New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-22
Symphony Society's Offer
ing Produces Varying
Impressions.
YOUNG AMERICAN
PIANIST PLEASES
John Powell Plays MacDoWell'S
Second Concerto at
AeOlian Hall.
By fl. L. KREHBlEL.


Three numbers constituted the pro-
gramme Of the subscription concert OF
the Symphony Society given yesterday
afternoon in Aeolian Hall under the
direction Of Walter Damrosch. None
of them was new, while only one of
them was familiar even to the report
ers Of musical occurrences for the
newspapers.
II takes more than one or two hear
ings Of composition of large dimen-
sions and serious import 70 make
lasting impression upon a careless
hearer; also upon q hearer who is per-
force compelled to hear so much music
that there is not only danger but like
lihood that the effect produced by ono
work will be oblterated by the next.
Chausson's symphony in b fiat. which
was the first Of Mr.. Damrosch's offer
ings yesterday, appears 70 have a
ptTOQIc..y o. five years. u was nrst
heard in New York at q concert Of
French music given by the Boston Or
cte.tFa under the direction OF VI.
Vincent dTndy, in December, 1905. Dir.
Damrosch made II and the same COM
poser's "Poeme" a feature Of SYM
phony Society concert In the New The
atre In February, 1911. when he. too,
was for the nonce specializing In
French music
After a little more than a lustrum
we have now heard IL again. We con-
fess TO having felt cur osity yester-
day 70 know our own attitude toward
the music at the previous hearings, so
that we might haply learn the effect OF
two quinquennials of aesthetic puri-
hcauOns upon our more or less DIS
eliminating, possibly critical. mind. On
the occasion Of the first hearing. 1t
came IN company with so much other
music that was unfamiliar and which
has remained so ever since) that there
seemed TO be q lack of time 10 dis
cuss il in detail
Il seemed then TO The Tribune's re-
viewer 20 haze opened up large book
of quotations and 20 have reeked with
daring dissonance and mere reiterauon
of phrase" Five years later il called
out the observation that Il was not
amorphous like much other French
music but Wearisome because Of its
fearsOme avoidance Of everything that
the modern French Bunthorne might
think natural and ordinary. How
painfully are all cadences avoided
How lGboriously is all that is near
sighted through aiming az the farl
And yet sunshine and shadow, the
white blaze Of high noon and the deep
glow Of sunset, are natural and ordi-
nary phenomena and follow one upon
the other In peaceful obedience TO law"
Perhaps this impression was created
by the "Po6me" Of the same composer,
which also had a performance at the
same concert.
Yesterday the dissonances did not
seem so Grass as they did ten years
before, but there was the same feeling
Of monotOny and WEAKNESS caused by
rciteration, and especially by the lack
of variety IN orchestral color and
dynamic nuance The work was played
with spirit. with obvious sympathy on
the part Of the conductor, and much
virtuoso brillianey on the part of the
orchestra. But II has not yet won our
affection. We can do no more than
make our confession.
Aftes the symphony came Meadow
ellis pianoforte concerto in ID minor,
with which many performances since
the composer played it in Chickering
man 4N 1903 nave 4tuiiifll Ecu Us. MI
John Powell, who played its solo part,
is a young American who made favor
able if not profound impression upon
local music lovers at concerts given in
companonship with Mr.. Zimbalist in
December, 1912; February, 1918. and at
q recital last April.
Mr.. Powell is a Virginian who got
his training abroad, some of it under
the late lamcnted Leschetizky. He has
not yet acquired the poise essential to
a performer in ensemble, but he mas
fine gifts, bodily as well as mentally,
gifts technical and gifts spiritual. and
he brought much pleasure TO yester-
days audience by the scintillant man
ner in which he threw off the second
and third movements of the concerto.
In the first movement he was over
weighted by the orchestra.
The final number Of the scheme was
a suite made up of excerpts from Bru-
neau's opera, "L'Attaque du Moulin"
which was a feature Of the opera sea-
son at the New Theatre in February,
1900.