New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-24
MUSIC
and THE FILMS
Tributes to NOrWegians
by Damrosch at the
Symphony.
RANDOM REMARKS
ON SABBATH'S MUSIC
Beginning of the Metropolitan
Sunday Night Concerts Not
Brilliant.


There was much music in New York
yesterday for those whose inclination led
them TO go out in physical pursuit of IT,
and some new brought musical intelli-
gence which afforded food for reflection
for those who remained at home-an OPP
portunity denied to the reviewer or re-
corder OF the city's activities in this de-
partment. Mr.. Walter Damrosch and his
Symphony Orchestra at Aeoilan Hall in
the afternoon repeated, save for single
number. a list Of pieces which they had
played in the same room OF Friday. It's
chief feature from a serions point OF view
was Beethoven's Pastoral symphony;
its popular interest centred in the sing
ing OF Nine. Matzenauer, OF the Metro
politan Opera Company. 1t is without
purpose OF rejecting in any manner on
the fine performance which the symphony
received that the statement is made that
there seems to be danger that pursuing
Law the reason OF which musical his
torians have long ago ceased 10 inquire
intoJ. the people OF New York are in
danger OF getting "A surfeit Of Beethovens
fine programme piece this season. They
have already heard 1t three times, and
the season ia still young and the orches-
tras that have not reported numerous.
Historians. as has been intimated. have
ceased to make inquiries into such phe-
nomena as the sudden and smultane-
Gus obsesslon of many directorial
minds with the same composition,
oil ha
explained by the prevalence OF feeling
for the movies" in the general artistic
atmosphere. Symphonic music is bound.
sooner or later, to be dragged into the
swirl as IT already has
into the chromographic: and there is no
better starting point than the Pastoral
symphony True, some OF Beethoven's
profound principles will be outraged when
we listen TO his music while looking at
picture play of a day in the country.
But what OF that? The scenes are all
there. The happy people sauntering UNI
der tn, trees and by the brookside, stop
ping 10 hear the birds sing. Joining In the
rustic dance. with its supposedly iatoxi-
Gated and awkward bassoonist twho, by
the way. though the annotations never
tell US. is no worse than the 'celllsts who
take up his burden when the KEY
changes) the crowds skurrying away
from, the storm, and the shepherds gath
eriug their focks with their Joyful can
ticle when the tempest Is past The pct
ure is complete, though Beethoven SAID
he did not want TO delineate It's eXternIs
but only the emotions which 1t called
forth And II Miss Duncan could be per-
mitted TO dance the Seventh SYMPHONY
without an aesthetic revolution. then well
come a beautiful set OF dramatically Nv
Ing. POLITICALLY conceived pictures for the
Pastoral" After all. It will be only
an effort 10 do well what was III done
more than half century ago. when
panorama was consorted with a perform
ance OF the Pastoral" Symphony.
Mr. Damrosch also performed an or
chestral arrangement by Halversen OF a
piece Of music written by Grieg for piano
forte on the death OF Richard Nordraak.
II was the enthusiastic young musical
patriot, Nordraak. who. according To the
popular account. aroused the Norse In
stinct I'm Grieg and saved him from be-
coming a representative Of the Gade type
OF nationalist-a mixture OF Mendelssohn
and the sunny side OF Scandinavianism.
The story, a. II IL told by the Norsemen,
who are such extremists that they for
get all about the Scotch infusion In
Grieg's Norwegianisms. is scarcely fair.
for there was some eloquent natlonalism
in the Scandinavian school before the adj
vent OF Nordraak and Grieg; but, aside
from that. il may be said that Grieg
ought to have made a better monument
for his friend than this funeral march, TO
which the orchestral voices give a greater
eloauence than lies In the original piano
forte piece. Ole Olesen did better for
Grieg when he died.
Mime. Matchmaker was the sole singer
Of the concert, and sang III va vernir,"
from Halevy's LA Juive" and lie Spec
ire de la Rose" by Berlioz. with orches
trail accompaniment. Her singing was
much more hatteringly received than II
deserved to be. DO our great German
artists get careless during their summer
soJourns In Europe? Nine. Matzenauer
was certainly not the painstaking. intelll-
gent. sensitive singer yesterday that she
was when she came TO us. Yet there is
nothing In the artistic atmosphere Of the
Opera House which should
change her ideals or lessen her respect
for American taste.
The Metropolitan management made no
effort 10 put q diamond heeled foot fore
most at It's first Sunday night concert,
and there were none of the usual scenes
Of enthusiasm present either at the open
ing OF the concert or at any time during
IFS progress. The singing OF Miss Bori,
Mr.. Murphy, Mr.. Gilly and the playing OF
the orchestra we're accepted quite as
matter OF course and not as occasion for
,pecial comment, which, under the cir
,rrry,auce IL shall not receive.