New-York tribune., 1912-01-27
MUSIC
The Philharmonic Society.

! term as a harmless euphemism) in Carnegie
I Hall Thursday evening and yesterday
afternoon. The programmes were Identical
but a wish on the part OF this reviewer to
hear all Of the symphony composed by
Dvorak in America and designed by the
composer TO give expression to an Ameri-
I can idiom. made criticism of the concert
impossible after Thursdays nights concert.
Not only the music lovers of New York
but the friends OF the Philharmonic So
ciety have a special interest in the sym
Thony which was written in this city and
had its inspiration in a confessed purpose
Of DR.. Dvorak to show that there are char
acteristic elements in the kind of melody
| which Americans like which can be utilized
! in artistic music cast in the larger and
dignfed forms. The Philharmonic Society
played the symphony From the New
World" the first time that II ever was
played, and before it was published. 1t
was under the direction OF Mr.. Seidl.' with
the composer as happy listener, and the
reading of the work is become tradition
OF the society But in this rapidly moving
age. when conductors are no less desirous
! than composers to appear "orignai $50
dcslrous, indeed that the most obvious text
F
upon their crraticismj. there is no guarantee
that tradition OF even decade
standing Will be preserved.
II is a pleasure to record, under the cir
cumstancos. that what first presented itself
as duty turned out to be a pleasure
for Mr.. Stransky showed a fine apprecia-
tion of tho spirit of the symphony and
brought its many beauties most con-
vincingIy to the apprehension of the au-
dioncc. II the performance had taken
place I'm Boston We should he prepared
for the assertion that Mr.. Stransky. being
| a Bohemian. was easily and naturally aole
TO enter into the spirit Of a work which
the wise men of the East have told u.s.
over and over again. is an expression Of a
simple minded Bohemlans nostalgia But
with a memory of the genesis of the work
! and Of the composers own protestatons
in mind. and a knowledge OF his purposes
communicated by word Of mouth. as we'll
as by his score, we are still inclined to
look upon the symphony as fine eX-
preston Of American nationalism In
music. even though We cannot give GRE
denco to the fairy tale that Miss Fletcher
recognized the rhythm Of Iowa" IN II.
and was told ny the composer. to her de-
II in Iowa. We cannot believe tho story,
for tho reason that DR.. Dvorak composed
the symphony before he saw Iowa, and
also because We cannot conceive what tho
"Iowan rhythm" Is RIt this tale. just
as absurd ne the other that the music Is
all Bohemian in character. has been I'm
dustriously circulated and ought TO be put
permanently to rest
| Not only IN the symphony but IN all
the other numbers of the programme Mr..
| Stransky and tho orchestra made tho most
satisfying demonstration Of their skill
that they have mad" this season. Per
| haps II was because there was M
! little opportunity for sonsationallsm in the
music. II was an eminontly sane scheme
which tho conductor had arranged. with its
weakest point. as tho result proved. just
where the most startling effect might have
been oxphctcd-the music accompanying the
| indescrihable love scene in Richard
| Strauss's opora "Fouersnot" The edge ~
| this piece was quito duled by tho brilliant
| vet continent orchestration OF Mr.. Delius's
| symphonic sketch entitled Tn n Summer
| Garden" Mr. Delus is q newcomer so far
az New York audiences are concerned. and
the Boston people know littc more OF his
music than We do. II would hsvo been
! better for the good opinion which New
| Yorks music lovers like n entertain tow
| ard new composers had he been introduced
hy "Tn n Summer Garden" instead Of the
| strained variations on an old English tune
| called "Rrigg Fair" with which Mr.. Walter
| Damrosch first presented his name IN us.
| In a Summer Garden has considerable TO
| commend II in the way OF consistency Of
thematic design and wealth OF orchestral
! color. II is a pity. Of course, that for the
apparent purpose NJ defending his harmonic
| erraticsms one Of his English admirers
| should have thought II necessary 10 speak
| OF his having endured his musical train
| ing" under musicians like Reinicke and
| Jadassohn We are not yet quite willing
10 admit that a composer Is so different
J from any other artist that IL harms him II
! learn the technique OF his art. II did not
/ hurt Bach who studied the works Of those
| who had been before him, and even of his
Italian French and German contemporaries,
! down 10 the day of his death. II did not
/ hurt Mozart or Haydn or Beethoven 20
! learn what had been set down as the laws
| of harmony and countorpolnt, even n they
! cbosc 10 ignore one or the other canon
when they saw beauty in another direction.
| aud n js not necessary TO speak despite
! fully Of schools and theories simply 10 put
! real or imagined genius in a brighter light:
| but II Ia an arfectation which Is growing
! Greater and moro intolerable day by day.
| n Mr. Dclius thinks II essential or advisa-
bIc TO end a composition by superimposing
| tle sixth OF the scale on the major triad.
! iet him do so by all means. and II he cares
] tc nuoto authority for his license let him
! ouote so excellent a musician ss Schu-
mann. who said that nothing Is wrong in
/ ,rusic which sounds we'll: but neither he
/ NOR his champions ought to try TO make
| the public believe that no is great musl-
| clan bocause he studied nature and musi,'
| ON an orange plantation in Florida, and
| afterward endured training in an excel
! lent conservatory.
AS for 'In a Summer Garden even the
| most hidebound pedant might confess 10
| having felt its charm; but 1t was not al
wavs so plain why the mood was neces-
CARLY that OF a Summer Garden; there
| were moments when it might have been
| thst of Chinese pacoda. Very effectively
| nIaved were Mendelssohn's overture TO
| "Ruy Bias" (Which does not deserve 10 10
so neglected as It has been for more than a
| decadc) and the two "Elogiac Melodies
| for strings by Grieg. which used to be
| hoard at popular concerts. but now, Il
| eeems. have acquired symphonic stature
IL. l.. X.
.rr pONNr CJJRIOSE' AGAIN