New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-07
Lesson in the Interpreta-
ton of Beethoven
Music.
TWO CONTRASTED
SYMPHONIC POEMS
Loeffler's Illumination OF a
Dramatic Poem by
Maeteriinck.
b. II. f.. kREHBIEL.

The emotional hlEh-itsNF ~ t''NN'
DAYS concert Of the Boston symphony
Orchestra shone in the performance OF
Luefflers "Le Mort de Tintaglles'; the
large educational lesson, so far as the
present orchestral situation in New
York is concerned, was conveyed by the
performance OF Beethovens seventh
symphony. The time ought &c have
been passed long ago when perform
ance Of this familiar classic would ca.'
for comment, because II was read IN
the direct, straightforward, unaffected
manne~ which not only proclaims It's
dignifed and noble beaut". but also
publishes its poetical contents. But
it is not No conductor so small OF
comprehension and large of pre;ension
the attributes are generally con-
sorted but he thinks " his privilege
TO distort its tempos, disfgure IT'S
phrases and matrest its nuances IN or
der, "a he thinks, 20 heighten lts sig
nifcance. As II Beethoven, the most
consummate poet In music that ever
lived, had not written down his pur-
poses in symbols unmlstakable to every
sincere musician capable Of reading
them and Of feeling the sentiment
which in the composer opinion they
were able TO express, Beethoven's
page offers no bar to the imagination:
II is an open field on which fancy
may roam, limitless oxpanse In
which II may take its flight. But
it sets bounds TO the foolish
conceits Of pedants and puts 70
naught the efforts of those who would
alter it for their own vsinglory. And
so il was O refreshment 20 the honest
soul Yesterday when DR.. Muck permit
ted Beethoven TO be Beethoven instead
of presenting him as Beethoven plus
Muck. The conductor from Boston and
his men left nothing as food for the
caviers. They poured out the glorious
music gloriously, as II believing the
word they we're glad TO speak il with
oil the eloquence that was within them.
And they had their reward, for their
hearers bore testimony with them to
it's beauty.
There vas other music in the pro-
gramme besides the symphony and Mr..
Loeffier's symphonic poem; but II need
not detain us. Ravel's "Ma Mere pOye"
was thrown in as a tidbit between
them, and LISTS "Preludes" was
superintendent Offering at the close,
like Dvoraks "Husitzka" overture on
Thursday evening. RavePs infantine
pieces have been made familiar 70 Us
since Walter Dsmrosch introduced
them two or three seasons ago. They
are astonishingly clever but would
probably appeal more TO the average
fancy if a more suggestive title could
be found for them. Mother Goose be-
longs to English children whether OF
small or large growth, and has nothing
70 tell US Of the things which occupy
the attention OF Mere rOye. Hop O.
My Thumb does not belong TO her
family, nor the SleepnA Beauty, nor
the Princess who fell in love with the
Beast; and the children brought up on
the English fairy tales and Grimm's
never heard OF the Chinese porcelain
princess whose head rocked so prettily
in obedience to a touch. Hop o. Ny
Thumbs adventure in losing his way in
the forest because the birds ate the
crumbs which he had dropped in the
hope that they would do the service of
Ariadne's Thread belongs TO the story
of HAnsel and Gretel. not to the Jack
the Giant Killer series, as one might
think. The doings of the delightful
creatures of tho French nursery are
exquisitely told in Ravel's music, but IL
does not sing to US of Mother Goose,
who is nothing if not English.
But as to the piece with the bright
lights. II there were not curb upon
our enthusiasm "a purely artistic. not
at all patriotic, enthusiasm, we should
almost say that lie Mort de Tinta-
giles" is one Of the finest pieces of
programmatic music with which we are
acquainted, fit companion In its poet
icsl expressiveness Of Debussy's
"LApres- dun Faune" and OF
much greater depth and loveliness in
its mood and feeling. II had its first
performance In Boston In January,
1898. when The Tribune's reviewer
heard 1t. The composition was some
thing a little different then from what
it Is now. Through 1t there ran
obbliqdto parts for two viole d'amore,
which on its production were played
by the composer and Mr.. Franz Kneisel.
| When Mr.. Loefler revised il for publ
cation he yielded to practical considera-
tions and eliminated one OF the OBJ
/ bhQdtO instruments. We are sorry for
that. The help which their peculiarly
| sympathetic timbre gave 20 the music
F. designed to give voice 20 the ill-starred
children of Maeterlinck's marionette
play cannot we'll be described; it must
be left 20 the imagination. II was felt
in an insufficient measure BY Mr.. Far
rir's playing Of the single instrument
yesterday; for he kept the part too
much in the background.
II is trulya remarkable composition,
this tone poem. and only TO be under
stood fully and felt after a reading OF
Maeterlinck's poem. Those who. melted
by the title, turn 10 the Arthurian
legends for an explanation will find
their research unavailing. The poem,
which employs symbols much better
than "Pelless ct Melisande," has moth
ing 70 do with the castle Tintagil, in
which Arthur was born, nor with
Ygraine, his mother. All that Maeter-
linck borrowed from the old legend was
these two names, and TO these he gives
a wholly new significance. In his sym
bolical play Tintagiles is prince who
Is brought across the water 10 ruined
castle on an island around which the
sea waters roar, where an old queen,
his grandmother, lives, and also his
two sisters. Nobody ever sees the face
Of the old queen, who has been crazed
by the desire 10 rule, except her two
maids, who are as wicked as she. At
night Tintagiles is torn from the arms
of his sister Ygrsine. who loves him
wildly. and done 70 death while she is
madly attempting to tear down an iron
door which separates him from her.
The last desperately hurried dialogue
Of the little ones and their kisses on
/ the cruel barrier between them form