The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-25
MAILER SYMPHONY
BY PHILHARMONIC
Abode Of the Blessed Described
in Soothing Com
position.
SCHELLING rs PIANIST

The concert OF the Philharmonic So.
ciety at Carnegie Hail last evening fur
nished the audience with a bewildering
variety of delights. The programme
consisted Of Mendelssohn's "Ruy Bias
overture. Gustave Mahler's symphony
No. 4 In q major. the symphonic var!a-
tons OF Cesar Franck for piano and or
chestra. Richard Strauss familiar It'll
Eulenspiegel" and lgnacc Pa~derewsk's
Polish Fantasia" for piano and orches-
ira. Ernest Schelling was the pianist
and May Peterson SAM the soprano solo
In the last movement OF the Mailer
work.
This composition was heard here first
In 1904. when II was produced by Walter
pamrosch, II WAS again performed on
January II. 1911. by the Philharmonic
So.ety, then conducted by Mr.. Mailer.
Since that time ill last evening it
rested. This composition IL founded on
an old German foiksong which sets forth
the Joys OF heaven and which is intro
duced as the solo In the final movement.
II there is anything In the stories Of
pnvation in Germany at present COT
which there maj reasonably be grave
doubt), this song would bring before tho
TeutOnic mind tho very heaven Of
heavens. For "the wine costs nothing
from the heavenly ~ccllar--and the angels
bake the bread" From tho celestial
gardens the blessed may take their MI
OF ~artichokes. asparagus, apples. pears.
would 0 have ven1son and haresf
They come to you in tho opel streets"
Himmlischer Hasenbraten! What q
feast! And there is dancing and dano-
Ing. Even the II 900 virgins Of Cologne
dance while 81. Ursula laughs at them.
Unbegreihich!
This l1.00o virgins legend has never
e established on firm ground. II II
had been. the story Of the 1900 original
Jean Maria F~arinas-hut that Is Indeed
another story. Mr.. Mailer was q serious
man and he took this old folk dream Sc
rtOusly, He felt as Handel did when he
conceived the "Hallelujah" chorus, AZ
II tho heavens had opened and no wers
gazing upon the angelic host. He nav
the blessed dancing, and like Gluck no
found hat their terpsiohorean festivi-
ties we're most decorous.
Therefore Mr., Mailer set nut to In
Innate to US that those in the Elyeian
fields took their Joys always at q
UlOueTato teUlpo' INC naS
four movements. all slow. some even
deadly slow. There IL much really beau
tiful melody and far too much iaborlous
elaboration. When the composer sings
US his fundamental melodies with the
richest voices Of the orchestra no Is for
some moments delightful.
But when he begins cutting up these
same melodies into convenient lengths
for contrapuntai hguration and then
-..-t-- 4. .A~~. @A-, -----
solo instruments or combinations OF solo
Instruments. and when there IL nothing
left to do pretending to finish. n then
~cunningly foolinR the listener by n,odu.
lating Into another key and doing II all
over again. he becomes one Of the blessed
himself and sleeps the sleep Of the Just
made perfect.
OF course symphonies by q man who
has commanded the profound and In
Austria ought to be played from time to
time. II for no other reason al least 90
that young American composers may
study them and proht thereby.
Later in the reason Mr.. Mahier's eighth
symphony will be introduced 10 US by
an organization calling itself tina Friends
Of Music. The Philharmonic Society 10
also such an organisation and II per-
formed the fourth symphony s~xceliently.
made 10. Mr.. Stransky conducted the
music with discretion. with understand
Ing and with manifest affection. Miss
Peterson a the solo very we'll.
The other compositions on the pro-
gramme do moi call for discussion. Mr..
Paderewski's fantasia 10 not heard often,
hut II deserves repetition quite az we'll
~ numerous other works which are
more familiar. II has both meloAlc
charm and character.