New-York tribune., 1922-02-06

1t was thought wise to produce music
ny Laznrc SamInsky and Samuel Thew
man when a more profitable excursion
might have been made into American
fields to say nothing Of English, Ger
man, French and Italian fields. Both
the composers happen to be in New
York, but so are number Of American
composers whose music might have
given more genuine plcnsure than odd
b" lelt while listening to the four
sacred songs composed by Mr. Samln-
sky and the cantata by Mr.. Thewman.
Two of Mr.. Saminsky's songs were
settings Of folk melodies of the Palcs-
tine and .Jcmmcnitc Jews, but we have
hcard much more interesting and bcau-
tful music taken from the synaeoval
service books, Suffers "Schir ZION"
for instance. These songs we're not
even drops in the bucket Of ancient
ritual music of the Jews, and we're not
made interesting by their somewhat
sophistlcatd settings. The orchestral
parts added not an inch to their artistic
stature. Any ono oc old Solomon
Sulzcr's old-fashioned arrangements Of
= lturgical hymn or prayer, or one by
Naum bourg, Halevy or the more mad
ern Lewandowshi would have sent them
out of the room like shivcring ghosts.
NJ. Saminsky's hymns they were
called "El lIlbne EIagalda" and Gam,
1ladal.' sung in Hebrew, "ro Tion's
Heights" sung in English, and a
"Sanctus.' sung in Lntin, and very we'll
sung by the choir trained by Mr. Town
send were frnrk and straig ghtforward.
though not harmonicaly appealing to
the old-fashloncd car. Mr.. rhewman's
piece was setting OF Schiler's DER
Ahcrd,' for female voices, including so
nrano and cOntrAlto solos, ana was OF
the more precious atmospheric order.
with occasional Naturalization from
the Eclcsta, some solo phrases from
the voices OF "A small orchestra and bits
Of music intended to be descriptive Of
passages in Schiicr's poem tcllinr of
Phobus stopping his chariot to give
his horses drink and to Geek rest and
love in the arms Of Thetis. There was
some charm in the chorus Of womcn's
voices, but we found nothing distinctive
in melody, harmony and orchcstration.
Deems Taylor has done better things.
but he Is only critic and Mr. Thew
man is the stage manager OF the Metro
politan Opera House. But stage man
ngcr who is composer Is q rarer hird
than composing critic. The onetilne
nurveyor of critical opinions for The
Tribune who composed operas and
things ceased his efforts in that dircc-
ton some sixty years ago. He's dead
now.
The Misses Alice Miriam and Mario
Iclva. who sang tho solo, the orchestra
that played the overture to "Abu Has
san, by Wchcr, which opened the con-
cert, and Schubcrt's merry little sym
phony IN fiat, which closed it, and Mr.
Hodanzky, who conducted the pieces not
conducted by the composer, were .ll
from the Metropolitan Opera House.
Before the symphony, Mr.. Otto We'll,
also of the Metropolitan forces. an
nounccd that in compliance with re-
quests made by letter Mahler's Lied
Won der Erde' would be performed again
at a special concert under the auspices
of the society at Town Hall in the art
ernoon Of Friday, February II.
At the concert of the Symphony So
cietV which took place in Aeolian Hall
yesterday afternoon Mr.. Coates brouch.
forward program composed of Gin
fa's overture to "Russlan and Lud
milla," Wacner's "Siegfricd Idyl," Ra-
vels "Rhapsodi" espagnole' and
Strauss's Till Eulenspicgcl