New-York tribune., 1920-02-15
Coming of Dutch Conductor
Will Increase BOdanzky's
Labors i'm Field of Opera

oooooH anu tHe HeAt tHo years u tllS
country's neutrality, he was actively
employed with the German repertory,
which included the dramas of Wae
ner's "Nibelung" tetralogy, "Parsieal,"
"Lohengrin," Christian und Isolde
"Die Meistersinger," "Die Rosenkava-
lier," "Die Zauberfote," and "Fidelio
To the German repertory he addcA
DER sp;instigen zahmung" in
his first year, "Iphigenia auf Tauris"
in his second; to the Italian revival
of "Le Nozze di Figaro" and to the
English "The Canterbury Pilgrims"
His additions in 1917-'1S were Marta"
in Italian, "Saint Elizabeth" in Eng
lish, a revival of "Le Prophetic" in
French, and in the last season
| "Oberon," in his own version, with
translation Snto English of the German
recitatives.
In this season thus far he has
brought forward the remarkable re-
vival of "La Juivc," and reburnished
the musical side Of "Le Coo dor"
which was in danger Of sacrifice to the
largely extraneous pantomimc element.
His next achievement is to be the pro-
duction of "Parsifal" in English, to
which he has brought a large measure
of interest and devotion. These things,
coupled with the coming Of Mr.. Men
gelberg, justify the belief that while
Mr. Bodanzky may not be taken out of
the symphonic field altogether, his in
fluence will be extended and his activi-
ties increased at the opera.
Newcomer Here Fifteen Years Ago
AS for Mr.. Mengelberg, he is not an
entire stranger to New York's sym
phony lovers, though ono must have a
memory of Philharmonic concert
nearly fifteen years ago to recall him in
local performance; and we fancy not
many New Workers have sat under him
In the Concertgebouw at Amsterdam.
He was the first Of the Philharmonic
Society's guest" conductors in tho sea-
son Of 1905'06, and at a public re-
hearsal and concert on November 10
and IL, 1905, conducted a program COM
posed Of the Schumann symphony in D
MINOR, Brahms's violin concerto (Mlss
Otie Chew, solo) and Richard Strauss's
"Heldenleben." All Of the "star" con-
ductors imported by the Philharmonic
IN that period were more or less spe-
cialists. Mr.. Edouard Colonne rode the
French horse; Mr.. Safonofr and Mr..
Wood the Russian; Mr.. Weingartner
preached the evangel of Beethoven and
little of his own; Mr. Kogel seemed
disposed to cover the general field; Mr.,
Mengelberg came as the particular
prophet of Richard Strauss. He did
some whimsical and disturbing things
IN his reading of the symphony, but
nothing at once noteworthy and praise
worthy. In. "Ein Heldenleben," how
ever, he made fine and deep impress
sion, and evoked the following comment
from The Tribunes reviewer:
Like all conductors of the modern
and masterful kind Che certainly Is
thaD, Mr. Mengelberg commanded pre-
, cision and elasticity of utterance at all
.ii"So, lnougH ne was nara put to II
through the concerto through no fault
OF his own. but because of the made
quacy of the solo performer He is a
> man OF intense earnestness and makes
I his wishes felt, as we'll as understood
without spectacular antics or extrava-
gance of gesture. He is at home in his
scores; the printed page does not ham
. per MN, for, as was said of another
: long ago. he has the score in his head
not his head in the score. In the
Strauss symphonic poem, which is SYM.
phonic but not poetical. except in ar
l extraneous sense. he displayed splen.
I did realization OF the value of song
Whenever 1t was possible in that wild
whirling phantasmagoria of sound he
} made the choirs OF his band sing. The
men might blow blood out of thei,
eyes, but they We're not permitted te
forget continuity and conference OF
J phrase. Whatever OF sense or nonsense
there was in the score was brought to
the consciousness of every listene,
gifted with modicuM Of analytical
dscernment. Everything which goes
to make up eloquence Of utterance was
to be found in the playing of the or.
chestra. The Philharm on;cians have
never played better than they did in
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