The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-10
NEW SYMPHONY
CONCERT PLEASES
Artur BOdanzky Presents
Programme of Dignity and
Proportion.
TONE QUALITY rs DARK
Orchestra Has Opportunity to
Progress Under Present
Conductor.
TONE QUALITY IS DARK

What the New Symphony Orchestra
did last spring does not count. The
programme of the concert given at Car
negie Hall last evening denominated this
the first season." Most music lovers
will be glad to hear It. They will be
glad TO forget. forgive and begin over.
Last spring It looked as IL the New
symphony Orchestras reason for exist
ence was thrilling conviction that Ed
gard Varese was the inspired evangelist
of the true gospel of symphonic music.
After the first concert the enthusiasts
discovered that the real possessor OF a
voice to cry in the wilderness OF New
York's orchestral activities was Artur
Bodanzky of the Metropolitan Opera
House. Mr.. Varese did not conduct the
second concert, with which the series
suddenly concluded.
Mr.. Bodanzky had made good" Given
a conductor who can evoke raptures In
tender bosoms and the fate of any sym
lphony orchestra is safe The New Sym
phony Orchestra was assured OF contin-
uation and it's real and only first season
therefore began with last evenings con-
cert, Artur Bodanzky conducting.
The programme was one OF artistic
dignity and proportion. 1t began with
Bach's choral prelude for organ, out OF
the Deep l Cry" arranged for flutes,
oboes, bassoons. trombones and strings by
Mr.. Bodanzky Charles Martin Loeftilers
now familiar Pagan Poem," with Helm
rich Bebhard as the player of the plano
obbligato; wagner's "a Faust Overture"
and Beethovens Fifth symphony. II
any fault Is to be found with the ar
rangement 1t must be with the allotment
of the final place to the symphony:
large number of music lovers believe
that a symphony should always stand
first on a serious programme. The ques-
ton Is open to debate.
Mr. Bodanzky's orchestra is an organ
ization in the first blush of it's youth.
but it played last evening as II the
SHOWS of yesteryear had long ago settled
on its brows. Doubtless Mr.. Loeffier's
superb tonal translation of Virgirs
"Sorceress," with its long drawn Itrum-
petings of the yearning refrain, "Ducite
alb urbe domum. mea carmina, ducite
Daphnim,' was unfamiliar to most or
the strangely assorted audience, which
mingled heavily trained music lovers,
stepped in the mysteries of Bach ana
Brahms with charming social digni-
taries better acquainted with "Ridi rag
liacci," and to the latter perhaps Mr..
Bodanzkys Interpretation seemed the
last word in passionate utterance.
But although Mr.. Loffier appeared on
TIC SlhSt III lespoiiSc W ,-F
plause and himself applauded the or
chestra, no ancient concert goer was
deluded into fancying that 1t was a
quite adequate performance. 1t was
creditable, but it suffered from much the
same disabilities as the presentation or
Wagners embodiment of the oppressed
Faust"
Here indeed Mr.. Bodanzky INDUCED In
lingering sweetness long drawn out.
squeezing the tragic juices out of every
phrase and pedalling the pianissimi TO
the faintest of echoes. 1t was all too
tame till the end, and that was a grand
stand finish indeed.
Mr. Bodanzky is nevertheless a good
orchestral conductor and in time will
do notable things with this new or
ganization. He has much work before
him. The tone quality of the orchestra
Is still dark heavy, opaque, never SHIN
mering with translucence. never sug-
costing the sunlight of Mozart. Its
hand Is heavy. its attack deficient In
incsiveness and its colors in general
wanting in elementary brilliancy.
But this is only the beginning OF
things and 1t will be interesting to OBJ
serve the progress and development OF
the orchestra under the training of
conductor who has been able to mako
the musicians of the Metropolitan
Opera House work marvels in WebsTs
"Oberon."