New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-08
THE BOSTON ORCHESTRA
End of Its Second Visit to
New York.

Muck produced Beethoven's eighth sym
| phony. Schumann's overture 10 "Geno-
veva," Brahms's violin concerto (the solo
| part played by Fritz Kreisler) and the
second OF the four overtures which Bee
thoven wrote for his opera "Fidelio. -
that known TO concert lists as 'Leonore
No. g." All this music, except the Schu-
mann overture was extremely familiar
and the symphony had already been
heard here this season. IL was most ex-
quisitely played, but what gave II a
special interest In the minds OF tie curl
Gus in such matters was a study OF Or.
Auck's attitude toward feature OF the
work which at intervals since Wagner
| called attention TO Il has challenged
comment. Old readers OF The Tribune
may remember that discussion OF
the proper tempt Of the two middle
movements was had i'm this Journal
az long ago as 1889, I'm which besides
the reviewer DR.. Won Biilow and Bee
| thoven's' great biographer. Alexander w.
Thayer, himself a Tribune man some
sixty years ago and an interested reader
| or II down to his death, took part. II
was through Wagner that an exaggerated
slovness OF many tempt, which still pre-
walls chiefly In Germany, came into
| fashion. He protested against what he
considered the hippancy Of Mendelssohn.
and out OF his remarks grew the notion
that Beethoven wanted the third move
ment OF his eighth symphony treated as
the slow movement because he had pre-
scribed tempo 81 menIetto' for Il
at time when through his own example,
largely. the old-fashioned dance move
ment had become a scherzo. But Beetho-
ven had also noted metronomlc indication
which made II plain that he wanted the
piece TO proceed at an extremely fast pace
"A faster pace. indeed. than any conductor
has ventured upon In all the many years
| Of this writer's experience with the work.
When Or. Won BGiow conducted the SYM
| phony at concert In the Metropolitan
| opera House. in March. 1889. he played
the movement fully one-third slower than
Beethoven marked II. and defended his
course on the ground. among others. that
| Beethoven had been mlsled In his mark
| Ing by an incorrect instrument A fact
| that seems 10 have been overlooked in the
| many discussions which have taken place
| concerning the relative tempt OF tho two
movements Is that Beethoven plainly con-
| ceived the entire symphony I'm a merrier
mood than his interpreters have done dur
ins the'last generation. Here some com
parstlve figures are Interesting. The COM
poser called for tempo indicated by
sirty-nine measures (the dotted half note
being the unit hcre) 10 the minute; DR..
Won Bdlov in 1889 was thirteen meas
ures to the minute slower than this. Mr.
Seidl on an average ten measures slower
at a Philharmonic concert in December.
1894. and Mr. Safonoff the same al n Phil
harmonic in January 1906. DR.. Muck's
tempo yesterday was In perfect agreement
with DR. Won Bl'ow's.
II must not be understood that the
composer or any Of his Interpreters ever
metronomIc mark All that Beethoven
wanted was 10 give hint which should
serve a general purpose-prevent a gross
misconception OF his purpose. Though
he rallied against all mechanical con-
trivances at times. he yet championed
the use of MAILS instrument with great
warmth, and this even after he had
had n quarrel with the inventor which
reached the law courts. He was within
five months OF his death when he sent
the metronomic marks for the Ninth
Symphony to the publishers and the
Philharmonic Society OF London. That
his conception OF n proper tempo varied
slightly with his moods has interesting H.
lustration In a transcript made by Thayer
Of a conversation book used by the com
session OF this writer The subject OF
conversation Is the metronomizlng OF
the Choral symphony for the publisher
Beethoven writes the notes indicating tho
unit OF time and his nephew Karl the
figures. After the maestoso In the finale
for which Beethoven had prescribed ca
quarter notes to the minute. Karl writes:
'1S2 IN the same tempo. only in notes
OF half the measure On two beats)." And
later: You take It quicker than 1875. 1872
as We had ii this morning. Haven't you
any composition on which the metronome
is noted7 From 1t we could both see
the form"
The difference OF opinion between the
composer and the conductors was smaller
in the Allegretto Scherzando Beethoven
marked Il ~ eighth notes to the minute;
Won Buiow played 30. Seidl %. Safonon
IS and FIR Muck yesterday 80. Mr.. Seidl.
however. at times varied from sc TO 100
and even 100 DIR. Won Bulow's notion
that the third movement must, at any
cost, be made TO present itself 10 the
hearers as the slow movement in the
symphonic scheme led him 10 substitute
% for Beethovens 1875; seid and safonoff
were In agreement at 100 and Dr. Muck
came nearest TO the composer with 10
So he did also In the finale. In which the
time unit is a measure In ala brepe time
Beethoven marked whole notes 81 Won
BuIow played "a. Sedl and Safonoff s.
and DR.. Muck so. There is no pedantic
purpose I'm setting forth these figures;
the spirit II a composition is not In
Licated by It's pace alone. Other elements
enter into Il, but ID is interesting TO OBJ
serve that the gladsomeness and madcap
hurnor with which DR.. Muck and his
orchestra filled the work yesterday had
So much sanction In the pace prescribed
bv the composers mechanical formula, to
which. Il is safe TO assume. DR.. Muck
gave never a thought. IL was a case of
correct feeling and at the same time a
Justification OF the composers markings
Mr. Kreisler and his companions scared
heavenward again In the slow movement
of the Brahms concerto and INDUCED In
q tumult of joyousness in the hnale. On