New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-11
MUSIC
Mr.. Nikisch's Second Concert
The Pathetic" Symphony and
Wagner.

Wagner.
Despite an ardent admiration personal
az we'll as artistic. OF twenty years dura-
ton, with the brilliant conductor. IL would
be pleasantcr to have written as a caption
TO this article THE London Symphony So
cietys Second Concert" but that would
have scarcely preserved the verities OF his
tory "a last nights audience saw them.
The splendid band OF musicians who are
disclosing to Amercans-untravelled Amer
leans, that is-what are the best stand
ards OF symphonic music in London are OF
little consequence in the popular mind COM
pared with Mr.. Nkisch. Joyfully acknowI-
edging his high qualities 1t is hard to quar-
rel with this state OF affairs; but neverthe-
less. IL is an illustration OF phase into
which music has entered, which serious OBJ
servers and lovers have deplored for decades
In the highest form Of the instrumental
art Except chamber music, where, thank
God, there Is still a bit of holy ground) os
I'm the hybrid form of opera which lives
chiefly on affectation and fad. II is me
singer. not the song, that email
lenges attention from the multitude. we
used to have primG donne in New YORK
whose name on programme insured
financial success for the performance; We
now have a primo fcnOre who does the
same thing. For pTimd donna or primo
teuOrc read the conductor, and a parallel
IS established I'm orchestral art which Is
even more humillating than that pervad-
ing our opera houses. If a single, con-
crete instance needs TO be cited II might
no found in ha nmprad bV
every visiting conductor. Here bit OF
history may not be amiss. When the
fortunes of the local Philharmonic So
ciety were at low ebb the costly expert
ment Of importing guest" conductors "a
policy always pursued under much easier
conditions by the band which has come
across seas with Mr.. Nikisch) was car
ried out The most significant, and also
most amusing. discovery made by the d-
rectors Of tho Philharmonic Society at the
time was that nearly all. If not all. the
conductors invited from Europe requested
that TschaikOwskys so-called (miscalled,
except so far as it's history is concerned
Pathetic Symphony be placed upon their
programmes. Why? No observer of the
trend OF musical affairs during the last
three lustrums. at least. dreamed of ask
ing the question. The modern conductors.
like the prima donnas and pianoforte
virtuosi of the old school. have battle
horses which they know they can ride TO
victory: and SO the orchestral repertory
has become even smaller than that Of the
pianist with his transcribed Bach fugue.
his Beethoven sonata 90. Waldstein, what
sins have been committed in thy nameD
nd eNpIp-
sion at the end. As for the great vocal
lists Of a generation agO-Adelina Patti, for
iustance-thcy did not need to have any
greater number Of compositions in their
heads than the peripatetic conductors Of
to-day. But ought We not TO expect more
Of conductors than We do OF prima dom
nas2 Mr. Gilbert's soldiers in Patience"
all admitted with emphasis that they liked
candy. but they did not dissent when their
commanding officer descanted on the fact
that with candy FOR breakfast. candy for
luncheon. candy for dinner and candy for
tea even candy might become tiresome
For candy read Beethovcn's "f.eonOre. No.
g.: Tschaikowskys Pathetic" symphony;
the oyertures to Wagncr's lyric dramas
ard half dozen other works which II IL
unnecessary TO mention and another
parallel Is complete.
OF course. there is y great deal OF per
sonal equation in all this for In so largo
a city as New York. despite It's scores aul
scores Of orchestral concerts. there are
many audiences No group OF persons. eA-
copt the unhappy ones compelled by duty.
go to hear all the concerts. and so they DO
not get faded and brain-weary Of hearing
81. n ~
season But tho artistic proposition re-
mains. including rs confession Of poverty
on tho part Of conductors.
That grievance disposed Of. lot the strings
he attuned to a more cheerful strain. Last
nights audience at Carnegie Hall listened
with increased admiration to tho London
symphony Orchestra as under the direction
OF Mr. Nlksch It played Beethoven's over
ture to "Egmont," the Tschaikowsky
"Pathetique" the concert arrangement OF
the Prelude and Finale from Wagners
Tristan ind Isolde" and the same COM
posers "Waldwehen" from 'Slegfried" and
prelude to Die Meistersinger' In view Of
tho excellent performances which the WaS-
merriam music receives under proper con-
dItions land masterful LEADER at the
Metropolitan Opera House, IL can be
passed over without comment. II ISL
only necessary 10 record the fact that
the audience was much more numer-
Gus than on Monday evening and
that the genius of Mr.. Nikisch shown quite
az resplendenty. though perhaps not so
uobly and dignihedly. In the popular SYM
phony as IL did in the Brahms work at the
first concert. Again the great conductor
old admirers were compelled TO observe
With delight that without loss OF an iota
Of the old magnetism his poetic feeling had
been mellowed, broadened, deepened In the
course OF the years OF his absence from
US. and that he had grown in the strong
grace Of true musicianshp. II was only
the unhappy caviller. compelled 10 observe
much that Is bad as we'll as much that Is
admirable, who felt inclined to deplore the
fact that the most frenetiC applause fol-
lowed the emptiest and most bombastic
niece Of music Of tho evening-the march
movement Of the symphony. which, more
over has frequently been played here with
greater dramatic effect ii. L. Is.
TO GIVE "ORFEO" ON SUNDAY