New-York tribune., 1921-01-26
Symphonic Tide
At High Water
I'm 3 Concerts
Chicago Orchestra, Under
Leadership of Mr.. Stock,
Wins Enthusiastic Ad,nira-
ton, in Superb Program
Toscanini a Conductor
Yields Baton for Italian
Players at Carnegie Hall;
National Symphony Heard
By H. E. Krehbiel

The music-lovers of New York had
y'the privilege of dividing their atten.
| tion between two symphony concerts
last night and concentrating it on one
yesterday afternoon. In other words
three orchestral concerts of the first
class were given in the city-two in
Carnegie Hall and one in the Metro
politan Opera House. 1t is midseason
and the symphonic tide reached high
water yesterday; within the next fort
night there will be no fewer than TWEEN
ty~two concerts of such music.
In the afternoon Mr.. Mengelberg
conducting the National Symphony Or
chestra, and in the evening Mr.. Tosca-
mini, conducting the orchestra Of the
Teatro ALA Scala (assumng that it is
entitled to shat designation), made in
teresting demonstration of the power
of master minds over somewhat crude
cago orchestra there was convincing
illustration of the admirable results
which flow from the cooperation of a
remarkably excellent band and an
earnest, intelligent, experienced and
capable leader.
Exhibitions of popular delight ap-
preaching what are called sensational
scenes we're the reward of the foreign
visitors; Mr.. Stock, of Chicago, was
not noisily cheered after any of his
number, as Mr.. Mengelberg was at the
conclusion of Tschaikoffsky's fifth
symphony, nor did the concert-room at
any time echo the shouts Of "Brava"
from Italian throats, as the opera house
dld at the end of Mozart's symphony
IN Es1at; but large audience COM
music sat in respectful judgment on
the performance of the men from Chi
cago and pronounced a verdict Of un-
qualified and sincere approval.
The coming of the orchestra may
have seemed to many like 1" challenge
'to the local organizations, though it
was doubtless planned more for the
good of Chicago than the harm of
New York; but the result proved that
the visitors were justified in making
the challenge. They certainly lost
nothing by it and New York gained a
pleasurable and healthful experience.
Mr.. Stocks program put himself and
his men to severe test. 1t began with
Brahms's symphony in F, of all the
tour the one most considered and per-
haps most justly considered austere; at
any rate, the one in which the making
of ad captandum effects is least per-
missible.
Throughout it's first two movements
it was less Mr.. Stocks reading than
the quality of the band which invited
attention. The reading, indeed, seemed
somewhat sobersided, and the thought
obtruded itself that Mr.. Stocks re-
spect for the bars drawn across the
musical slaves was a hindrance to the
free melodic and rhythmic flow which
is the life of music.
1t was in no respect rhapsodic; it
was not oratorical; it was not elo-
quent; it was not poetical. 1t was
gratifyingly free from oreciosity and
hnalness, however. His diminuendos
dld not fade away into near silences;
has fortes did not assault the ear. But
the euphony of the band in all its
choirs was delight to the ear; there
was such nice appreciation of the nat
ural voice of every instrument. such
homogeneity of quality and balance,
such firmness, beauty and purity of
attack.
With the last movement came
greater vitality and freedom of utter
ance and also greater spontaneity and
elasticity. And these qualities. never
divorced from the appeal to the lovers
Of mere sensuous beauty of tone, never
departed from the performance
Since the concert was obviously de-
signed to be a demonstration of the
capability Of the band, which de-
manded varied style of music it was
pardonablc, though also bit deplor-
able, that Mr.. Stock made his scheme
over long.
Brilliancy in color and rhythmic AMI
nation were exploited after the SYM
pnony IN Tschaikoffskys "Francesca da
Rlmlni" and Strauss's death and
Transiiguration" (the closing piece)
and tllmy, moody, mystical atmospheric
eiects in a composition by Arnold
Garden Of Fand," which was -lso un-
conscionably long drawn, like the Rus
sian composers "fantasn- overture /"
but which invited particular interest as
a novelty in New York.
The composition, which illustrates an
Irish myth telling of how a hero was
lured into her submarine home by
sea goddess, is full of modern i'm
pressionistic effects of orchestratlon
and harmonization, but is profoundly
poetlcal in spirit and we wish it might
oe heard again, as it deserves. Long
before the end of the concert the or
anu ito lcdueT mao acnleVeQ Il
triumph and made enthusiastic ad
mirers out of all the listeners.
mr. lgnaz Friedman was the solo
performer of the afternoon concert Of
the National Symphony Orchestra. brit
It's climax was reached in the Tschai-
kofsky symphony, the last movement of
which was played with such tremen-
deus verve that it brought the audi
ence to its feet and evoked long-con-
tinued cheers.
Mr.. Friedman played Liszt's concerto
IN 4 fiat, but in such nervous, rest
less way that Mr.. Mengelberg found
IT difficult to keep pace with him, and
the feature was much less interesting
than the suave and lofty overture to
"Anacreon" by Cherubini, to say moth
ing Of the symphony.
The concert by Mr.. Toscanini and
the orchestra from Italy was the final
one of it's scheduled list. Its program
was made UP of Mozart's symphony in
+ fat, Sir" Edward Elgars Enigma"
variations, Sinigaglia's "Piedmontese"
suite and The prelude to "Die Meistcr-
singer"