The evening world., 1911-12-11
Cigars New
Symphony Is
Played Here
Work Of the Eng.
Hsh Composer Scarcely
Likely to Reach the
Level Of Appreciation
Won BY His First WAL
ter Damrosch's Flo.
Quent Lecture.
BY SYLVESTER RAWLING.

r. will not be the fault Of Walter
pamrosch II Sir Edward Cigars new
second symphony shall fail to win
q place as high as did his first. The
composition. which got its initial pres
entation In England last September,
sas performed for the first time in
New York yesterday afternoon at the
Century Theatre by Mr.. Damrosch and
the symphony Society Orchestra before
9 very large and attentive audience.
IL 10 dedicated to King Edward VII.
and bears the motto. the FIRST two lines
Of shelley's poem Invocation"
Rarely. rarely contest thou,
Spirit OF Delight.
MI. Damrosch prefaced the work by
one OF his illuminatlve d~iscourses on, it's
merits and Its meaning with illustrations
at the plano Of the principal themes
and motives and best passages. at which
he Is so inimitab BILE. He began with a
defense OF the composition against early
criticism that was unfortunate. but then
he proceeded to build a plausible theory
OF what Cigars symphony was meant
u convey. BY a skllfui rearrangement
OF Shelley's verses Mr.. Damrosch
showed that the symphony faithfully re-
hected the Intention OF the poem. He
reasoned that the first movement por-
srayed youth In full vlgor enjoying Life.
The second was a lament for joys that
had fed with increasing years. The
third was q hectic and fruitless chase
after Delight that had departed. and
the fourth was the ruminative philoso-
ply OF Life In It's autumn that found
there were compensations.
Accepting Mr.. Damrosch's programme
the musical progression is understand
able. The first movement certainly is
conceived In a joyous vein. 1t is not
Impressive at the beginning except that
there. as throughout the whole work,
the orchestration Is masterful, but soon
delightful passages are reached. There
Is = fascinating vision Ia recurrence to
the classic Greek, Mr.. Damrosch
thought. a celebration OF some pagan
festivaD described as Debussy might
nave done 1t with all his eluslveness
n something of his mysticism. /,
ends In a fairly riotous spirit.
With the beginning Of the second
movement. which Is a lament. or even
a d-ge. as Mr.. Damrosch said, no more
positve. Aggressive joyousness APP
pears. There is a bitter sweetness and
. spirit OF haunting disappointment. In
the rondo which follows. the music,
somettmes wildly fantastic In its pur-
sut OF Delight which has fed. never
strikes the real note OF Joy and for that
reason ITS we'll into Mr.. Damrosch's
Theory. Tho Anal movement, while II
has an noments Of inspiration, Is not
particularly impressive in its broodings.
Il 10 impossible TO form. after oni,
n hearing. q broadly comprehensive
n discriminating judgment of q work
such ~ this symphony OF Elgar's OF
which he must have labored hard for a
long period. Mr.. Damrosch's ~eloquenc,
and theories tend to influence one favor.
ably. but the belief remains that It I.
inferior In conception. In ldealism and IN
musical treatment to the composers
first symphony. His musiclanship. how
ever. would seem to be unimpaired.
The symphony took nfty-three minutes
In the playing. Mr.. Damrosch's intro.
dnctory lecture occupied twenty-five
minutes.
After the symphony Arthur Shattuck,
a young American pianist, played the
solo part In Rachmaninofr's lovely CON
certo In + sharp major. showing good
taste. an excellent tone and a simple
n unaffected manner.