Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-19
BRAHMS SYMPHONY
WAS PLEASING
Philadelphia Orchestra In Fina'
Concert Makes Many
New Friends.

The final concert Of the Philadelphia
Orchestra, last night, brought the season
to close IN n most successful manner,
from the musical standpoint both men
and maestro were in their bcst form.
The selection of the first Brahms
Symphony, IN G minor. rs the. earlier
division OF the program. may bo con
sidered IA a compliment alike tn the
composers names. and To the musical
public. in whose interests the Delaware
committee have SO ungrldgingly given
of their time, their influence and their
resources. For Brahms, though almost
contemporary with the elders Of the audi
ence-he is hardly twenty years dead =
was, musically, kin md heir Of the most
classic Of the classicists The greatest
contrapuntist after Bach, the greatest
architectoniRt after the greatest sym
phonist IN tho constructive sense, Rec
thoven," he has been termed nv n COM
retent commentator Whatever he
wrought, he wrought in bronze. and for
time, not for the hour Not so great
colorist rs Schumann or lscrlioz, he was
The greatest master of pure line that ever
lived =
brahms did not venture rashly into tho
symphonic field, rs is shown by the opus
number Of this symphony. which is 6S,
and his artistic confluence and restraint
was justified bv the acclaim that greeted
the result. An introduction, severe in
mood leads M 10 m Nlcgro which closes
with n rvthmcal swing The Andanie is
lvrcal IN form and full of beautiful tonal
effects. where tones have the eloquence
and detinltencss of words, and evoke ideas
that transcend words aud music alike
The Alleercttu is substituted iy tho
composer for the more customary Scherzo,
and tho final movement. opening AdaRio,
ends Allcgretto. and finishes "cou brio,
and most brilliantly
As whole. md in detail the symphony
calls ont tho fnll resources Of m orchestra
Nv his tarlt acqmcsccnco N several
varying readings " sorne passages, espe-
ciallv some of the pi79icatn effects. the
composer. IN his lifetime sanctioned .
certain freedom ~ interpretation which
was avallcd of hv Mr. Stow kowsk, IN a
conservative. rather than m extreme
fashion MI III all. the verdict af flaw
lcsSnoes. 81 far as auch qlaiiy inheres
in human powers, must be rendered IN
respect Of the orchostra's work
vARirn ercoNp rART
Tho second part of tho program,
offered varlad selectlon
nehu-sv IS fit interpreter ~ Mallarme.
whose Tauu Sicsta inspired the com-
position Both arr ~ were. So rapldlv
10 novelties becorc memories tho last
word IN modernism Needless 10 say
that the color and fantasy were fully
brought ont bv the facihtv and resources
of tho instruments and their playere
The Naso Treto II Shelllous revealed
ar by meteor fash 4 slicc ~ life
and. o>tlngushcd ~ quickly. leit the
disnalncss Of death \ most vivid
triumph of impressionlsm IN music
II would hc hard tn conceive ~ 2 moro
capable interpreter than Mr. StoWkoWEli
Of tho seml-oricutal fcellne. tho move
mont of life IN thronging. lostllng maesoa
vct svayci hv an undcrcurrcnt. 2 cont
mon pulsatlon of racial blood which
svuchronigee AZ htfnl intervals. and then
goes separate WAYS, such ~ II rcglstctrd
in The Dances from Prince Igor. hy
Borodin THIS vas q request number
and vorthllv such ono looks forward
10 many rcpetltions, # this were possible
Then. as httng close, the universe ol
harmony. with all tho ol,cn tones OF all
tho choirs making the forces Of the as