The New York herald., 1922-02-02
Nep Symphony by
Gustav MahIer Has
American Premiere
Friends of Music Society Pro-
duces Composition Writ
ten in 1908.
ny w. J. HENDERSON.

Among its other missions the Society
OF the Friends of Music charges itself
with the propagation of the artistic
faith of the late Gustave Mailer. Ac-
cordingly yesterday afternoon, impressed
with the gigantic nature of the task of
the hour, it journeyed from it's habtual
abiding place in Town Hall up to Car
negie Hall. There it produced for the
first time in this country Mr.. Mahler's
'Das Lied Won der Erde." which the
composer called a symphony with con-
tralto and tenor solos. To perform this
work the society brought Nine. Charles
cahier. contralto. all the way from VII
cnra, and Orville Harold. Rnor, all the
way from Broadway and Fortieth
street. 1t brought from the institution
located there also Artur Bodanzky. con-
ductor. and the opera orchestra.
''Das Lied Won der Erde" was finished
in 1908 but was not performed till after
the composers death. The texts are
lyrics by four Chinese poets of the
eighth century, Li-Tai-Po, Chang Tsi.
Meng Hao-jan and Wang Wei These
masters of the classic period OF Chinese
poesy thought and felt much in the
same anti-prohibition manner as the IA
miliar Omar Khayyam.
The texts chosen by Mailer have the
titles: 1.-THE Drinking Song OF the Woe
irIlness (Jammer) Of the Earth" THE
lonely One in Autumn" "Of YOUTH"
OF Beauty" 'The Drunken One in
lpring'' and '"The Farewell" Each of
'aese may be regarded as a movement
~ Mr.. Mahlers so-called symphony.
which might quite as properly be de-
fcribed as song cycle with orchestra.
To Classify the Work.
The composers attempt to classify his
work was characteristic of Mahler. His
imagination was never unfettered nor
ever movable without the scourge of
i:ainful purpose. He was ever flashing,
IT to action, but it never ran away with
him. A man of peculiar and precious
Sits, he writhed through all his life in
he agories of an ambition which he
could never satisfy. 1t is the fashion
IN Vienna to venerate him as a sort of
martyr and the Viennese coterie which
exercises so much influence in local
musical circles has come out into our
world to preach the Mailer gospel
The work heard yesterday wears all
the marks and indeed all the scars of a
Mahler's battling talent. In it's utter
want Of inventive fecundity, its shop
worn thematic types, its desperate dis
play of innumerable details, each de-
signed to produces convincing effect
upon the hearer. in it's intellectual grasp
Of methods. its comprehension of the
architecture of composition and its mas
terry of the individual and combined
voices of the orchestra 1t is indisputably
the work of n vigorous and untiring
mind. possessed of only a modcum OF
originality.
Treatment Is MahIerian.
The treatment of details is particu-
iarly Mahlerian. The musician created
them in profusion. He not only exhibits
each one, but picks it out bodily from
the instrumental mass and hurls it al
your head. You cannot escape it. For
the moment it stands forth naked and
unashamed. In the end the result is a
parade Of shattered fragments, whose
relationship is unmistakabe, but whose
isolation destroys sngleness OF impress.
sion.
There is the now familiar device of a
ground theme" which runs through the
whole composition, but it signifies only
a mental conception. The ultimate. crea-
tion of mood pictures does not depend
upon ii, but rather on the forthstanding
ful and picturesque background of or
chestral color.
In the final analysis Mailer has sue
ceeded in creating some splendid mo-
s1cnts. His first song is unvocal. but
A.is Is not the case with tile others
She contralto numbers are better than
siose for tenor. and that "Of Beauty
and the Farewell rise to heights OF
III eloquence.
The second OF these is one of Mahler's
ecst achievements. 1t has vocal beauty,
Sobility of style and compelling ex-
tressive power. 1t brings the compost
tion to conclusion which leaves the
auditor with feeling that he has as
sisted at the revelation of a masterpiece.
But this high title cannot fairly be be-
slowed upon work of such uneven
quality.
Nine. Cahier sang admirably. But IL
IS pity that contralto had to be
brought so far to sing three songs. Mr..
Harold acquitted himself with credit
and the orchestra played exceilently.