New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-01
Schola CantOrum Concert
in Carnegie Hall Echo
of Long Ago
DESCRIPTIVE PIECE
SHOWS MUCH BEAUTY
Composition by Rousseau
on Same Theme Mozart
Employed
By ri. L. kREHBIEL


that, while the dreaming advocates OF
universal peace are declaiming against
nationalism, musical composers and
performers are day by day emphasizing
the influence which nationalism has
upon their art. Nearly every pro-
cramme which comes under the obser-
walton Of a newspaper reviewer now
adays illustrates this truth. Some
thirty years or so ago the Russian gov
eminent began a propaganda for lts
music by sending out such men As
Rimsky-Korsakof and Tschaikoffsky 70
direct concerts Of their compositions
and those Of their compatriots in the
European capitals. It was done with
out ostentation or confessed purpose.
Nobody has yet told us exactly how
it came about that Tschaikoffsky hap
pened TO have a hand in the dedica-
ton of Carnegie Hall. We only know
that he came and that his coming had
been preceded by incidents IN the con-
cert rooms Of the Old World when
called out from The Tribune the warn
ing cor rather the invitation), LOOK
out for the Muscovite,' which has
been echoed many times since. FOR
years afterward we had concerts OF
Russian orchestral music, wnlch'
though they did not meet our Ideals
IN the matter of performance, served
the purpose of making as more THOR
oughly acquainted with the music OF
contemporaneous Russia than even OF
contemporaneous Germany. though we
were kept abreast OF the best achieve
ments of German composers, and no
harm. but much good, was the result
There may have been an organized
system back Of the Russian movement,
but there is nothing more than nat
ural and universal interest IN national
and racial musical expression m the
tendency of concert glvers when we
are called upon 10 note now. Last
night the Schola Cantorum gave a con-
cert in Carnegie Hall, which was IN
way an exposition of french music
from the early decades Of the sixteenth
century down 70 the Revolutionary
period. Not all of the music was pre-
scented exactly as it sounded IN the
ears OF those who first heard It, Tor
there were demonstrations and orches-
trail arrangements which Mr.. Kurt
. SCHNEIDER. the society's conductor, had
Z made 70 fit the compositions TOR the
ears Of to-day; but in the unaccom-
I panied vocal pieces OF the nrst part
of the programme we had an unsophis-
ticated echo of the music Of the long
ago, and in some Of 10 a most interest
ing and instructive echo. This was es-
pecially the case with the vocal de-
tcription of d battle between the French
and Swiss. composed rs Clement jaime
quin probably within decade or
two O. the event with which y
deal 7. les the habit of writ
ers on musical history 20 begin inc
4 story Of programme music with bdcn s
"CaDriccio on the Departure OF Be
loved Brother harpsichord piece.
But al the time that capital compost
ton was written the idea Of program
matte or descriptive music was cen
turtles old. The Englishman Byrd
Battle" prototype Of The Battle Of
Prague" admired Of our grandmothers
! was a century old And even u was
separated by probably a thousand years
/ our cyclopadia is not at our elbow
and time is short by the attempts o.
, Timotheus 10 depict IN song the battle
between Apollo and the python, and
pallas Athene's invention or the flute
so called TO initiate the kissing OF the
makes or the head Of the Nedusa.
That story belongs TO the mythical ms
tory of Greek music. JanneGuln s de-
scription in msdrigal form OF the battle
. Of Marignan recalled the fact that he m
The middle of the sixteenth century al
D lid ia
opera Louise" in reproducing the cries
Of the street vendors Of Paris. Never
mind the history; the music which we
heard last night was not only interest
ing because of its employment OF onom-
atopes in text and rhythms. it was also
fascinating because Of its musical
beauty. So also were the bergerettes
Of Tessier and Lefebyre Of the first
decade Of the seventeenth century and
the humorous madrgals OF Costelay
and Passereau, whose charm was
brought home to the listeners by reason
Of the good performance OF the choir,
which sang this unaccompanied music
better than 10 did the music OF later
period which came within a period
which is not strange TO our concert pro-
grammes.
We are not particularly concerned
with the cavalier, drinking and eating
songs, vi lch Mr.. Seagle sang IN de-
ightful manner luuder the clrcum-
stances We wished that he might have
mad q harpsichOrd rather than harp
IccompanimentJ because they have en-
tered into our recital bill. II was in
,eresting 70 hear some of the music OF
Rousseau's "Devin du Village because
10 provided al opportunity of compari-
ION between il and the music Of the
boy Mozart written for German
baraphrase Of the pastoral play which
has recently been heard here. There
seemed TO be greater freshness IN the
composition Of the precocious German
lad than In that Of the French phi
losopher, but Rousseau, as a composer
seems an anomaly. while Mozart does
not. Nevertheless the music. Ike all
IN the list, came as a retreshment TO
ears harassed By the strivings of the
latter day composers. and the work Of
the chorus, Miss Peterson. Mr.. Seagie
and Mr.. Salzeda mot 90 forget Mr..
| Schindler) was such as 10 command
an expression Of gratitude.
II Is not necessary TO assume IL 70
be a literal fact that the little COM
pany Of players on archaic instru-
ments who greatly Interested an audi
| ence at the RitZ-Carlton last Sunday
and Mr.. Joseph Bonnet, the organist,
who gave a rec tai in the Great Hall
| Of the College Of the City OF New York
on Tuesday evening, come accredited
10 the people Of the United states by
the French government. That would
seem 10 be implied By the announce
ments which have been given out IN
An effort TO interest the public m their
nerformanccs. But the Minister Of
Fine Arts has never deemed DC ncces-