New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-23
TIMELY OBSERVATIONS
Mr.. Hale's Programme Books
Cheap Seats at Century.

Far and away the most interesting
book Of musical miscellany, critical and
historical. to which the last American
season gave birth is the bound volume
of the annotated programmes OF the
Boston Symphony Orchestra published
by C. A. Ellis. The notes on the Bos-
ton programmes have been written for
more than a decade by Mr.. Philip Hale,
musical and dramatic critic OF the
Boston Herald"-s wit, wag, muSI-
cIan, a scholar. Patrons Of the Bos-
ton Orchestra's concerts here know
Mr.. Hale's pamphlets some OF them'
/. r.. some Of the patrons, know some
Of the pamphlets, the business admin
istration of the Music Hall Pounded
by Andrew Carnegie not permitting
the distribution Of the booklets inside
the walls Of that institution conse-
Grated to music and the advertisements
on the official house-bili. But the
knowing get the books from boys IN
the street in front of the hall. Mr.. I'll
lis has never seemed to need advice as
10 the manner in which the affairs OF
the Orchestra ought to be conducted,
but there can be no harm in suggest
ing that il would be graceful act on
his part 90 send the books in advance
by mail to the subscribers to the con-
ccrls in New York. All the seats IN
Carnegie Hall are pre-empted, 30 he
can afford to do this much for the
comfort Of his patrons.
Mr.. Hale's notes on the music played
al these concerts are good 20 read be-
tween times in the cOncert-room; there
thew stimulate interest, satisfy curl
osity and whet appreciation. But they
are better intellectual pabulum at
home. There they serve an admirable
purpose in refreshing the memory and
enabling one to enjoy the music over
and over again in the fancy. Gathered
together IN the bound volume when
Mr.. Ellis issues every year, the
pamphlets cover over 1000 pages, but
many of them are filed with business
announcements and not q few are repe-
titiors of pages which have already
been printed in the same or preceding
yolumes-a matter which concerns
chiefly the happy possessors OF the vol
umes which came out in earlier years.
This years issue, like its predecessors,
contains new NtdlAtl NhASil - ~ So
value 20 the historical observer not
only Of music in Boston, but OF music
everywhere, for Mr.. Hale IS an omnlvo-
rous gatherer and keeps his readers
abreast with the musical thought and
activities Of the worlds capitals. Turn
ing to the books record OF compost
ticns performed for the first time IN
Boston last season we note symphonies
by Philip Greeley Clapp IA Boston mu-
sician). Sibelius, Track 2 member OF
the Boston Orchestral, and instrument
tai in the less imposing forms by De-
busy C"Printemps") Rubin Goldmark
("Samson," q tone poem, the composer
a New York musician, Juon ("Naegte-
wise" fantasy on Danish folksongs),
Ravel ("Ma Mere POyeD, Reznicek
l"SchlemihlD, Schilline ("Meergruss"
and "Seemorgen~, Florent Schmltt
("La Tragedle de SalomeO, Richard
Strauss ("Festliches Praludium) },
Bscn (Pianoforte Concerto in Z MI
ror). List t"Hungaria") and Neingart-
ner l"Lustige Ouverture"). Among the
literary gleanings reprinted in the book
are essays by Vernon Blackburn, W. +.
Duncan. II. r. Finck. Philip Hale, John
Kautz. Il. L. Krehbiel, j. c. Mangan,
Jean MarnolG, c. W. Salleby, Felix
Weingartner, "The London Times" and
"The Pall Mall Gazette"
Apropos OF the Boston Orchestra in
particular and the prospects OF music
in general for next season, it may be