New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-06
They Give the One Large
Thought of a Bruckner
Composition
QUINTET WRITTEN
MANY YEARS AGO
Only Its AdagiO Worthy
Of a Place in the Knei-
sci RepertOry
BY II. z. KREHBIEL

The Kneisel Quartet played a piece
OF chamber music composed By Anton
Bruckner at concert in Aeolisn Hall
last night. It was quintet (the ordi-
nary four instruments supplemented
by second viola) in F major. Not a
new work, of course, for the composer
has been dead several years and the
quintet was written long before he
died. To hear il was no doubt one
Of the experiences which every patron
of chamber music ought 10 have, for
the name OF Bruckner is a doughty one
in the history of music, albeit il is fad
ing, like that of some of his doughtiest
pupils, at a time when in the usual
course of events it should be growing
in lustre.
Bruckner, as a master Of the science
Of music and the technique OF compo-
stiOn, looms large in the books and de-
serves TO do so; as a contributor TO the
lovers of pure music his fame is less
conspicuous than his name. He was es-
sentially a church musician, and in this
field most particularly an organist 1t
was only short time ago that DR..
Muck related TO a group of musicians
how on an occasion in Vienna after the
rehearsal of one of his symphonies he
asked permission OF Hans Richter TO
show his gratitude TO the musicians by
playing for them upon the organ. For
half an hour or more he held the men,
bers of the Philharmonic Society SPELL
bound by his Improvisation on themes
from the work they had been playing.
That was the Bruckner whose colossal
ability as a musician, combined with his
ingenuousness as a man, made him be-
loved of his pupils as Cesar Franck is
beloved by his disciples in France. He
knew wonderfully we'll how to say
things. but he did not often have won
derful things TO say.
In the quintet played last night there
il a slow movement which scars up to
near the gates of heaven as on Beetho-
venian wings, but that, and a bit OF
piauancy and grace in the trio of the
playful movement, is nearly all that
there is in the quintet which can be
said TO be beauty that makes appeal
to anybody except the musician inter-
ested in the technical intricacies OF his
art
Despite its "reminiscences of a famll-
lar Wagnerian phrase ("Nun weisst du,
fragende Frau" in "Die Walkdre') the
movement is built on noble, deep
breathed themes, one Of those large
thoughts" which figured in a story
taken from the "reminiscences Of his
publisher and printed In The Tribune
six months or so ago. A group Of mu-
slcians, Brahms among them. were
talking about Bruckner's compositions
and one of them was railing against
his lack Of real skill in the develop
ment of his themes.
"But you must admit" said his pub
Usher, chat he has large thoughts"
Then Brahms broke the silence he
had hitherto maintained. "If you had
printed only his large thoughts" said
he to the publisher, "you would have
saved a great deal of money!"
The Adagio of this quintet deserves a
place in the Kneisel repertory; the
rest of the work can easily be spared.
Mr.. Louis Bostelmann helped Mr..
Kneisel and his regular associates in
the performance of the quintet, which
was admirably played. as were, no
doubt, Mozart's Quartet in fiat No.
$50 in Koche's catalogue) and Tschal-
kofskys Quartet in F. OPP. %, which
followed. But as to the details of these
performances deponent saith nothing
for the best Of reasons that recorder
of musical affairs can offer-he didn't
hear them.