New-York tribune., 1922-01-08

fruhlng' and Becthoven's "Eroica."
At the repetition of the program on
the next day Mr.. Damrosch apologized
to the public for presuming to conduct
the symphonic poc& when the COM
poser was in the house and excused
himself by stating that NJ. Saint
Saens had explained that he had come
and did not wish to invite the fatigue
which conducting would bring. On Mo-
vember Is and 1S Mr.. Damrosch ar
ranged special concerts in the visitors
honor, and in these NJ. Saint-SaSns pre-
sented himself in the aspect which he
had occupied for more than twenty-five
years in the minds and hearts Of the
music lovers of Amcrica-as the finest.
sanest, soundest and most versatile
French musician of the nineteenth
century. The disappointments of the
first concert were forgotten in the
splendor of his G minor pianoforte
concerto and c minor symphony, two
o. his masterpieces, and also Two Of the
most notable achievements in their re-
spectivc departments that France has
to her credit.
Twelve days before there must have
been many in the audience who won
dcrcd If the valiant champion Of scrl-
oNsncss in art was dcgcncrating into a
salon musician of the type popular two
generations ago. There was dolor in
such a reflection, but it would not
down before the spectacle of q vcncr-
able and vcncratcd composer who had
crossed tho ocean in the evening
twilight Of his life, seemingly oblivi-
Gus to all his noble achievements and
contcnting himself with the frippcrics
Of wedding Cake" valse caprice,
an allegro appassionata, in which the
passion was that OF a clustering iciclc
and fantasia whose fascinating dali
| lance with unwontcd rhythm and
exotic colors could not atone for it's
supcrhciality and hollowncss. AT this
concert the visitor played the organ
part in his Serenadc, Op. 10, for violin,
viola, pianofortc and organ. his as
| SOCldlcS DClUE N OdIui OSGu dHU
: Mcssrs. Saslavsky and Ncrnet. At the
concert on November 18 he played the
solo part of his Pianoforte Concerto
in +. The performance being erroneous
| ~ announced as the first in America.
1t had, however, been played by NJ.
! Pugno at concert given by Mr.. Thco-
dorc Thomas and his Chicago Orchcs-
ira on March 7, 1898. The error was
veni1, however, for tho concerto,
though composed ten years before, had
only been played five times III public
by the composer himself. The presence
in New York at the time of M. M.
Pugno and Gulmant led to a concert
of French music, in which the latter
playcd two of his pieces for organ and
orche stra.
On November 27 M. SaintSaens gave
pianoforte recital, at which he played
compositions by Bach, Rameau, Bee
thoven (the Sonata in A fat), Chopin,
and ARRANGEMENTS of the Andante from
Hayden's "Surprise" symphony and
pieces from his operas, Samson ct
Dalila" and Henry VIII" He took his
sleave of America at concert on
Christmas night at the Metropolitan
Onera House, when, after playing d
Fantasia by Perilhon. he conducted all
the music in the second part of the pro-
cram: The overture to "Les Barbares,
prelude to "Le Deluge," trio from the
oratorio Noel" (sung by Nine. Rap
mold and Messrs. Dippel and Simard)
the "Danse Macabre" and the march
comnosed for the coronation Of King
Edward VII Of England. 1t was
melancholy ending to his visit, Tor the
audience was small and apathetlc
Three evenings before he had oeen en-
tertained at a banquet in his honor by
the Lotos Club. Mr.. Chester S. Lord
was toastmaster, and speeches were
made by the guest Of honor and Messrs
Herman Kline, Walter Damrosch, Al
eide Elbry, Henry T. Finck ana H. T.
, Krehbiel.
, How Saint-Sasns Read
, A Wagnerian Score
1t was back in 1857 that M. Saint
Saens, having twice failed to win tn
Prix de Rome, carried off the priz'
,, offered by the commissioners Of tn
Paris Exposition with cantata en-
titled "Les Noces de Promethee" ant
was acclaimed by Berlioz as one OF tn
greatest musicians of his epoch. l
was not long after that DR.. Hans VOL
Diilow declared that he was intellectu
ally the greatest composer then allv'
save Wagner and Liszt We had tn
story from Mr.. Carl Zcrrahn, lonl
conductor Of the Handel and Hady'
Society of Boston. Speaking OF VI
, Won Bulows visit to America IN ~"
g Mr.. Zerrahn said that while walkin'
out one evening in Boston the conVer
sation turned on .Saint-Saens, and vol
Bulow related how once when he wa
visiting Wagner they were interrupte
by call from Saint-Saens. Havin
nriyate business matter to discuss
t thew withdrew, leaving the visitor
r the music room. Upon the desk OF tn
n pianoforte stood the manuscript scor