The sun., 1910-02-25
TIE BOSTON ORCHESTRA
CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN
AND CELLO.
Performance Of . Composition seldom
GtVen-Serge RachmnnIn0fr's Isle or
the Dead Heard Once AEain--AIsO
SehubNVt's UnalnLshed symphony.

rertOFm1nce Of y OOupOsluou SetuOh'
GtVcn-serse RachmnnInOH's isle Of
the Dead HeAFSI Once AEaIn--AIsO
schub~rts diminished symphony.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is
IN town again. and at its concert in Car
negie Hall last night offered programme
which for liberality of taste could hardly
he surpassed. The opening number
was Schubert's "Unfinished- symphony.
Those who are acquainted with the ways
OF orohestras and the conductors of
orchestras have been morally certain that
the season could not come to an end with
out a performance OF this compositio
by the musicians from Boston. Other
orchestras have played it this season.
so OF course this one had to.
Without doubt this particular work
was selected for last nights concert
seven or eight months ago. and it was
impossible to make any alteration in the
arran cement even after it was learned
that New York orchestras were going
to play this music az us. Well and good,
the Boston Symphony Orchestra has
also played il and that is a sufficient record
OF the manifold presentations Of Franz
Schubert's two movements.
The second number on the list was the
double concerto OF Brahms for violin
and cello. This composition, the opus
l02 of it's writer. is seldom heard. for it
does not belong to the class OF pieces
which court the favor Of the indolent
public. Il takes honest listening to
extract the true delights Of the work.
Ones attention is aroused by the un-
commonly fine Introductory cadenza for
both instruments at the beginning Of tho
first movement. but when the real pres
entation OF the composers conception.
namely that OF a concerto crosse mod
ernized. begins. the hearer is likely 10
lose himself in a maze Of speculation.
The composers method OF moderniz-
ing the concerto crosse is to contrast the
utterance Of the two solo instruments
treated in the manner Of chamber music
combination with that OF the orchestra
treated not in the ripieno fashion OF the
old concerto but in the full throated style
OF a modern score. II one can quickly
enter into the spirit of this treatment it
will provide striking beauties to hear.
The slow movement Is naturally easier
to grasp. for here the reflective and
musing melancholy OF the genius OF
Brahms is revealed in a new and en-
trancing way. The singing OF the song
by two individual voices, supported by
the rich choral OF the orchestra, is extraor-
dinarily beautiful. and the writing for both
instruments is such that II furnishes the
two players with materials for the best
exhibition OF their art.
The finale il notable for the lavish
employment Of thematic matter. II is
almost rhapsodic in its presentation OF
ideas. The work was the last in which
Brahms wrote for orchestra. His subse-
ullent compositions were in the field OF
chamber music. Those who always note
the opacity Of tint employed by this
master will find il also in this concerto.
but those who understand the melodic
idiom of Brahms will wish that this music
might I've played oftener. II was admi-
rably done last night by Willy Hess and
Alvin Schroeder. who had evidently de-
voted loving study 10 the composition.
Serge Rachmaninof's symphonic poem
&4ar B0cklin's picture, The Isle OF the
Dea&.- was the third number on the
programme. This work was performed
here by the Russian Symphony Orchestra
under the direction of the composer on
JAnuATN 20 VII NtAtt DCtttHiOii Wv AhueeAdh
symphonists discovered that they could
play better than they had supposed they
could.
Mr.. Rachmaninotf's symphonic poem
is not a trle copy OF Arnold B6ckiin's
imaginative canvas. I'm the latter there
is a phantasmal island rising from a silent
sea. 4 boat carrying a dead body and
guided by a white robed figure approaches
the islayd The whole story is told in a
profound whisper.
Mr.. Rachmaninoff. however. appears
to use the picture only as a point OF de-
parture. He begins with sigh. but he
soon finds himself reused to passionate
utterance quite at variance with the
subdued speech OF the painter. How
ever, IL is all quite proper. The COM
poser is we'll within his artistic rights
and his music is capable OF standing on
it's own feet without the assistance OF Mr..
Bocklin's conception
The final number OF last nights concert
was the prelude to Wagner's Die Meister-
singer" This too has been played 10y
other orchestTas in the course Of tho
current season and tho snd is not yet.
Some time before the final curtain falls
on the opera season the thrilling Ny"
Toscanini will deliver himself OF reading
Of the entire lyric comedy OF Wagner.
Until that time let no dog bark