New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-25

and had lot Of trouble in adapting them to
the minor close of the first cadence. Subse-
quently was able to inform Count Benken.
dorff that the hymn was ready. The Emperor
expressed desire to hear it, and came on No
vember %, 1888, to the court chapel accom-
panied by the Empress and the Grand Duke
Michael | had assembled the whole choir and
it was supported by two orchestral.
"The sovereign ordered the hymn to be
played over several times, and asked TO hear
it sung without accompaniment; then he had
it played by each orchestra in turn and finally
with the united body of performers. His
majesty then said to me in French: 1T is
really superb and there and then he COM
manded Count Benkendorff to inform the Min
lister of War that the hymn was adopted for
the army. This measure was officially ratified
on December A. 1888. The first public per-
Torrance took place on December II, at the
Grand Theatre in Moscow The Emperor was
apparently DESTROYS of submitting my work
for the approval of the Moscow public. On
December % the hymn resounded through the
halls of the Winter Palace on the occasion of
the blessing of the colors. The sovereign
graciously presented to me a golf snuff box
adorned with diamonds as a mark Of the i'm
perial pleasure, and also ordered that the words
'Boshe Zaria chrani' should be added to the
armorial bearings of the Lvoff family"
The Russian national hymn, being a thor
oughly good one and universally approved, has
quite naturally met the fate of large number
of other admirable songs in having its author.
ship questioned, notwithstanding that it was
composed in the light of high-noon publicity.
1t has been said (the evidence is not at hand
for our investigation that the melody is moth
ing else than the tune of the trio of quick
step march (Geschwindmorsch) composed by
F. Bogdanowitsch Haas, bandmaster in st.
Petersburg and published in 1922. The in
tervals are said to be identical, note for note,
the time only being changed.
WANT OF NATIONAL CHARACTER.
One defect, from an ideal point of view, tia
melody certainly hast is in no respect
dramatically Russian. This is not surprising,
however. At the time of its composition in
terest in the characteristic music of the Rus
sian people, their folksongs, was just awaking.
When Count Rasoumowsky, naval officer, diplo-
mat and musician, commissioned Beethoven 10
write set of string quartets for him, and the
great composer resolved to honor his patron
by making use of Russian folktunes for themes
it would seem that he could find only two fit
for his purpose. Folksongs and dances were
still thought too plebeian to be admitted into
the aristocratc circles of art, and the only
music which possessed characteristic qualities
which belonged to Russia was that cultivated
in the church. Peter the Greats taste ran TO
martial music played by bands of bagpipers
GATHERINGS to Italian opera. Even Glinka,
who is looked upon as the father of the ma
tional school of composers, used only few
measures of folktune in his national opera.
"A Life for the Car" It is only the COM
posers of the last and present generation who
have shown appreciation of the marvellous
treasures which the great empire possesses in
its foksongs.