New-York tribune., 1910-01-31
MUSIC
A SUNDAYS CONCERTS.
Comment and Gossip, Pleasant and
UNPLEASANT

ne concerts which called for 6tIentioh
from music lovers Yesterday were chieny
those of the afternoon. although there were
attractive features at the Manhattan and
Metropolitan opera houses in the evening
Also especially at the latter where DR..
WuIlner sang songs by Schubert. Snding
and Schumann. 1t was day of incidents.
for some OF which she public were unpre-
pared. Mr.. Maher. at the extra concert in
the Metropolitan Opera House of the Phil
harmonic Society, had announced that the
first number of the programme would be
the bit of incidental music from Griegs
Peer Gynt'' descriptive Of the chase OF
the hero Of the fantastic drama by the
trolls through the subterranean halls of
the Mountain King II has frequently been
used in connection with the rest Of the
music which Grieg combined in a suite
70 close symphonic concert, but its rather
hashy and empty srotesquerie scarcely
seemed At as an introduction TO Beethovens
overture 10 "Coriolan.' the pianoforte con-
certo by Schumann. even the Fantastic
symphony by Berlioz So there was little
disappointment for the public on opening
the programme TO learn that march from
the same composers "Sigurd Jorsalfar''
had been substituted for it--little disap-
pointment and this may be said regret
fully little SURPRISE for never have Phil
harmonic programmes been so unstable as
they have been this season. But this was
only one of two changes After the over
ture TO "Coriolan." impressively, knowingly.
powerfully played as Mr.. Mailer has
played IL several times this season, MIR.
Arnold appeared on the platform TO an
nounce that owing 10 the ''indisposition
of Mr.. Josef Weiss (who had been adver-
tised as the solo performer of the after
noor) the Schumann concerto would be
played. on short notice and without rehear-
sal, by Mr.. PsoIo Calico. If there were
murmurs of regret they were inaudible
Perhaps few in the audience remembered
that a dozen years ago Mr.. Weiss was
local pianist. who alternately delighted his
hearers with exhibitions of delightfully."-
sound, poetical and musicianly qualities and
horrifed them with inartistic erraticisms
which sent them away from his recitals
unhappy. Mr.. Weiss was not 10 play; and
thereby hangs q tale. which may as we'll "a
not to be told. since this is column Of
sossipy comment.
Up to Saturday noon it was supposed
that Mr. Weiss (whose return to local
concert rooms seemed like that of an
artist redivivus) would play at the con-
cert. There had been two orchestral re-
hearsals for the concerto. Then it was
disclosed that between him and Mr.. Mahl-
er there was a misunderstanding about
the manner in which the orchestral tuttt
in the concerto ought TO be played Mr.
Mailer thought that the tutti were in his
field: Mr- Weiss thought they ought TO be
played as he wanted them to conform TO
his notions Of the spirit of the music
Disagreement, and hasty summons TO
Nine. Nero to play the concerto instead
of Mr.. Weiss. Nine Nero (only recently
a madame) sets to work to prepare the
concerto and strains tendon in her hand.
Work for hours Of masseuses. without
avail. At noon summons to Mr. Calico.
Play the Schumann concerto? Yes. GER
tainIy; but no familiar labor with IL for
two years, And a change Of pianoforte,
whereas for siXty-Seven years there had
been no official pianoforte at the concerts
OF the Philharmonic Society. And no op
portunity for rehearsal. Result: A dig
nifed. intelligent performance of the con-
certo indicating some want of co-opera-
ton in the dificult finale and triiing
lack of agreement in pitch between the
pianoforte, just hauled through the cold.
and the orchestra, but otherwise highly
complimentary to the performer who had
+ come TO the rescue Of the society in its
dilemma
The comedy OF the afternoon ended
there At The Nev-Theatre, where the
Symphony Society gave concert with
appealing music, old and new, all went as
smoothly as the launching of a ship. The
orchestra, under Mr.. Damrosch, which was
in unusually fine fettle, played Dvoraks
symphony From the New World" Charles
Martin Loeffier's "A Pagan Poem" with
Heinrich Gebhard at the pianoforte) and
a decidedly pleasing ballade with a side
title From the Days of Old" incompre-
hensible to non-Russians and unexplained
on the programme Mr.. Loefiers striking
composition. which was heard here At a
concert of the Boston Orchestra on March
II, 1908. made profound impression. and
if the composer. who was in the house,
had had less modesty and showed himself
he would have received an ovation.
There were large audiences at both of
last nights operatic concerts. At the
Manhattan the chief attraction was the
appearance of DIR. Ludwig Wullner, who
sang a number of German lieder. Other
singers who appeared were Nine. GerviIle-
Reache and Messrs. Dufranne, Huberdeau.
Duffault and Crabbe and Nine. Grippon.
At the Metropolitan the soloists were
Nine Fremstad and Messrs. WhitehiI and
Jadlowka a novelty on the programme
was the appearance of the Arion Singing
Society, under the leadership of Arthur
Claassen. II. L. Is.