New-York tribune., 1921-01-03
Coates Makes
Farewell Bow
/ AS aConductor
New York Symphony Or
chestra Under His Superb
Leadership Attains High
est Peak of Efficiency
50 Will Sail Tomorrow
Brahms's Symphony in C
Minor and Scriabine's
POeme Feature Program

Albert Coates made his last appear
ance as guest conductor of the New
York Symphony Orchestra yesterday
afternoon at Aeolian Hall, his last ap-
pearance, at least, OF this season, for
it is to be hoped that this able and
virile conductor will soop visit us
again. This time Mr.. Coates gave an
American audience the opportunity to
hear his reading OF Brahms's Symphony
in c minor. No. l. and of Scriabin's
~Poeme de l'Extase."
His Brahms was not of = stereo-
typed variety. 1t was a modern read
ing. sutfused with the vigor of the con-
ductor's personality. Brahms with a
difference. Because he approached the
= music from a less academic angle than
is customary and because he treated it
with less servile reverence than is
habitual, this reading might be calcu
lated to provoke discussion among the
sticklers for musical conventionality.
But whatever the differences Of opinion
as to its merits, there was nothing
trite about Mr.. Coates's interpreta-
tion. 1t was an interesting per-
During his stay in Russia. Mr.. Coates
summered and wintered with Scriabin.
The composer told him his secrets, re-
vealed his personality, disclosed his
aims and ambitions. In an interesting
note in the program. the conductor
says OF the Russian composer:
His great aim in life, both IN his
music as in everything else that he
did, was to give people a wider, a
higher vision, or as he himself put it,
ito carry people with him up to the
heights Che said it entirely without
conceitl. He believed that the human
race having become degenerate, it was
the duty OF each generation so TO live
and, above all, so to work that the next
generation should be q better and a
higher one. He believed profoundly
that some day a wonderful new genera
ton of human beings would be born
: into the world that great regenera-
. ton of mankind would come to pass.
He considered it the bounden duty of
every one, each in his own way and ac-
cording to his gifts, to work toward
this goal of q regeneration of mankind.
and he believed in all sincerity and i'll
all humility that it was his own duty
as a musician and composer not only
to influence the minds of his listeners,
but so to uplift them and carry them
away that they should forget for the
time the small everyday things of hfe'
and, like his human being in the Poem
of Ecstasy stand for . space on the
mountain tops bathed in the shining
splendor of things eternal.
''To those who know Russia we'll
Scriabin was true son of his country
that land OF extraordinary contrasts,
of twilight and vivid color, of Eastern
mysticism and Western cleverness,
luxurious culture, of fervent religious
feeling and intense love of beauty"
Mr.. Coates's reading OF the "Poeme"
far outranked that of other conductors
In fact. by its clarity and force, he
came near to persuading the hearers
tnat this extraordinary blending Of
tenderness, passion and orchestral
caeophony. this intense expression of
things earthly and things mystical is
absolute music. And in spite of the
tempestuous nature of the music, the
conductor refrained from riding the
orchestral whirlwind with exaggerated
fury.
pared, especially that of the closing
pages of the work, and when the mus
cal conflict was at its height, Mr..
Coates remained master Of himself
and of his men, The orchestra has
never played more eloquently, never
with greater elasticity and brilliance.
SERGE Rachmaninotf gave superb
performance of Tschai ikowsky's Con-
certo in fiat minor and shared in
the expressions Of enthusiasm for the
conductor, who received an ovation at
the close of the concert.
Mr.. Coates VIII sail for England to-
morrow on the Rochambeau in order
70 be in London for the next concert
Of the London Symphony Orchestra on
January IT.