio Society the Calvary Church choir ana
the Philharmonic of TarTytown Moreover-aho
herein lay the feature of the performance "hlch
was fruitful of resuts-he subjected the great
work a careful study and made such changes III
the score he believed would bring 1t closer tnah
usual to the appreciation of listeners II this
report were designed for the edfcation OF pro-
fessional musicians II might be worth While 10 go
into details touching these changes but inasnuch
they all of character sanctioned DE the
conduct of of the best men OF the musical
world (and therefore the sincerest lovers Oh
Beethovens music, and would not be understood
by the general public, 1t is not necessary 10 dls-
of what Wagner and Won Bdlow did to bring to
notice the melodic contours which were sometimes
blurred hidden by the shortcomings OF the IN
struments IN use in Beethoven's day and the want
OF skill in the players was repeated by MI Dam
rosch. In addition he exercised his Judgment in
respect of dynamic nuances. but never to the
disturbance OF the spirit mood of the conpo-
sition.
Three features however. striking enough TO
arrest the attention OF every amateur. The first
has been mentioned: Instead OF a quartet, a srnaH
chorus sang all the solo music except the opening
proclamation in the vocal finale and the tenor solo,
which were sung respectively by Frederick Weld
and Reed Miller. The effect of this change was
striking striking be disposed of at this time
There a loss in contrast-there was a gam III
homogeneity. There less gasping for breath'
less evidence OF a struggle with the cruel dlicuity
of the music, but also less color No more can DO
said except an expression of praise for the manner
In which the small chorus performed the work
The second feature was one which Mr.. Damrcsch
submitted TO a trial At the repetition OF the
symphony he separated the slow movement ana ue
finale by a very brief pause. He did what no con-
, ductor has done before in New York. except MT.
Wengartner at a Philharmonic Society concert
some five years ago. At that time the proceeding
was enthusiastically commended by The Tribunes
music reviewer Last nights experiment confirmed
him in his opinion that it thus that Beethoven
intended the work should be performed IL IS
indeed not only highly illuminative OF the COM
poser's poetical purpose. If that purpose was a
celebration of hunanity's struggle for Joy; it IS
essential to a clear expression Of that purpose
Let a hurried argument be attempted
The last movement OF the symphony opens with
turbulent presto of the wind instruments. mad
and despairing shrek which Is interrupted by the
famous recitative OF the basses; then the dis
cordant fanfare is repeated with angry emphasis
and again comes expostulation from the instru-
ments which seem to be trying TO adopt the human
form of speech. Now. in succession. come brlef
"reminiscences from the three preceding movements
one another by deciamatory passages
In differing moods the basses After the three
movements have thus been passed in review the
wood-wnd Instruments suggest the melody which
later we find associated with Schiller's "Ode to
Joy and the bass express their salts
faction with the tune plainly as inanimate IN
struments Now they act on the gracious sig-
gestion of the wood-winds, sing the melody
10 the end In unison. and then deliver II to
the orchestra which puts it through
series Of variations These running out into
a complacent rttornellO, when the horrid opening
din is heard again. louder and more rasping than
before for the strings, too. add their voices TO
the clamor As before. there comes an Interrupt
ton but this time the expostulation comes from
human lips and IS clothed with articuate speech
The solo barytone addresses the instruments: 20
friends not these tones Rather let US unite In
more pleasant ones and more joyous Then, like
| the bass Instruments before him, ne sings the JOY
melody TO SchIler's words to the end and transfers
IL TO the chorus. Vocal variations supported By the
orchestra take the place OF the instrumental which
before
! that defniteness Of expression which could come
| only from the word has been achieved. A perfect
apparatus composed OF many parts. each efficient in
a degree bu: endowed with a higher efficiency
| through cooperation. hymns the praise of Joy
| II Beethoven had wanted the finale to succeed
| the slow movement without a pause, II is easily
| said he might have omitted the customary double
! bar between two movements or written
| offacca II. He did neither OF these Things.
| But note this that he omitted the fTmdfd which
is found in the score at the conclusion of the first
| and second movements. Some ten years ago or 80
ST. George Grove called attention this point in
a letter To ''The London Times and expressed the
| hone that thenceforward the symphony would
never he performed without Beethoven's plain d.
rection'' being carried out as 1t had been by Slr
Arthur Sullivan at the festival Of 1889. The
editor of THE Musical Times" took issue with Sir
| caorga on the ground that examination of the
! scores of the other symphonies did not bear out
! his contention. Both gentlemen were partly right
! and partly wrong; but, reasoning from analogy
| Sir George had the better of the argument A
! studv of F3eethovens scores shows he sometimes
! smoke significantly by using sometimes by omittng
the hold In the first symphony the sign is
! o,nItted. in the second 1t is used only. over
! the last unison of the hrst move
/ ,nsn+. in the '"Eroica" there is no hold except
over the last chord of the funeral march, but there
is whole measure rest at the end of the Scherzo;
there are no final holds in the c minor and dhdccd
| follows the second Allegro; numbers seven and
eight have no final holds. but the Pastoral is very
significantly marked-a hold over the last choro OF
the FIRST movement the last rest OF the second
movement; and though the Scherzo runs into the
storm and the Storm into the Finale without pause
there are double bars but no dftdccG MARKS winch
you'd seem 10 be a pretty plain indication that
beethoven thought his purpose was too obvious to
he misunderstood. They seem 10 be equally plain In
4 the Choral symphony. Why then, no Gftaced ana
| no hold after the slow movement? Perhaps. be
ao51aV1c nf kew