New-York tribune., 1922-08-06

.SHZHYNE
EEERER \
Pat. !, 5soe
Of the peoples has performed more Of
the music composed within its nation
al boundary. but the competitions OF
Germans, Frenchmen, Italians, Brit
ishers and Americans have pursued the
course on which they had set out long
before the war. There has been an
approach 10 -nationalism instead OF
to the nationalism which we expected
Goossens and his companions IN Eng
land follow French models; the young
Italians arc disciples Of latter-day
Sch0nberg- schonberg OF the "Five
Pieces" as distinguished from the
Schonberg Of the "Transfgure1 Night
sextet. Everywhere among the would
be "progressives" there Is manifest a
desire to be different from the old
fashioned composer who in each OF the
elements which enter into musie-mel-
ody, harmony. rhythm and form
sought to present orderlness, symme-
try and reposefulness 20 the mind and
pleasurable sensations TO the car and
emotions. Essentially they are all
alike; SCHOOLS" based on popular
idioms OF melody and rhythm have
gone by the board. Yet the result Is
not unity. but multiplicity and chaos
The most obvious musical effect oi
the universal upheaval was experienced
by Americans in the influx OF foreign
musicians. They came a year ago al
they came seven years ago, and rs they
will continue TO come to feed theil
own bodies, not our souls. They
brought to us little stimulation in tht
best sense. We had expected them tc
bear to US the fruits Of new ideals
new natlonalistic strivings which might
easily be assimilated by the heteroge
neous elements composing our popula
tion; but the new music we have heard
was along the lines which had beer
plainly drawn across the chart before
the war began. One OF the most in.
teresting Of the orchestral works was
symphony by the Polish composer
Szymanowski, which was played by the
Boston Symphony Orchestra. In II
there was much that was distressful "a
conservatives, like ourselves, but also
much that told Of the presence Of q
genuinely creative impulse. Mr. Szy-
manowsh spent part Of last winter in
New York and made many aequain-
tanees here, which is excuse enough
for reSrd of the production Of his
opera, "Rgit," in the early summer at
Warsaw. The opera was reviewed by
Niewiadomski in the "Rzeepospolita," a
newspaper edited by Stanslaw Stronski
brother-in-law Of the husband OF
Louise de Iareeka, an American woman
to whom we owe the following transla-
tion Of Niewiadomski's criticism:
"Tho long expected opera Of Szy-
manowski has taken It's first step
which. may we hope. will lead 10 one
/ triumph after another. IL has begun
with the conquest Of It's own country
men, seizing with a strong hand first
the management OF the opera, then
conductors. repetiteurs, then soloista
and chorus, and. at last the stage
managers and whole ensemble Of prop
erty men and stagehands. All gave
10 this work the supreme fruits OF
their abilities. contemptuous Of or
stacles, although the enormous diff
culties piled up By the composer could
/ have caused them more than once "a
/ abandon their efforts. The history OF
Tristan in Germany was not repeated
And what Is Tristan compared 10 the
opera Of Szymanowski in the way OF
.tonal complications? One diatonic
scale against twelve played stimuli
taneouslyi
"The first TO penetrate the formida-
BILE expanses OF the score was Con-
ductor MlynarsH. A daring diver, he
did not lose his brcath-not for a
moment. until, victorious and smiling
as usual. he emerged before the pub
lie, crying: 4 am here. survive, and
behold my achievement Neither did
singers succumb 10 the peril. With
philosophic calm Dygas lthe tenor
regarded the devaslating waves Of the
orchestra. Frustrated by his uncon.
querable passion for 'Hagit,' he was
still undaunted by mere instrumental
sounds. GruszezyRski, his anointed sue
cessor, mocked likewise at the task,
recognizing no resistance, no handi-
cap, yielding at last 10 the verdict
Of the priests, but this for a moment
only, for who should reign over Israel
after him, and what should the Holy
Scriptures say at the absence Of the
wisest Of the Kingsl
Even the sweet Hagit with her
high soprano dominated over the
tumult Of instruments, triumphantly
soaring in the heights, certain Of every
tone, even IL against her high B-hat
all the As and all the B-naturals con-
spired. Only once she said: Your
King is dead!' But so distinctly that
all the chorus repeated the news and
carried IL TO the world. And the
orchestra, too. was converted into a
wave submissive 20 the composer, who,
through the baton Of Conductor My
narski, gave his orders, sure Of the
victory.
"Yes, SzymanowSki has marshaled the
the entire phalahx Of interpreters, and