The sun., 1916-10-27
ALPINE SYMPHONY
PROVES imposing
Newest Composition of Ricl
ard Strauss Opens Philhar.
monte SOcicty's Season.
SCORE IS BRILLIAN.
Musical Ideas Not Equal to III,
Skill Shown in Their
Exposition.

The hret concert Of the sevontv.e,..
season Of the Philharmonic Society H.
place last evening at Carnegie Han n.
programme comprised the prelude ;.
"Lohengrin." the Alpine symphonv A.
Richard Strauss, the festival music FRI.
the same composers 'Cuntrsm., "a,
funeral march from "Goet,erdae-.
merung.'' and the Ride OF the vslkyr.
The symphony was heard for the Ar,
time here. Mr.. Stransky intended u,
produce It last season. but the ra-,
failed to arrive and so the Cincin,,p
Orchestra had the record OF the FIRE,
performance in this c, untry
The composition Is perhaps WIZ, ,
generally known a. a symptom moo.
rather than a symphony, for '.s cha,
themes figure throughout and II ha. D.
intermissions Yet.it would not, b, dr.
cult. II II were profitable. TO mark ,.
divisions Of distinct movements ,n,
"a description rather than an cxclu,,,.
musical effect seems to be designed
Musical Asccut nnd Descent.
Like a famous soldier Mr. Strm,
marched up "A mountain and then dow,
again. The prog rainme ut his aA.lr
sion begins and ends with ntght ",
proceed from sunris. t. the tr
entrance into a forest, waml.rNs he
side a brook, at a waterfall, "apptt'.o,
mot clearly deiinsdb on ''oU,
meadows. OH the Aim q stream, lo.
In thickets. on a glacier. danger. ON ..
summit. the view therefrom. ~ obs,
ration by mists, which for som, r,a.
evOkes al elegy, calm, storm with mi
thunder. the descent, sunset.
Here II sufficient material for a A.
scriptive piece of music and 4 rich se
for novelty. for II has all been done
fore. Let us confess instantly tia, D.
or not either Beethoven or Rossini h,,
done II In the Same way AS SrsI~
though there are echoes of both Il il..
| Justly celebrated masters.
But the %onlpos Of to-day has near
at his disposal quite unknown 10 then
They knew not heckelphones, cele,'a.
nor wind machines. They lacked ,euo
tubas and were short of horns and trur
pets. Still they managed TO invent Do'
tain melodies which still have Their o.
and thunderstorms which command 'e
spect II they do not provoke terror.
The Composers weakness.
Mr.. Strauss betrays in this late
composition that weakness OF thema'
invention detected in all his later mus
He harmonizes and scores nm
places superbly and imposes upon q
senses by magnificent masses OF to-
His instrumental palette flames w..
gorgeous colors and his skill III the pei
phonic Interviewing of his themes
worthy Of high admiration. thouc0
might seriously suffer by compat>'
with that Of Richard the Greater, pain
with him on last nights Programme.
There Is much of ingenious tone pair
ing in this symphony, but little o! er
tional eloquence. Onc more The o.
realist Of Germany proves that he \
fallen to composing too much Objective
and not enough eubtectively, that lie
not always piously obedient To tn u
of musical utterance. Look into =
soul and write" That there is no o.
composer who could have created q
Alpine" symphony may or may no.
true. II Is ~splendidly characteristic
it's maker. but the question Will r..s
WAS II worth all that efn.' a't
that mechanism
EXcellently Performed.
These indeed are impreSsIo,-
At a first hearing and they may "f
lasting. II the work is f'N- g.
seemed last night Il Wi! imIrl' "a
repeated hearings. and CONNIE
who do not glorify Il this morn!
be covered with confusion III.
something which commentators
learned to bear with equdItT IS