New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-22
A Surprise for DR.. Dvorak-
Record of the Philhar-
monic and Other
Societies.

4 story used to be told. some thirty years
ago. 70 the effect that. in conversation with
an adrirer who was deploring the fact
that he had found so few opportunities TO
hear LISTS orchestral music the COM
poser remarked: If you want to hear my
rousic YOU must 20 10 New York. | should
myself like to hear it performed the way
il IS performed there" IT is possible per
hans more than possible, likely. that the
story is apoCryphal: but It was not far
from the truth. or course. foreign RECORDS
are not as readily accessible as local. but
one does not need 10 be either very old
or a very profound student Of musical CON
ditiops in the principal artistic cities OF the
world 10 realize that the energy which used
TO be more characteristic Of American
activity than II is now was exhibited in
other fields besides the commercial rev
things have been more amusing 10 the vet
eran observer in musical affairs than 10
note the amazement which comes into the
countenance Of a foreign conductor VINO
has come 10 the United States with the
conviction that he Is the first missioner In
high class music when he is told that all
OF his intended revelations are threadOare
in New York. The writer recalls meet
ing with Dr. Dvorak when ne came 10 be-
come director OF the National Conservatory
al Music In some mysterious way me
notion had got into his noodle that Inc
. Tribune's reviewer had acted as a sort OF
wet nurse or sponsor for his music IN
America. and ne dubbed over with express
slons Of gratitude. To set him right the
Tribune man began TO enumerate the titles
Of his compositions and tell about how long
lefore his coming TO New York they had
figured on American programmes Yes
interrupted Mr. Kneisel. VINO was sitting IN
the party. and ! have played your quintet
with double bass What cried the
composer. the quintet with double bass
have never heard that myself And then
confidentially. 1t was a prize composition
and I received five gulden for it,
Dr. Dvorak did not come 20 New York TO
take charge Of one Of the city's concert Or
carnations. but he represented the attitude
toward our musical status occupied by the
majority Of European CONTINENTAL mu-
sicians and writer's in music then and now.
List WAS bound TO know something TO the
contrary, for ne could not be ignorant OF
the fact that all Of his large orchestral
works had been heard in New York long
before they had found their way into the
concert schemes of most Of the capitals OF
Luropc. This IS not hard TO understand no.
does il necessarily speak for the culture oil
the local musical public, quite the contrary
for the less knowledge, the less conserNa-
tism; the less familiarity with the approved
old the less prejudice against the new Ine
less reverence for absolute beauty repre-
scented by the classics, the greater the
readiness TO accept the new with its appeals
10 the superficial sensibil!ues. the Things
which make an elemental appeal The pop
ular attitude is the same now with respect
10 the new gods that prevailed then with
1,spect TO List. lie could always reach the
nervous centres quicker than Haydn, MO
zart or Beethoven and he was accepted not
because the people knew too much ABOUT
HAYDN Mozart and Beethoven. but because
they knew too little. 1t is only really
cultured public that is conservative in art.
How veil was List known iu New York
generation ago. Peter than now I'm one re-
spect-that u.s. his music was Oftener played
And a decade or two before that? Better
still What pianists did with his para
phrases AMI other solo compositions nifty
years ago cannot he said out Of hand. j. is
fair presumption. however, that even in
the field IN which he was supreme BE- was
long admired more for his transcliptons
than for his original works. Bat his orches-
tral compositions, his symphonic poems
were PLAYED oftencr I'm New York forty
years ago than they aye nov Here We may
consult the records Of the Philharmonic So
ciety for all the evidence, for it was this
society which first gave a hearing 10 his
orchestral works In American and 70 which
he bore the relation Of an honorary mem
her from 1873 tin his death. He was
elected 10 The distinction in the same year
with Richard Wagner, and II is something
Of q coincidence that Of al the letters ~ &C
Acknowledgement received from their distin-
cu.shed predecessors only those Of Wagner
snd List were stin preserved in the ar
chiyes Of the society when this writer wrote
the Memorial History Of the Philharmonic
IN 1892 There we're very respectable mu-
sicians among those predecessors. Spohr
and Mendelssohn, ,s composers NieuX
temps Ole Bull Bottles nj. Herr Sivori and
Thalbers among instrumental yirtuosi, and
Jenny Lind, Henrietta Sontag Marietta Al.
boni and Nine. La Grange among singers
and no doubt List meant what ne said
when ho wrot.
With sincere appreciation. 4 reply TO the
honorable distinction represeuteq bN tNe
CllOIDe OF lIe fNliNal4-oHC oo'iely ~
New York. This diploma is rendered espe-
cially yaluat.' 30 me by the WORDS eNpres-
sive OF the i've which prompted II. viz.
"Bv his nj cOnpo>I tions has extended
the bounds II his art etc, and ther
cOnSonanc, .. the acts Of the Philhar-
monte So 20 performing many Of my
works.
Begging sou 20 communicate 10 the pres
ident directors and conductor OF the socl-
CIV my most obedient thanks, am. Win
much respfnL YOURS. +. l1oN'.
September 9TH, %. Nelmar
When Llsz. wrote thus to the Philnar-
monte Society eight OF his symphonic
poems had already had places on the pro.
grammes Of the Philharmonic Society, and
some OF them had already been repeated
several times: both his pianoforte concertos
had beer played at Philharmonic concerts,
and even his Dante symphony, a move
ment from mis- mass. written for the dedi-
cation OF the cathedral al Gran. and por-
ton Of his st Elizabeth works that are
all but unknown 10 the present generation
had been given hearing The pioneer I'm
this labor of making Lists music known
was Carl Bergman. who may have played
a few works not specifically Identified by
the remark first time but noted az FIRST
time by the society," in concerts Of the
Germania Orchestra Of which he became
a member on his arrival in America. IN
1850. lie began conducting concerts for the
Philharmonic Society in 1855, first in
alienation with Theodor Eisfeld and then
solely IN 1865. His propaganda for List
in the society began in 1853. on March p
OF which wear the name OF tie Hungarian