New-York tribune., 1915-03-17
LENTEN CONCERTS
SLIMLY ATTENDED
One Song and Three Piano
Recitals, with Symphony
Concert, in One Day.
SURFEIT OF MUSIC
CAUSED BY WAR
Few of the l10 Single Offerings
So Far This Season Have Had
Paying Audiences.
Nv III. +. kREHBIEL.

BY II. +. kREHBIEL.
There was a somewhat sparse sprink-
ling of amiable people with musical
inclinatiors in the Princess Theatre
Yesterday afternoon, when Mr. Ru-
dolph CAM gave a planoforte recital;
also in AeOlian Hall, where Mr.. Paul
Reimers sang songs TO very admirable
Accomplishments played on the piano
forte by Mr. Kurt SCHNEIDER, which
were far and away the most interest
ing part of the entertainment. At the
same hour Mr.. Leo Ornstein played
some sound and good music. and some
which shall receive no epithets, on
the planoforte in the BandbOX Theatre.
In the evening a second audience
gathered in Aeolian Hall, in numbers
about half as many "a the room would
hold. to hear a concert OF music played
in part and composed in whole by Mrs.
II. II. A. Beacn, Of Boston.
Such were the concerts of a Tuesday
in Lent; and though Mr. Ornstein's
listeners filled the little playhouse, and
even shared the stage with the player,
it was evident to the experienced eye
that the musical agents are having con-
siderable difficulty in rounding up a
sufficient number of auditors TO keep
up appearances for their artists.
And small wonder. A hurried glance
through reviewers datebook shows
that, outside of joint recitals and con-
certs in which orchestras have taken
part. about fifty singers have given
about sixty song recltals and about
forty pianists over fifty pianoforte re-
citals since the season began, i've
months ago.
Only a 1.-THE Of these 10 recitals have
had paying audiences, and these were
given b. artists of first class merit.
Meanwhile scores OF singers and play
ers are waiting. between hope and rear,
TO be heard It IS thus that the mad
bloodletting in Europe has affected the
musical season in the American
metropolis.
We are concerned in this artic e only
with Yesterdays recitals; the last o.
the Symphony Society's concerts, when
took place in Carnegie Hall IN the
afternoon, has received attention else
where. From a serious point OF view,
there was not much TO exercise the
mind or satisfy the taste of the music
lover in the recitals of the day. Nj.
CAM played some Chopin pieces and
compositions By Brahms, d'Albcrt and
pohnanyi before and after Beethoven
Sonata i'm C-sharp minor--the sonata
which writers who deal in sentimental
niooush!ne still persist IN calling the
Moonlight Sonata Mr.. GAM gave
the familiar work the place OF honor
IN his scheme OF pieces, and played
Il with entire absence OF the sentl-
mentalism which 80 often renders the
nrst movement mawklsh. All his play
ing. in fact, was musically sound and
emotionally healthy, though not pro
foundly poetical. Il was manly, and
i'm this respect IN strong contrast %
the singing Of Mr.. Reimers, whicn
never once sounded a virlle note
Sweetly precious were his uttgtahc >
even in such numbers as "Ney!a8
Gcsang' b. HQSo, Wolf schubert .
little known 'A.inde.' in which ought
10 Le heard tie voices of Z. husband
ma. fisherman and q hunter be-
,.tcs the lover and her whom Waiter
SCOTS litt!e sweetheart, Nargety
Fleminr. would have called the sing
cr's "loveres7.'
MIR. Rcimcrs, following q number Of
other song singers, tOoA Leaf out or
Nine. Sembrich's book, and concl lded
his recital with a group OF tol6.ongS.
Russian. German, Swedish, French,
Welsh. Breton and Swiss were the pe0-
nlcs mentioned on the house bill, bat
the song credited TO the first was the
old "Ecspcr Hymn OF our school days.
vith IL. refrain o. "Jub.!a. Amen.
II that familiar composition ever got
into collection o. Russian tolEsouS5
it would be interesting 10 learn ho" it
happened. Our impression Is ,hat the
melody was taken from the slo" move
ment Of Beethoven's Sextet for strings
and two horns. The other songs were
probably genuine folk products; with
other recitals calling for attention
there was no time 10 hear them all.
Many of Mrs. Beach's songs have
been heard here, and We have recollec-
tions Of other compositions in the
larger forms even symphony for
there is nothing in the field Of 'compo-
sition that daunts the soul Of this most
admirable lady. II her inspiration would
but keep pace and hold together with
her zeal, her industry and her teChul-
cal and intellectual equipment, her mu-
sic would command very high respect
indeed. II seemed as if il might IN the
first movement Of the sonata for
pianoforte and violin, which she played
with Mr. Spiering. but the amlable eX-
pectations were dashed 20 the ground
with the progress of the work. She
played some panoforte pieces adding
two 10 the set number Of the pro
gramme a prelude and fucuc); Mr..
George Shepherd, gentle tenor, sang
some songs 10 her accompaniment, and
the Olive Mead Quartet Joined her IN
a performance of pianofortc quintet,
marked as the sixty-seventh Of her
numbered works. From none of the
compositions did we derive as deep an
impression as from some Of her music
written years ago.