New-York tribune., 1918-10-21
Music
A Beethoven Symphony by
the Paris Conservatory Or
chestra-Was 1t German2
By II. f. Krehbiel

Inc concerts of the Paris Conserva-
tory Orchestra in America at this crisis
IN the history of the world are too
interesting to be passed over with
mere critical comment on the music
ana Its performance. If that were all
that last nights meeting in the Metro
politan Opera House demanded, it
might easily be disposed of with
record and few words of warm ap-
proval for the band, it's conductor, NJ.
Messenger, and the soto pianist, NJ. AL
fred Cortot. There was nothing new
IN the list of pieces. though the first
was known only to concertgoers with
long memories. 1t was Bizct's over
ture, "Patrlc," more interesting as
personal and patriotic document just
now than as work of art. Fifteen
years ago NJ, Edouard Coonne intro
duced 1t to local music lovers at the
first of the Phi harmonic concerts
which he conducted here. His reason
Tor bringing it forward was probably
one of pride and personal affection, for
1T was at his instance that it was
composed He wanted a new work by
the composer of Carmen" to aid him
in his competition with NJ. Pasdeloup,
who was seeking to popularize classical
music at the Cirque dHiver, and stimuli
taneously com ssiored Bizet, Gouraud
and Massenet to write for him. Mas
senet produced the overture to
"Pht Dire" which has won a hold on all
music lovers by it's intrinsic worth
Bizet wrote a dramatic overture as
tribute to his native land. The war
with Prussia was over, but the young
composer who had fought in it. after
lapse of over two years. was still
filled with sorrow not only for France,
but for HUMANITY
When he was called upon to write
his overture France had recovered
marvellously from the blow given her
by her traditional enemy, but Bizet
was still downcast and this probably
explains the fact that despite the
brilliant impetuosity and fiery pride
which characterize the greater part of
the composition, there is yet notice
able in it strain of melancholy. 1t
was not only the pride and heroism of
his countrymen which found express
sion in it, but also their suffering. the
cries of the wounded and dying and
their longing for ray of light to IL
umlne the national gloom. The over
ture was produced by M. Colonne on
February Is. 1874, and made a success
hut 1t is not without significance that
an apprehension on the part of the
composers friends that to connect the
music with the patriotic concert which
had been in his mind might interfere
with its performance in the concert
rooms of Germany and they suggested
that it be given a title which would
associate i. with the sufferings and
hopes of the people of Poland But
there is nothing Polish in the music
and Bizet was too wise. too brave and
too honest to countenance the false
Drctence.
The overture kept its name. 1t is
not great music, but it is trring and
eloquent where it expresses the COM
poser's profoundest mood Last night
it won great applause, bat nothing
IKE the enthusiasm evoked by every
movement of Beethoven's c minor
symphony which followed it. Here
was revelation for the misguided
persons who think, or profess to
think, that devotion to America de-
mands the "internment" of the Ger
man c assics; The symphony was
beautifully played with some rigid
lty OF tempo, it is true, and without
any evidence of a purpose of M. Mes
sager to read esoteric meanings into
it's score, with lighter touch than
we are accustomed to in the Scherzo
which is neither jocose nor playful
but with great clarity and particu arly
ravishing beauty in the episodes
which brought the wood wind choir to
the tore. Was the reyerential treat
ment which M. Messenger and his ar
tlsts gave it tribute to Germany or
20 the art universal? Did they think
OF Beethoven as a German or as a
tlamand, or simply as the creator of
beauty which is beautiful because it
is true and good 1t is easy to ridi-
CUE the notion promptly advanced in
France and England when the war
broke out that Beethoven was not a
German, but there vas more Of truth
than chauvinism in the claim, if the
spirit OF the man and not the accident
of his birthplace is taken into con-
slderation.
In the sense Of the familiar "Ubi
bene, ibi patria," Beethoven never was
German. while in Bonn. least of all
German of the Prussian type, and
that he was the worst Of Austrians
during his Vienna sojourn the disc los-
ures made by his American biographer,
mayer, ought to make known to the
whole world. His ancestors were Flam-
ands; his father was at least half, and
may have been whole, Flemish, and the
culture of the court at Bonn during
the years which his grandfather. father
and he spent in its service was in af-
fectation at least French He went
from Bonn to Vienna when he was not
quite twenty-five years old and never
returned to his birthplace even on a
visit. During the thirty-fve years Of
life which remained to him and which
he spent in Vienna he was perhaps as
unruly a subject as was to be found in
the Austrian Empire. His animadver-
slons against the Austrian court,
though grand duke was among his
pupi.s, were many and loud. and he
was protected from the consequences
which they would inevitably have
brought down on him in time like
the present only by the respect for his
genius, which was felt by everybody
from the Emperor down to the hum
blest police officers.
But enough of this; something more
must be said about the concert. Out
side of the symphony the music was
all French Dizet's overture, Debussys
"L'Apres- midi dun Faune," the C
minor pianoforte concerto by Saint
Saens. the symphonic fragment from
Franck's Redemption" and the over
ture to "Le Carnaval Roman" by Ber-
lioz In all the music the orchestra
sounded more brilliant and homogene-