New-York tribune., 1911-12-22
MUSIC
LlSZT CENTENARY CONCERT
Philharmonic Celebrates Mem
ory of an Honorary Member.

honorary member from 1913 till his deatll,
thirteen years later But. though he had
been remembered at the first concert. MI
Stransky thought ii wise to devote an en-
tire evening to his music, and this was
done at last nights subscription concert.
This afternoon the procedure Will be re-
heated The programme was composed OF
music three-fourths of which was praCu-
calIy unfamiliar to even veteran concert
gocrs in New York and the remaining one
fourth 10 a large fraction of the audience
II a Judgment may be based on the enthu-
siasm with which a very mediocre perform
ance of the second pianoforte concerto, the
solo part played by Mr. Arthur Friedheim'
was received But Mr. Friedheim appar-
entity belongs to the List traditions ana
must be accepted as the bearer OF plenar!
inspiration; one of the several reasons why
LISTS music has not been an unadulterateu
10Y during the last three months. Inc
other three fourths of the evenings music
consisted of the symphonic poem, Die
Ideale" and the Dante" symphony. with
the performance of which there could not
well be a disposition TO quarrel, least of all
with the conclusion Of the symphony. IN
which the beautiful voices Of the female
contingent OF the MacDowell chorus pro-
duced a beautiful effect. As for the value
of the music itself, and of LISTS compost
lions I'm gencral-that is another story ana
may admit of some words which 1t is 10 be
hoped will be accepted as a valedictory on
the festive solemnities or solemn testlFl-
ties, which the centenary of the composer
birth have brought with it.
There are sentimentalists among writers
on art who affect to believe that it is. to
put it mildly. ungracious to say anything
but complimentary things about COM
poser until he has been long time dead
and then again ungracious when an ami
versary recalls attention to him and his
works, no matter how long he has oeeh
dead, so there be enterprising managers
and devoted disciples who take advantage
of the date to do business or make propa-
ganda for the music for which they have
a real or affected liking. II is little GU
rious, sometimes even amusing, to observe
how the distinctions are drawn. 1t has
teen highly laudable to praise Liszt this
year because he was born one hundred
years ago; IT will be equally laudable TO
praise Wagner when the anniversary OF his
birth is celebrated, two years from now
But we cannot recall that II was thought
necessary to magnify the merits of Mozart
twenty years ago because he had been dead
for a cextury or OF Beethoven last March
because ne had been dead eighty-four years.
Who has ever thought Of celebrating dn
New York; an anniversary of the birth or
death of HAYDN? Is il because I'm the case
Of these masters IL is sufficient that their
works sufficiently perpetuate their fame?
Probably; nay, most likely. How often
have we heard Liszt's words, 81 can wait,
quoted within the last three months. But
cid Liszt have TO wait for recognition either
as vlrtuoso or composer? Not If the rec
olds speak the truth; and how shall we 20
h, hind the returns" AZ the politicians say?
On the contrary as the record, printed IN
last nights programme. shows, List 9 COM
positions had more frequent performances
In the concerts Of New York more than a
generation ago than they have now. The
Society made a most vigorous
propaganda for his symphonies and sym
nhonic poems under Carl Bergman. and
so did Theodore Thomas afterward with his
-vn orchestra.
OF the compositions played last night,
Die Idealc" was first performed by the
Society in April, 1864, the
Dante" symphony just a year later Why
have they not been performed frequently
since7 The last performance Of the
symphonic poem in New York which we
can recall was one by the Philharmonic
Society. under Mr.. Thomas. IN 1857; the
last complete performance Of the symphony
ny the symphony Society on November y,
1851. though Mr.. Seidl produced the first
portion Of II at a concert Of the Scidl so
ciotv in BROOKLYN in November 1891. If the
fame Of Iiszt has been steadily growing,
as the centennial euloEists have 50 fire.
ououtIv asserted Of late. why have these
works lain so long on the shelf and the
noonIe been forced 10 content themselves
,,itb "ros Pr6ludcs." "Tasso" and MA
zcppa" when they have happened to he
performed in a peculiarly sensational man
nor? Also (and here a bit of patriotism
comes into play). why do We not hear
LISTS setting of the prologue 10 Longfel-
lows Golden Legend? Wagner wrote
march for the American people tn 1876 and
the conductors and people will have moth
ing of il: List composed music TO most
poem by an American poet,
vet the conductors will not let the Ameri-
can people hear it, Is the music so beau
tim as to be beyond popular appreciation
on this side Of the Atlantic? Or are they
afraid OF il?
Even in this centennial year II might be
wished that there were less cant I'm what
pasees i'm some circles for musical criti-
-, Il md
healthy tntcllects for the art as a whole,
frcoucntly making men gifted with intel
lect. taste and well controlled emotions be-
licye that music must be the proper pabu-
lun only for the affected, the anemic and
the neurasthcnic.
In the chatty biography which Rubinstcin
published in 1883 The great Russian pianist
expressed his opinion of List. Speaking Of
The List visit 10 Vienna in 1871, when
Rubinstcin conducted the orchestra at his
concert. he said: I'VE met as old friends,
sincerely attached To each other. / knew
his faults "a sort Of pomposity Of manner,
for one thing. but always esteemed him as
q great performer-a performer,-virtuoso
indeed, but no composer. | shall doubtless
he devoured piecemeal for giving such an
ouinion" Subsequent events did not justi-
fv Rubinstein's apprehensiOns; List died
I'm 1856. hc in 1904. and even IN this CEN
tcpuiaI year the world is pretty generally
agreed on the subject OF which he spoke
40 musician ever enjoyed 50 long, varied
and triumphant "a career as List. when
ta died he broke the link which connected
him and his contemporaries with Bee
.p,oyen Ills active musical life compasscd
nearly two generations; yet when he died
il was in the consciousness do which, in
deed. ne gave expression in his dedication
of the Dante symphony that his great
ost creative achievement was his contribu-
tion 10 the worlds acceptance OF the lyric
dramas of Richard Wagner Fond as lie
,c,s of his own intellectual offspring. hc
LL..-L lh..t ..--n.r.1 tl...-