Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-14
DIR. MUCK CONDUCTS
IN FINAL CONCERT
Miss Geraldine Farrar cooI-
Received by Academy
Audience

The 31st season OF the Tos,o,
phony Orchestra In Philadainhi gym.
brought to close last night. vvbar !. vas
Muck conducted at the Academy co.ct Dvc.ot
devoted to Beethoven, Wagner pa',rt poncert
and strauss. There was only the ,,,,., no,,n.,
demonstration. "O'mai
1t Is unnecessary, in the case a. a,
Boston symphony, to undertake an az,
ysis of the years achievement =. hanal- snal-
from year to year, and especiallv n ass ss
seasons of Doctor Muck's directorate s'sse ~.
organization and It's accomplishment ,.as sas
unappreciably. This year, II ono 4.
speak of the five concerts at all an. % 70
question the wisdom of all the prorra..sy ,..ay
Debussy, Schnelling and Strauss ware .n.
composers called upon to atone for Wv ~
OF familiar and not always great worts
Doctor Muck has some reason 10 bei.s.
that his orchestra throws stranoe Nv.
lights upon familiar things and that ~
feotion of tonal production makes -
music great. He is by way of being rlvh,
and yet s"s
Last night for variety there was utu.
brilliance In the performance of ~
Beethoven symphony. Notably in the ssss
movement one missed the beautiful IN,
precision Of tone in the separate choir
which one had every reason to exnart
Later there was exquisite grace beautifni
exercises in sudden yet shaded crescendos
and the singing Of the string choir in MI
It's wonted mellowness and beauty IA
Strauss and in the "Tannhaeuser" over.
ture there was no room for cav,lIne IA
the work Of the orchestral
The Don Quixote," with two masteriv
solo instruments played by Messrs Warnk,
and Ferir, was In many ways the most
satisfying part of the program. Doctor
Muck could interpret and release the spay
ined idealism of the mad knight as surely
as his orchestra could represent the swirl.
ing dust-clouds that rose over the baalns
sheep I'm great rout. Fantasy has not
been too often credited to Doctor Muck:
last night fantasy was blended with car.
donic humor, with a pathos which almost
persuaded us that IL was not shameful Ia
die In futile defense of an unknown
beauty. To distinguish between Strauss
and his interpreter would be a fine exer-
else of the wit, but It is not necessary.
Because Doctor Muck, in his versatility of
mind and his extraordinary secretive and
profound impulses Of the spirit is great
genius. =
Miss Geraldine Farrar was the assisting
artist at the concert. She sang Elsa's
Dream from "Lohengrin," and from her
ancient repertoire, an aria of Marguerits
from Berliozs "Damnation of Faust" For
the formersh received moderate approval;
for the latter, very little. indeed. Her
voice lacked the quality which once II had,
that of a bird poised on wing. incorporeal
and motionless. In 1886 Nine. Lilll Leh- +
mann, a teacher of Miss Farrar, sang the
second of the two arias mentioned in a
concert of the Boston Symphony. But the
teacher never enjoyed the complete bene.
fits of Amerlcanization as the pupil has
enjoyed them. The singing of operate 50.
IactIopa with n syrnOhOny Orrhaetra Ia nj.
ways a questionable procedure. Miss Far.
rar's attempt to justify the intrusion by
dramatic expressions of very high order
was more interesting than satisfying. But
she is an excellent actress on the concert
stage. G. VS.