Evening star., 1934-04-01

N bid its own National Symphony
" Orchestra good-by for another
L year. The music to be plc cyec
on this farewell program will
be as follows:
Oyerture-"Magic Flute, Mozart
Lento-Allegro Non Troppo.
AIiesre''S; Aiissro Non TropUo.
tIntermission)
George schumann
CFirst performance in Washington.)
1872 Overture Solenelle," Tschaikowsky
overture-"Masic Flute. Mozart
Opera is a hybrid art. 1t is nearly
always illogical. The only works which
carry conviction from purely esthetic
standpoint are those where music is
used in the same way that the chorus
is used in a Greek tragedy, namely, to
emphasize the mood and spirit Of the
action. At that, If the text be too
realistic, the illogicality strikes one as
more than even a half-wit should be
able to bear.
The only other instance where the
constant combination Of music and
words and action and dance is con-
vincing is in a few works Of imagina-
tive character-"fairy operas" like
the Golden Rooster" by Rimsky-
Korsakov; "Snegoroutchka" C"Snow
White"O, etc. OF this kind of opera
die zauberfiote" Is the prototype
Curiously enough, the text, because OF
its unrealistic and allegorical quality
has, with rare exceptions, been con-
demned. Those exceptions, however
include the greatest figures in the
realm of esthetics, and among them
stands Goethe who, because OF the
aforementioned qualities, calls "Zau-
berflote" the ideal opera text. Busoni
whose clear meridional sense has made
him one of our finest twentieth CEN
tury musical touch-stones and an
inspiration for nearly every one of us
younger ones, was of the same opinion
Whatever the final decision will be
in this matter, there is no doubt about
the superb qualities of the music itself
Only twice has Mozart. in the realm
of opera, been as inspired as in this
work (namely, in Don Juan" and
"Figaro"), and, from the point Of view
Of richness and depth, "Zauberhote,
to my mind, stands alone.
symphony in D Minor" ........ Franck
1t is a question whether the Cesar
Franck symphony would, with its
mysticism, not sooner be regarded as
the possible Beethoven tenth than
was the second symphony Of Brahms
ct is commonly supposed by the
Brahmsites that 1t was the first SYM
phony which received that title, but
when Hans Bulow made that designa-
ton. he had the second one in mind.)
Undoubtedly the Franck symphony has
more mysticism, although it is not as
cosmic as, for instance, the introduc-
ton to the last movement in Brahms
first. Beethoven, in his later works
had both OF these transcendent quail
tiles. Franck had the one, Brahms
the other.
1t is a fallacy, however. to suppose
that Franck was just being without
human passion, content to COM
municate with his Lord and Maker
in the sanctity of his organ loft. The
misconception seems too futile to need
argument, but misconceptions will
stick in peoples minds regardless, ano
eventually label the victim. Certainly
no music is more passionate than the
second movement of the Franck violin
sonata. nor than the main theme Of
the allegro part of the first movement
of this symphony Nor can any music
be considered more genuinely trium-
phant than the melody of the SLOW
movement when 1t is used suddenly
In the finale, and in a major key. Ne
music is more directly expressive oi
its creators soul: no music has less
padding" than Cesar Franck's. This
may be one of the reasons why his
output is comparatively small. Nc
composer I can think of has a more
direct and personal appeal.
The slow movement (Which, ir
reality. is two movements in one) be-
gins with an accompaniment which
is in itself an entity. Then, one by
one, melodies are superimposed upor
each other, each one fitting perfectly
with the others. The scherzo move
ment enters naturally, eventually agalr
to be combined with the main melody
of the movement.