New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-08
FIRST VISIT OF
THE BOSTONIANS
A Note on Musical POlitics-No
Chauvinism in Our Con-
cert Rooms.
By II. T.. KREHBIEL.

Had II not been for the circumstance
that on his arrival from Europe DR.
Muck dropped the remark that he could
not comprehend how people as intel
ligent as the American could THINK
Germany responsible for the war, It
would probably not have occurred to
anybody that there was any special
significance in the fact that only Ger
man music-or, rather, music composed
by men born within the borders OF
what is now the German Empire had
place on the programme Of the hrst
concert OF the Boston Orchestra this
season. Beethoven and Brahms are
surely representatives Of the art uni
versal. The tendencies of modern Ger
man thought, with its contempt for
moral and aesthetic decencies, have
some illustration in the music or Rich
ard Strauss, but that music IS neces-
sary occasionally 20 satisfy the popular
craving for things not In the mouth.
As for Weber's "Euryarthe' overture,
that is all romantic idealism, conJugal
tenderness and chiyalry. Besides, the
political reflections to which the names
ght have given rise ought not 10 have
contained tnge Of German chauvin-
ism. Beethoven, of Belgian extraction,
writing music 70 glorify heroic con-
ception of Bonaparte as the champion
Of liberty; Brahms, the child Of com
mercial Hamburg, whose mind was
wholly engrossed with his art, and
Weber, whose patriotism and love Of
liberty famed up with Korner's so
fercely in Tyre and Sword" that their
passionate warmth is still felt by every
republican soul. Moreover. the music
was so superbly played that the mental
reservations of even the most suspl-
cious listener must have been dlssl-
pated like smoke in a gale.
In the second concert given yesterday
afternoon in Carnegie Hall there was
not even the semblance of national
prejudice. The German Brahms con-
tributed his idylic symphony in D, the
American Chadwick his symphonic
Sketches" with their Scotch-lrish me-
lodic blood and characteristically Amer
lean humor; the Finn Sibelius his over
ture, "Finlandia," trimming over with
love for the valor and the gentle love-
illness Of Suomi. If there was any oc-
casion for regret it was only in the
minds of those patrons Of the Boston
concerts, who are also patrons Of our
local Orchestras, wao again had 20 de-
plore, as they did on Thursday and as
they have done for years, that the Wis
itors should have repeated compositions
which we're still ringing in the memory.
The season is only fortnight old, yet
we had heard the Brahms symphony
played by the symphony Society's or
chestra and Strauss's Don Juan
played by the Philharmonic. There is
no reason why our visitors should
either challenge or invite comparisons
between them and local players. They
have a truer mission in extending our
knowledge of the orchestral literature.
There were none of the thrilling mo-
ments in yesterdays concert such as
marked the performance OF the
Heroic" symphony on Thursday, and
even the stirring climax of Sibelius's
overture was not without its fellow in
local memories.
Beauty brooded on every measure OF
the symphony, and Mr.. Chadwck's mu-
sic (frst brought forward here six
years ago. was heard with interest and
pleasure.