New-York tribune., 1919-11-26
Schumann's Symphony, the
''Rhenish," Is Climax of
Entertainment at Which
Harold Bauer Is Artist
'Orpheus'Opens Program
Liszt's Poem Presented in
Interesting Manner, but
1t Is Short of Melody
By H. E. Krehbiel

Though there was a deservedIv nom
ular virtuoso to give brilliancy to the
affair. and though the artist, who was
Mr.. Harold Bauer, played magnificent
piece OF music in an appropriately
magnificent manner, the climax of the
concert given by Mr.. Bodanzky and the
New Symphony Society in Carnegie
Hall yesterday afternoon was not
reached in the solo number, but in the
symphony which followed it, This SYM
phony, again, was not one which has
struck its roots deep into the popular
heart, but one which is frequently
looked upon askance and spoken of with
that cold respect due to distinguished
parentage. 1t was Schumann's in f
fiat, the so-called "Rhenish," and the
factor in its performance which made
1t the crowning delight of the after
noon. 1t was not the euphony of the
band, as might have been the case had
the philharmonic or Symphony Society
spirit which pervaded it, This spirit
was the evocation Of Mr.. Bodanzky, who
better than any of his colleagues
knows how to make his instruments
sing. individually and in harmonious
concert.
Is this preeminence which is forcing
itself more and moro emphatically
upon our recognition due to the fact
that until he began these concerts he
was specifically an operatic conductor? :?
We do not know, and we do not care
even to speculate upon the question:;
it is enough that we again have con-
ductor who knows that the lifeblood
Of all music is melody, and that to
vltalize symphonies, symphonic poems,
overtures or what not there must be
an approximation Of vocal song-the
themes brought out so that their con-
tours may be observed in all their
strength and grace, their expressive
character, their suppleness, their ca
pacity for protean change brought out
and filled with the elixir of beauty.
Song Sweeps Concert
Song of this kind swept through all
of the music of the concert-through
Beethoven's pianoforte concerto in E
fiat, the Schumann Symphony and also
through the opening piece. which was
LISTS symphonic poem which is called
might justly have been expected to be
particularly eloquent exemplitication
Of the principle. But List is now
soaring youngster, and his tonal delin-
cation or celebration of the mythic bard
of Thrace, though it seeks to mount,
never rises into the blue ether. 1t
hasn't melodic breath enough to do
that. Mr.. Bodanzky interested US in
the composition more than we have
ever been interested before. but left
us unconvinced of it's aesthetic value,
if it has any, and with curious ques
tionings as to why he was elected to
perform a work which has found no
Mobilization in our concert rooms,
though it entered them more than fifty
seven years ago.
Experience of "Orpheus"
"Orpheus" has undergone singu
lar experience in New York. Back in
century Carl Bergman began an en-
ergetic propaganda for Liszt's music in
the Philharmonic Society. Within ten
wears he brought Lies Preludes,"
"Tasso," "Festklange," Faust" and
Dante" symphonies, "Mazeppa," Gee
"qu'on entend sur la Montague" ode
1deale" and the "Nachtlicher Zug" to
the hearing if not to the understand
ing and love of New York's music
he passed by "Orpheus." This afforded
Theodore Eisfeld an opportunity to en-
ter the Lisztian field, and he produced
"Orpheus" at Philharmonic concert
in April 1862. Then, so far as the
Philharmonic Society is concerned, it
slept twenty-four years, when, on Feb
ruary 1s, 1886, it was awakened by
Theodore Thomas Again it fell asleep
and remained dead to Philharmonic ac-
tivities until Mr.. Stransky shook it
awake in 1915 after lapse Of thirty
years.
Other Works Win Favor
Meanwhile others of LISTS sym
phonic poems have won favor in the
ears or hearts or minds Of consider
"Les Preludes," first of all, then
"Tasso" and "Mazeppa." These three,
are, it must be confessed, more COM
prehensible to the general public than
"Orpheus" They tell stories, and even
big musical children like to hear