New-York tribune., 1912-02-17
MUSICAL COMMENT
THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY
Revamped Symphony by Dvorak
-Sirota and Jewish Music.

At the concerts given by the Philhar-
monte Society on Thursday evening and
Yesterday afternoon considerable music un-
/ familiar 10 the local public was performed.
There was, for instance, to begin with,
Rerlloz's overture to The Corsair." which,
though not particularly interesting because
Cf its contents may have excited the curl
osty of few who remembered that some
years ago an employe OF The Musical
Courier" attempted to capture the Pade-
rewski Prize by sending to the judges a
copy Of II under the title THE Palisades
The fraud was promptly discovered and
only the Indifference Of the trustees of the
Paderewsk fund prevented a prosecution
OF the perpetrator for violation OF the
federal laws. But that is a small matter
in one sense Another old work, essen
TALLY new and not much more interesting
than the overture except as a milestone in
the progress of the composer. was Richard
Strausss Serenade for Wind Instruments.
Then there came Chopin's second concerto
for pianoforte. most tastefuly and even
elegantly played by the young Italian vir
tuoso Adriano Ariani. Greater poetry and
emotionelity might have been expected in a
performance of the old work-because they
have been heard many times-but scarcely
greater refinement and a nicer adjustment
of values. An interesting quasi-novelty-
the overture TO Chabrier's "Gwendoline"-
announced on the programme, was can
celled in favor Of Webers overture to
"Euryanthe," which was played with much
spirit and good taste until Mr.. Stransky
INDUCED in his fondness for distortng
rhythms and tempt in the closing section.
~ ba yEh re
many in the audience capable of associat-
ing the theme with the corresponding situ-
alton and text in the opera passes the un-
derstanding Of the ordinary critic-possibly
also of the average concert-goer.
The concluding number of the programme
was an unqualified novelty-a symphony in
e fat major, composed by Antonin Dvorak
in 1872 and Just published. This means that
It lay in its authors desk thirty-two years
long after he had become one of the most
popular composers of the day. Why did he
not give it TO the world? The annotated
programme says:
Mr.. Stransky, who secured the right OF
first performance in America for the Phil
harmonic Society, contributes his knoWl-
edge of the history of the work in letter
in which he says that the symphony was
composed before that known to the world
as the one In ID major, Op. 60 CAS- matter
OF fact the proof sheets of the score bear
the remark composed In lSlZ. } Mr,
Stransky adds that toward the close Of his
life Or. DvOrak took the score out OF MS
desk. read IL over with pleasure ana re-
marked that he thought II throughout IN,
dividual and noble" and that he intended
10 revise its marks of eXpre ession and phras-
ing and give 1t out for publication. lie
even began the work OF revision but was
soon so completely occupied with the com
| M nj a -
was produced only two months before MS
| unexpected DEATH that he could not return
TO IT, His widow last summer soid the
symphony together with another in II
minor TO the publisher Simrock, and JOSEF
Suk. Dvorak's son-in-law, competed the
work begun by the composer
Performances Of the work have been
talked about in Vienna and Munich, but as
yet we have not heard from them. II may
be that II is a greater kindness 10 the pun
lie 10 resurrect an old work by dead mas
ter than to produce a new work by living
novice; but 1t is a question whether or not
Il is fair to the master. DR.. Dvorak was
the last truly great naive musician. tie
knew we'll the value Of his works. although
toward the close OF his career his creative
powers decayed But even while writing
his programmatic pieces which have failed
TO obtain a footing in the concert room he
did not give TO the public the two carly
symphonies which have been printed since
his death Ought this TO have been done
| by his family? Certainly not. II is a com
mon procedure in this commercial age ana
| II results only in injury 10 the reputation
Of great men: for all listeners are not Ju-
| dicious There are scores II not hundreds
~ schubert's songs which he did not puJ-
ush and which are now I'm print because
| of the mistaken notion that there ought TO
! be n complete" collection Of his works.
| They are only a cause Of sorrow 20 MS
| admirers Trifes 70 which Beethoven paid
no attention when he wrote them dances
and other works for occasions. etc) nave
been brought to light and printed-to me
| profound grief OF all sincere Beethoven
| lovers Why should not composer nave
the privilege Of determining what he wishes
10 leave TO the world and what not? They
| are not all as wise as Brahms, VINO look
| care that none OF his unpublished manu-
scripts should survive him by putting them
| in the fire This symphony by Dvorak has
some pretty measures. but II Is so obviously
the work OF "'prentice hand" that we ars
| Obliged TO take Mr.. Stransky's statement
| with many grains of salt. Many musicians
| In New York knew Dvorak: II will be diff
| cult 10 make any one who was familiar
with him believe that he ever dreamed OF
nubIishing IT, He wrote a trio for two
violins and n viola for performance by MS
| children at home. When II was done he
| recognized its beauty and rewrote II tor
publication: and Il is a little masterpiece.
| That Illustrates his manner. Like Bee
thoven, he left no gems unset; but he put
| o,,t nothing which he knew TO be paste
| SirotH, the cantor from the great syna'
gogue at Warsaw has stirred the musical
pool not a little. No doubt tho tremen-
dous Hippodrome will be crowded by those
who want to hear him tomorrow after
noon. And yet how anomalous the whole
matter appears To Judge by his sing
ing of Celeste Aida" on Wednesday
evening one would have to say that he
was rude in taste and raw in technique.
Yet when he sang the liturgical music
of the synagogue he compelled amaze
ment at the lexibility Of beautiful tenor
voice which is as truly heroic in quality as
that of Slezak. The music Of the Jewish
liturgy, like all Oriental music Gas one
may learn from listening to gypsy band)
is very horid; and this music pours out
of the throat Of the great chasan as flu
emily as IL might out of the throat OF
| TetraZZini. 1t is amazing, and one can
| easily understand that he has achieved as
great a renown in his field as Caruso has
| in his without the public in general, or
even the professional observers. having
ever heard of him. one fact may have
struck students of folkmusic as bit
singular last Wednesday. This was the