New-York tribune., 1917-01-12
Scriabin Composition Is
Played by Philadelphia
Orchestra
FRIENDS OF MUSIC
SPONSOR CONCERT
HOfmann and KreiSler Ap-
pear-PhiIharmOniC in
Evening
BY II. T.. kREHBlEL

Orchestral concerts now tread upon
each others heels, so fast they follow.
We have mn impression that the always
welcome Boston Orchestra was with us
last Saturday and that Cincinnati's har-
monious cohorts, desirous to enlighten
the cffcte East, were heard here on
Tuesday. Yesterday afternoon the
bandsmcn from Philadelphia gave a
concert in Carnegie Hall Meanwhile,
between last Saturday afternoon and
midnight Of yesterday, besides the Wis
itors from other cities. there were con-
certs By our own symphony and Phil
harmonic societies and the orchestra OF
the Metropolitan Opera House, which
has symphonic proportions as we'll as
capabilities. and perhaps some more. II
there were others participating in the
general melee OF the last six days that
have been overlooked In the haste Of
writing IL doesn't much matter; enough
that New York is this season enjoying,
or enduring, at least twice as many
orchestral concerts "a any other city
in the world. II is a pious wish that
half Of the music which II hears may
be appreciated and half Of the half in
tellectually assimilated.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The first Of yesterdays symphony
concerts was confessedly, or pro-
fessedly. designed for the edifcation OF
the denizens of the metropolis. The
Society Of the Friends of Music
brought the Philadelphia Orchestra
hither that we might learn of the
capabilities Of Mr.. Stokowski, the quail
ity OF some music most of which was
familiar, and incidentally the merits OF
Josef Hofmann, Fritz Kreisler and the
organization supported by the city
which contributes a considerable trac-
ton TO our daily commuters. How
much of this purpose was VAN,
how much unnecessary, how much
futile il would be ungracions to
discuss. A generation of New Workers
has known Brahms's variations on a
theme by Haydn from its childhood
having learned them from perform
ances better than Mr.. Strokowsh and
his excellent musicians can ever hope 10
give; certainly as good as that OF yes
terday. The same generation has been
privileged 10 enjoy the playing Oh
Kreisler and Hofmann since they hrst
came here as prodigies, and has OBJ
served their development into artists
of the first rank. The music when
they played yesterday was new 10 the
local public, but it needed no mission
ary effort to bring il here; nor was
the conviction forced upon us that the
effort was deserved. On that point
something more presently.
The symphony by Scriabin, which
was announced as a novelty, was not
new. IL was played by the Russian
Symphony Orchestra IN Marcn' lsO''
al time when interest in the com
poser was at high tide and the condi-
tions for an appreciation OF its merits
were more favorable than they were
Yesterday. Then we had the words OF
the composer and an eloquent publicity
agent 10 help US 10 an understanding
OF it's occult proclamations; yesterday
we were left as hopelessly adrlft as II
we had been torpedoed without warn
ing. Not we, exactly. but the audi
ence. for we had a recollection OF the
previous performance OF which the
Society of the Friends Of Music know
nothing. We could recall one record
of the performance nine years ago.
II is little post festlnl now, but since
the purpose of the Society OF the
Friends OF Music is educational IT may
not be amiss TO mention that the COM
poser in this symphony, which is en-
titled "Le Poem divin," said that
he sought to express in its some
thing Of the emotional (and
for that reason communicable side OF
his philosophy OF life" From 1t we
hope that Yesterdays audience learned
Cas Mr. Scriabin wished that they
might that the composer was neither a
manifest nor a theosophist, though a
little OF each. For ourselves, when we
heard il nine years ago. and again yes
terdav. il seemed 20 invite the surmlse
that not only was the composer only a
half-baked pantheist and faint-heart-
ed tbeosophist. but also that he was not
wholly i'm agreement with the atomic
theory. that he had some doubts about
Dorwinianism, preferred TO look upon
the nebular theory as merely a
fairly practicable working hypothesis,
was skeptical on the subject Of infant
damnation. scored the multiplication
table as prosaic and a matter OF vul-
oar faith and was more or less prone,
like Wagner, at one time (or was u
Nietzsche p TO believe that humanity
might be redeemed II it gave up eating
meat and emigrated 20 the tablelands
of Thibet. And yet, the music sounded
TO us when we first heard it and again
Yesterday as about the best thing. OF
Scrisbinis; as possessed o. indubita-
Bile strength and considerable beauty,
DESPITE the fact that it betrays the
fact that 1t was inspired from with
out instead Of from within, and fre-
ouently pursued the ugly and the
painfui. as if they were things 10 be
wooed instead of to be stunned in
art It's fantastic programme has moth
ing more to do with it than the re-
lipion of the Hottentots.
Mr.. Hofmann played the solo part IN
What was called a symphonic duo
Iogue. for pianoforte and orchestra,
entitled "Chromaticon." the authorship
Of which was accredited to a Michel
Dyorsky. Rumor has had it that the
name of the composer is but a nom de
]nL,,pe Of Mr.. Holman himself. II that
he true he ought to DE ashamed of him
self. both for hoaxing the public and