New-York tribune., 1922-02-20
Vocal Numbers
Best Part of
Coates Concert
Florence Easton SingsWeber
Air in Original Language
and Wagner Translated,
With Contrasting Results
Orchestra Shows Sorority
Beethoven's Seventh Sym.
phony Heard Again; Liza
doff's Whimsy Is Pleasing
Bt II. E. krehbiel

BIZ II. E. Krehbiel
The most notable feature Of the con-
cert by the symphony Society in Aeo-
Iian Hall yesterday afternoon, in re-
spect of excellence of performance, was
che singing by Florence Easton Of the
scene and air from, Weber's "Oberon''
and the dying song of Isolde from
Wagner's love drama. She sang both
IN English. Of the first every word
was iNtcliigible: of the second. scarcely
half a dozen; the whole thing might as
we'll have been Choctaw. No doubt the
lady stroye as zealously with the ennun-
cistion and diction of the words set
by Wagner is with those set by Weber,
for of all the artists connected with
the Metropolitan Opera House she is
the most persistent and consistent in
the pursuit Of artistic ideals. Some of
the difference in effect was due to the
TACT that the words from "Oberon"
we're sung in the language to which
they we're composed by Weber, and
presented series of thoughts and i'm
ages which the minds of the listeners
could grasp, while those from Tristan
und Isolde were sung in transa-
tion, and even in the original air "lot
Of novel phrases Of transcendental
kind" which yield their meaning only
10 lsborious mental application.
Translation naturally makes them
more involved. But even in the opera
we catch only one word in two and are
content with the knowledge that Isolde
is singing her heart out, and when she
does it as finely as Miss Easton did
yesterday is simply adding one voice
70 the ecstatic outpouring Of the or
chestra which gives the final transfig-
uration TO the passion of the lovers.
Conductors Fond of Sonoritics
There have been conductors, it is
true, who have had more consideration
FOR the vocal part than Mr. Coates
showed yesterday. have been helped
moreover by the fact that the orchestra
was not so wholly in the open in the
theater as it is on the concert stage
and consequently a little less over
whelming. but the conviction that "all
passions, all delights" must be ex-
pressed in sonorities that stun like
Nisgara's s roar, which obsesses our con-
ductors, is also taking possession OF
the public, and the steam foghorn
threatens soon to become q necessary
agent in our music-making companies.
The incalculable privilege Of hearing
three orchestrss rolled into one big
band is promised us a week from to-
night. To make the show complete. as
patroness of music observed at a re-
cent chamber concert, five conductors
ought TO appear in q quintuple trapeze
act.
10 show how the sonorities might be
enlisted in the service Cor disseryice)
OF the classics, the concert began with
. transcription made by Sir Edward
Elgar OF fugue in C minor by Bach.
ne transcription, we were Informed.
was made TO illustrate some principles
of orchestration which had been moot
ed IN an amicable discussion between
Sir Edward and DR.. Richard Strauss.
In proof of their respective contentious
the men agreed to orchestrate Bach
fugue Whether or not Strauss did so
the story does not say, but Elgar Sc
lected fugue in c minor "and lavished
upon 1t the fruits Of his ripe expert
ence- "Lavished" indeedl We heard
the fueue played by the usual viols,
supplemented by flutes, oboes. clarinets
and bassoons (these in pairs). piccolo,
English horn, bass clarinet. contra
bassoon, four horns. three trumpets,
three tromhones, tuba, tympani. side
drum. bass drum. cymbals, triangle.
tambourine, bells and two harps. We
have heard the music OF Bach and
Handel when without the addition of q
single instrument it sounded "as the
voice of great multitude. and as the
voice of many waters. and as the voice
OF many thunderings.' Sir Edwa I'd
made the fugue sound occasionally like
the crack Of doom
BeethOven's Seventh Symphony Again
The other instrumental numbers were
Liadofs delightfully."- whimsical and
picturesque "Kikimora," which the Rus
!. sian Symphony Orchestra introduced TO
Nus, we believe, many years ago and the
Boston Orchestra played on December
70 last, and Beethoven's Seventh Sym
phony, which has now had ak perform
ances in New York inside of three
weeks. Mr.. Mengelberg and the Phil
harmonic Society," have given us three
performances of Schubert's Symphony
in { within week. Evidently the
practicable symphonic list is not com
mensurate with the number Of sym
phonic concerts given in New York or
the conductors think our public in need
Of intensive education. Though "Kiki-
mora" by the way sounded a bit in
congruous between Weber and Wagner
ct replaced some dance music by Boro-
din originally announced it was ex-
ouisitely performed and heartily en-
5oyed and did not in the least suggest
the demoniac creation embodied in the
term; for originally Kikimora means
nightmare. She is a Marukhi. who sits
b. the stove at night and spins mis-
chief. She has for r companion the
cat whose purrngs we read of in in
Vulnerable Russian fairy tales. Liza
doff's delincation is eerie and whimsical
and demoniac enough, but never goes
beyond the bounds of music.