The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-21
MUSICIANS CHARM
| KEOKUk AUDIENCE
.,..l,n symphony Orchestra, Pre-
..r.ed Under Auspices Of Monday
Music Club, Played spIen-
did Program.
CHARM OF COMPOSITION
o,,ressIon and Longing Of People 10
Expressed In Music and
is Very Ably
Interpreted.
rBv Clara Gertrude Fry.


with the appearance last evening
If the Russian Symphony orchestra
The thought is again brought to our
m;nds of the greatness OF the Rus
sian people. The recent upheaval OF
amairs of this great nation, oppressed
&c Il has always been. was the out
aome OF the restlessness, shoulder.
trg for generations, and which finally
hnrst into a flame which was impos'
s;h,e to subdue. The dissatisfaction
mb;cb has been the heritage of the
pnse,an people regardless OF rank,
hoe been apparent in every line OF
effort. ~,
The music Of this people Is filled
with 1.-THE melancholy, the pathos,
the reaching UP and out for light
uhe freedom of thought and lfe),
the spirit of unrest and the nope,
also the final apparently passive &C
centance of fate-of things as they
are and must be.
Russia has produced, especially in
Tho last several decades, composers
whose names ere equal to any of the
greatest stars in the musical ferma-
ment In thinking of Russian COM
nosers we Immediately turn to the
names of Cui Glinka, Rubinstein,
| Tschaikowsky, RachmaninoT and
| Rimsky Korsakoff. Tschaikowsky,
hearing the same relation to the
Russian symphony that Wagner holds
| n the realm OF German opera dis
plays his conception of modern har-
monies in his Overture 1872 and
| especially in the grandeur of the first
movement of the great symphony
pathetiuue in B minor number six,
the latter work giving brilliant EVIL
dence of the composers gigantic in
| tellectuality and resourceful musical
| understanding This number was
given in response to request.
Celebrate NapoIeon's Retreat.
The Overture 1872" according to
rome authorities, was composed as a
festive overture for the Moscow ex-
position. Others state 1t was written
for the conservation Of the new
cathedral of the Savior at Moscow.
In addition to the religious cere-
monies It was planned to hold fes-
tiyal to celebrate the events Of Sep
TENDER Z, 1872, on which day the
Russians fought the French SO vigor-
ously that nearly eighty thousand
men were killed and wounded.
The conflict has always been con-
sidered by the Russians as victory
and 1t Is understood the erection of
the church in Moscow was intended
as an outward manifestation of their
feeling Z"
The Russian national hymn is very
pronounced in this number, 1t is car
ried in the brass instruments, being
introduced by the trombones, and
carried through the enormous climax.
The Rimsky Korsakoff number
"Scheherazade," was a graphic tone
picture while a daintiness of style
was displayed in the Roudo Caprie-
cioso by Saint Saens. Mr.. Gusikoff,
concert master, played the solo part
with refined artistry So delightful
was his Interpretation he was forced
to respond to two encores.
The Scriabine and Rubinstein mum.
oers are well contracted.
The Rachmaninoff number was,
Perhaps, the most novel feature of
the program. The inspiration for the
composition was derived from the
famous painting die Toteninsel'
island Of the dead), by Broklin.
Although the painting seems a
strange and weird subject for must
cal inspiration as nothing could be
more inanimate. yet it may have
ceen the stupendous amount of emo.