New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-09
MUSIC FROM BOSTON
A Day with the Orchestra and
Chamber Musicians.
AN AMIABLE MUSCOVITE
Russian, Czechish, Slavonic
and French Com
positions.

afternoon and evening, OF those whose
minds are attuned to higher things than
opera was chiefly supplied by the Bos-
tonian artists who have made monthly
visit to the metropolis for many years.
Heretofore the visitors have been content
to give us orchestral music. but this year
Major Higginson's melodious missioners
have split themselves into two organiza-
tons, the smaller one OF which, calling
itself the Longy New York Modern Cham
Der Music Society. has set itself the task
of fostering a kind of music for which
the local Barrere Ensemble has for some
time tried to create a field. Perhaps a
patient people, after hearing four hours
or so OF the very good kind OF music
which is made in Boston, will be dis
pensed of using so cumbersome a title
and permitted to speak of Mr. Longy and
his associates as the Longy Club II not.
II will become WEAKNESS OF the flesh to
discuss their agreeable entertainments,
the first of which began in Aeolan Hall
last night. four hours and half after
the Boston symphony Orchestra had con-
cluded its first afternoon concert in Car
negie Hall.
The afternoon programme. like that or
Thursday evening. was unembarrassed BY
solo performance, and likewise was
made up Of music which had been heard
here before-some Of It very often. some
Of II not often enough to have had the
bloom Of novelty rubbed of II. A circum-
stance worth q word Of comment because
Of its musical character was that the all
pervasive German composer was without
representation ia either OF the days
schemes. The afternoon symphony was
by a Observation-Disclosures fifth, In b
fat; after II came two pieces by Czechs
the overture to THE Battered Bride"
by smetana, and Dvorak's "Husitzka"
overture, separated by a symphonic poem,
Les Eolides," by the Belgian Cesar
Franck Mr. Longy gave his hearers mu-
sic by the Russian, Paul Juon; the
Frenchmen Debussy, Louis ALBERT and
Maurice Ravel, and a stranger to our con-
cert list. who, though he was represented
by French music with French title.
bears a name which has an English sound
Henry Woollett. OF his personality 1t
Is not given to US 10 speak.
In spite OF all this there is no pressing
call for a disquisition on nationalism In
music. AS n matter of fact there ought,
after so much music played by musicians
OF the same calibre, to be no call Tor
disquisition of any sort. Three and half
or four hours Of music, with only brier
space for rest, refreshment and the other
affairs OF life, ought to turn the most de-
voted reviewer into a recorder OF events.
Fortunately the patrons of the concerts
OF our Boston visitors do not need much
else; there is so much in their concerts
which they have learned 10 take for
granted. The Glazounow symphony in
the afternoon evoked great enthusiasm;
so Il did on March and 8. 1898. whon'
under the direction OF Mr.. Sedl. II had
It's first performances on this side OF the
Atlantic I'm concerts Of the Philharmonic
Society.
Then It brought with It a pleasant
feeling q surprise. for the audience was
prepared for rude shock, and II was
almost startling TO meet up with a
new Russian las they would say down
Boston way) who was willing 10 win at
tention by persuasive methods, Instead OF
arresting II vi ct arms, so TO SPEAK
Borod,n and other wild Muscovites were
uppernost in the popular mind, ana
Russian who showed some respect Tor
traditional forms OF expression was I'M
expected. TO say the least. II was but
natural then. as II was again yesterday.
that the listeners should yield them
selves willing captives to his fine instru-
mental sonorities. should delight In the
fascination OF his jocose movement ana
enjoy his melodies and the treatment
which he gave them all the more because
they brought with them no need Oh
brain-racking. Where they were more
mt 70 II TO account for their pleasuraole
emotions was In the case OF the musical
deIineation which Cesar Franck gave TO
the somewhat mysterious daughters Oh
JF,olus. which some years ago DR.. Frank
Damrosch treated as musical pabulum
for Young people. though It Is anything
hut that Les Eolides" is a composition
whose value is still open to question. II us
composer had given it motto IKE the
lines in Eschylus's "Prometheus Bounu
- All. me! again A.
hear the sound Of futtring nigh; the
Pants to the soft beat OF lisht-movins
wings,
tho nroprtety, II not the adequacy, OF It's
brief subject might have been recognized.
though its too extended treatment would
Gin have been monotonous. To ask the
,,torers to accept 1t as a musical EXPOSE
ton NJ the long poem by De Llsie which
NJ Hale nrinted in his notes on the pro-
,~ra,rr,e was asking too much. But per-
hans the fortunate ones VINO hao 'no
nrooramme book found recompense III
rood,rq the delightful excursion INTO an
.,or, literature to which the annotator IN
- tbem AS for the performance OF
o,s overture, 1t was delicious
,our de force simply.
=, "a evidently the conviction OF NJ
80 the brilliant hautboyist OF the
poston band, that music Is IKE Jeaiouss'
which doth make the meat II feeos OF
o,horwise he would have hesitated 10 Dur
A., the local list with new series Oh
-o.oorts I'm the field which has proved
..,,hhorr IN NJ Barrere and Is this sea-
son to be occupied also Dy an orsaniA
lion much like NJ Longy's In compost
,,or His Arst concert had hne body Oh
,n,o,,ieent listeners, and he strove 10
avoid the uquestioned wearisomeness "a
,,usic of the kind which he Is cuitVauhs
~. ,o,x,nr II with music for pianoforte'