New-York tribune., 1921-11-04
Excellent Programs
Presented at Two
Symphony Concerts
Danirosch Orchestra Heard
in Afternoon and Boston
Players at Night; Readings
of Beethoven Contrasted
BY II. E. Krehbiel

1t is possible that other persons
besides this reviewer who attended
THE two orchestral concerts given in
Carnegie Hall yesterday went away
away from the second In somewhat
confused frame of mind--feeling some
what divided, as a salt mackerel would
be justified in saying of itself. It was
vexing to reflect that so little pleasure
had been derived from tho performance
of Beethoven's C minor symphony by
the Symphony Society in the afternoon,
! which had so much Of general excel
lence in it, and so much from the
performance of the 'Eroica," by the
= Boston Symphony Orchestra in the
evening, which was SO sadly miscon-
csived in respect of tempt. Perhaps
the mass of symphonic music which
We have been obliged to hear within
a week and the contrast between the
methods of Ave conductors--Messrs.
i Stransky, Strauss, Stokowsky, Dam
rosch and Monteux-had disposed
our mind toward paradox. We were
compelled to think too much Of
the music makers and too little Of the
music.
Contrast in Two Performances
When Mr.. Damrosch put the preg-
nant theme of the Fifth Symphony be-
fore us, strong and clean-cut in out
line, we wandered why Mr.. Stransky
had blurred its outline by proceeding
to its iteration without giving us .
chance to take a mental breath after
the grim and stern hold, and we felt
beholden to Mr.. Damrosch. When we
listened to the dainty filigree work
of Mr. Stokowsky in the Seventh Sym
phony We felt that it only marred the
effect Of the whole. Last night Mr..
Monteux worked out the details of the
magnificent first movement of the
"Eroica" with equal fnesse, but
played it with feverish haste which
left us time only to marvel at what
we are inclined to set down as the
most marvellous free fantasia in all
musical literature. We were robbed
Of the privilege Of hearing the heart
throbs in Beethoven's tragic proclanla-
tion. If conductors continue to play
Beethoven with the apparent purpose
Of showing how different they can be
in their readings, it may become neces-
sary before long to try to remove some
OF the CLOSES and let the oringinal
text shine. through.
Miss Easton Sings
Mr.. Damrosch devoted his program to
Beethoven and Wagner, playing, be-
sides the symphony, the overture to
"Egmont" and the pathetic between
acts music delineation of the death Of
the heroine of Goethe's tragedy, having
Miss Florence Easton sing the hero
ines two songs, which she did with
Hne intelligence and feeling. In the
second part of the concert the audi
ence heard the merry dance of the ap-
pFentices from Wagner's "Meister-
singer" the "Siegfried Idyl" and the
last scene Of "Gotterdammerung," in
waich Miss Easton sang again. The
ldyl coming in the same week with
Richard Ssrauss's "Sinfornia domes-
tica prompted the reflection that
Richard l made better music for his
baby than did Richard IT. But would
that some conductor had the hardi-
hood to curtail this pretty bit full
hve minutes worth or more. He might
thereby win the gratitude of Wagner's
ghost as we'll as his audience.
Mr.. Monteux and the visitors from
Boston put better foot forward in
Eimsky- -Korsakoff's "Sadko" than they
did in the Heroic" symphony, and
probably a still better foot in De-
bpssy's "Nocturnes" and Strauss's "Don
Juan AS to that we make no deposi-
tlonIfor reasons which may be left to
the readers Imagination. The COM
poser conducted the work in the same
room last Monday evening.