The sun., 1916-02-28
SCHOENBERG MUSIC
is RECEIVED KINDLY
Chamber symphony Accorded
Patient Hearing at Dam
rOsch Concert.
HEARTY APPLAUSE GIVEN

The programme Of the Symphony So
ciety's concert at Apolian Hall yesterday
afternoon was devoted to compositions
In the smaller forms. which Mr. Dam
rosch called Orchestral chamber music"
The list comprised Schoenberes KAN
mersymphonie." Chausson's poem for vio-
lin and orchestra. Boellman's symphonic
variations for violoncello and orchestra.
Brahms's serenade In a for small orches-
| ira and Saint.Saens's serenade for vio-
| lin. cello. piano and organ.
The ''Kammersymphonie' was played
on November ~ last AT concert Of
the Friends of Music At that time the
| performers we're from the Phila delphia
| Orchestra and were conducted by Leo
pold Stokowski. II would be impossible
| to make now any comment which was
not made then. Schoenbergs first artis-
! tic tenet Is that combinations OF tones
are expressions of feeling and are there
fore subject to no dictation extraneous
to the musicians own soul.
II would be a hard task to overthrow
this doctrine. and Schoenberg's "kam-
|
ant with exceedingly little material. To
begin the assault II is essential to deny
the composers premises. which are not
easily to be shaken. The artist has GER
| tain rights. one of which is to make the
| rules of his own art. The theorists and
| the commentators do the talking and
write many books The Beethovens.
Bachs and Wagners make the music.
Thus 1t has ever been and will be. in
sacula seculorum.
! This Chamber symphony" is neither
lawless nor unbeautiful. II is a one move
ment work. 1t has two principal themes.
| one of vigorous rhythmic character and
one pure cantabile. according to the
law and the prophets. Haydn OF Mozart.
They are developed with consummate
skill and with n rigorous process Of
thought. The sum total hears the most
searching scrutiny 1t is brain music
perhaps. but IL none the less true music.
Certainly the pages in which the can
, table theme IL developed in its full rich
ness are of incontestable beauty.
The elements of fundamental depart
ure in such a composition are those
when have been topics OF discussion
ever since Wagner wrote Tristan und
| Isolde Wagners novel use of chro-
matte melody and its resultant harmonies
brought storms of abuse about his ears.
Since that time We have gone far for
ward in the use of new scales and har
monies foreign to ouy long established
system.
The Schoenberg scheme embraces in
addition tn older materials the harmonic
scale. sometimes in its primitive state
! and again subjected TO modificatons The
construction Of melodic thoughts founded
on or suggested by this scale and the
grouping Of newly conceived chords in
relations occasionally arbitrary but gen
orally logical amaZes the ear OF the lis
tener. We shall have to learn to love
these things. perhaps: or cschew con-
certs at which are performed compost
tons of later date than Richard Strauss s
famous symphonic hymn to papa.
mamma and the baby. The art do
move.
MeunW hlle let the record stand that
Schoenbsrg's Chamber SYMPHONY" af-
ter PREDATORY address OF instruction and
warning by Walter Damrosch. was re-
ceived by Yesterdays audience with close
attention and was applauded heartily
Whether the applause was all for the
work or partly for the conductors cour
age in producing II cannot be told: hut
Mr.. Damrosch read the score with fine
insight. and with the aid OF his musi-
clans gave performance which was
noteworthy FOR its clarity and its bal
aucc of tone.
| Mr.. Saslavsky, concert master Of the
orchestra. played the Chausson worl. and
Lucien Schmitt. second oellist, and cello
variations. Mr Schmitt had not pre-
viously been heard as "a soloist and he
acquitted himself with credit. Mr.. Dam.
rosch took the piano part in the naive
serenade OF Saiut-Saens. music Il thou
sand miles removed from that with
which the concert began.