New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-06
THE BOSTON ORCHESTRA
A Symphony by a Finn and a
Concerto by Beethoven.
AN APPRECIATlVE AUDIENCE
The Return of Fritz Kreisler
Enthusiastically Welcomed
Last Night.

To Judge by the conduct Of the audi
ence at the second evening concert OF the
Boston Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie
Hall last night, the more music New
York has the more enthusiastically the
musicians from Boston are welcomed.
The wonder is not great. for multi
plicity OF concerts is not necessarily an
evidence Of excellence. and nothing has
vet occurred to indicate to the lovers OF
the highest class of orchestral music III
New York that the visits OF the Boston
orchestra are in danger OF becoming
superfuous Least of all could such
thing be imagined in connection with the
solo feature of last nights meeting
feature which could more easily be spared
at these concerts than at any other series
in this concert-ridden city. To say AZ
once all that is necessary, though not All
that IL would be a pleasure 10 say IL
time allowed Mr. Fritz kreisler, Dr'
Muck and the orchestra played the con-
certo for violin by Beethoven. 1t was the
combination which carried the greatest JOY
to the minds and hearts of the listeners
brilliant as the achievement OF the solo
performer was: and II was superlatively
brilliant and thrilling, especially in every
thing that followed after the first note
of the cadenza in the first movement.
Until then q captious critic. with his ears
still full OF the fine violin performances
which have been the pervading feature OF
the concert season thus far. might have
been pardoned a feeling that Mr.. kreisler
was q little too much under the domino
ton OF that spirit OF unrest which Is
threatening TO become a WEAKNESS to the
flesh and A curse to the spirit In this
period OF nerve-rasping musical activity.
But when Mr.. Kreisler began Beethovens
serene romance there were peace ana
healing on the wings OF the music at
once and happiness and refreshment.
The concert began with the first OF
Sibelius's four symphonies and concluded,
after the concerto, with the Academic
overture by Brahms. Three OF the four
symphonies have been heard IN New York.
Mr.. Altschuler and the Russian Orchestra
have been peculiarly industrious during
half dozen years in making propaganda
for the Finnish composer, who by all the
principles supposed to govern musical ere
ativeness ought 10 be more swedish than
Russian, but who has nevertheless man
aged to stamp an individuality upon much
Of his music which the lovers OF national
ism in music have pretty generally agreed
to recognize as Enthusiastically Finnish
,pL. In the great
northern peninsula Of Europe than any
OF the Teutonic peoples located there ana
belong to an entirely different STOCK
Racally they may be said to have more
in common with their present masters
than they have with the Swedes. whose
culture they imbibed for seven centuries
before the allied powers handed them over
to Russia, a little more than century
ago. for they are distant kinsmen OF the
Huns. But all that IL left Of the primi-
tive elements in their literature and music
is 10 be found in their folksong. and this
has not tinctured their artistic creations
very deeply. what has been recognized
as national in the considerable number
of compositions OF Sibelius has been
gentle melancholy. the atmosphere OF the
land which its people fondly and beautl-
fully call Suomi, and feeling for melodic
grace which Is not characteristic OF the
Muscovite art which has colored the style
NJ Sibelius and which spoke out most
forcibly last night in the frequently rude
humor OF the scherzo, which seems to us
the most spontaneous and excellent por-
ton Of the symphony. But there was
much to be grateful for in the frank
righteousness OF the work. though II
was occasionally overwhelmed by over
elaboration An eloquent performance
won for IT as grateful recognition as II
did when Or. Muck played II for us first
a little more than five years ago.
1890