Thomas Symphony Concert: 3rd

Includes program.

“Mr. Thomas’ third symphony concert of the present season took place at Steinway Hall last evening. The selections were a trifle heavy. The performances of Mr. Thomas’ orchestra are so fine, it is true, that they can almost make bad music acceptable, but there is too much good music within reach to render the attempt judicious. There was really not a single composition devoid of merit on yesterday’s programme, but there was much that was tiresome. Gade’s first symphony did not impress us strongly except by the vigorously rhythmed finale; Handel’s concerto in G minor seemed rather scholarly than pleasing, and the vocal numbers, although strictly classical, appeared colorless. It was quite refreshing to come at last to Beethoven’s ‘Eighth Symphony,’ with its exquisite allegretto scherzando and its superb closing movement, the four portions being executed, as may be supposed, to perfection. Some expectation had been awakened by the announcement of the first recital in the United States of the instrumental piece just preceding the symphony, but we do not think the anticipations of its impressiveness entertained by the composer’s friends were altogether realized. The piece is called ‘Ivan IV., the Terrible, a character-painting,’ and is from the pen of Herr Anton Rubinstein. Herr Rubinstein has not laid himself open to the charge of having written downright programme-music, for no effort is made to initiate the listener into the meaning of every triplet by a line of printed text; on the other hand we cannot consider his achievement very fascinating or very striking, and sound and fury in music generally signify very little. In this case, we are bound to say, they signify more perhaps than they otherwise would, for the life of Ivan IV., whose character is Herr Rubinstein’s subject, was one succession of acts of ferocity. His deeds, we are told, were great, but his crimes were superhuman. The monarch’s fits of ferocity, in one of which he caused 60,000 men to be put to death, while, in another moment of uncontrollable rage, he murdered his own son, do not supply the most agreeable and varied materials, nor does his intention to retire into a convent—typified in the ‘characterbild’ by by organ-like strains—make his career a well-rounded theme. The composer’s powerful and almost savage treatment of the traits of his hero is no doubt in the correct spirit, but there is no more beauty nor power in the story of Ivan’s life, as rehearsed in music, than in its recital in words. The vocal selections of the concert consisted of ‘Brilliant auteur de la lumière,’ from Gluck’s ‘Iphigénie en Aulide,’ and Mozart’s ‘Hai gia vinta la causa,’ from ‘Le Nozze.’ Both were capitally interpreted by M. Victor Maurel, whose recitative in Gluck’s air may be referred to particularly as an exquisite specimen of elocution as applied to the vocal art. An enthusiastic encore compelled M. Maurel’s reappearance after his second piece, and his further contributions to the concert of ‘Les Rameaux,’ by Faure, sung with the utmost fervor, and in the distinguished baritone’s best style. The solo violinists in Handel’s concerto were Messrs. Listemann and Jacobsohn, and Mr. Lubeck was the ‘cellist.”

“The esteem in which Theodore Thomas is held by the New York public brought together an immense audience last night at Steinway Hall. The programme was of the most diversified character, presenting works of opposite styles, and the soloist was a barytone of acknowledged ability. The following was the bill presented last evening [lists works].

Gade’s work, although some musicians might be inclined to call it light and superficial, is, to our mind, more attractive than the later compositions of the Danish musician, as it is of a more spontaneous character, is fresh and characteristic and less affected with the Heidenthum of the school of the future. The scherzo is one of the most genial of the composer, and bubbles over with right hearty humor. The principal theme of the third movement is rather commonplace, and its plainness can hardly be disguised even by the rich raiment of instrumentation in which it is clothed. It was an act of no ordinary temerity to place Handel’s concerto on the programme, as it belongs to an old school which nowadays, in the face of sensationalism, is regarded by some as obsolete, and which, for interpreters, imperatively demands congenial spirits in the orchestra. It is so nicely balanced in all its movements that a serious mishap would be inevitable with a less perfectly trained band than that of Mr. Thomas’. The soloists did their work with heartiness and intelligence, and the other string instruments were wonderful in precision and expression. The cadenza, by Ferdinand David, which was introduced, was charmingly rendered.

Rubinstein selected a subject for tone painting in the character of Ivan the Terrible, one of the most atrocious monsters that ever disgraced a throne, that was well calculated to give his powers a wide field for display. It is one of his later works, and must be placed among the best from his fertile pen. In it he shows that wonderful command of instrumental effects that makes him so celebrated among modern composers. As might be expected from such a subject the treatment is bizarre and eccentric, and the climaxes of the stormiest kind. Once or twice as a foil to the general turbulency of the work he introduces a lovely andante religioso, which charms alike by its sweet theme and flowing harmonies. Next to the unrivalled ‘Ocean’ symphony this character picture of Rubinstein will be placed in the list of his works where merit is considered. It would be needless at this late date to tell the New York public how Thomas’ orchestra plays the eighth symphony of Beethoven, which they have made as familiar to the metropolitan ear as a nursery rhyme.

M. Maurel’s noble barytone voice and finished style gave effect to Agamemnon’s air, one of Gluck’s most dignified and tuneful efforts. In Mozart’s music, he was even more successful, and in response to an enthusiastic encore he sang in his best style the grand aria, ‘Les Rameaux,’ which is considered the first on the répertoire of M. Faure. He barely escaped another redemand for his magnificent rendering of this aria.”

“The variety which has distinguished the last three seasons of Mr. Theodore Thomas’s Symphony Concerts is not less remarkable than the general richness of the selections and the excellence of the performance. From all the great schools of music, reaching back to the earliest development of the modern orchestra, he has chosen characteristic specimens, grouping them so as to avoid all violent and incongruous contrasts, and to give every work under the most favorable conditions for effect. This year we have had rather more than usual of the older masters, and it cannot have escaped the notice of attentive listeners that Bach and Handel are much more keenly appreciated by the general audience now than they used to be, and that the popular understanding even of Beethoven is constantly expanding. So true it is that all paths into which the advancement of musical education may be directed lead back again to those immortal composers in whose works later generations must find the standards of taste. The following was the programme last Saturday [lists program].

Niels Gade has never quite fulfilled the brilliant promise made by this first symphony when he was twenty-six years of age. It was originally produced at Leipsic in 1843 under the direction of Mendelssohn, to whom it was dedicated. ‘It has given me more pleasure,’ wrote Mendelssohn to his sister, ‘than any work I have seen for a long time. I wish you could hear this most original, most earnest, and sweet-sounding Danish symphony.’ And to the composer personally, then an utter stranger to him, Mendelssohn wrote in still more enthusiastic terms: ‘To see the musicians so unanimous, the public so enchanted, and the performance so successful was to me a source of delight as great as if I had written the work myself, or indeed I may say greater—for in my own compositions the faults and the less successful portions always seem to me most prominent, whereas in your work I felt nothing but pure delight in all its admirable beauties. ‘Whoever wrote the last half of the scherzo is an admirable genius, and we have a right to expect the most grand and glorious works from him.’ Such was the universal opinion yesterday evening in our orchestra and in the whole hall.’

The first movement, a short moderato con moto, followed by an allegro energico, though not the most popular part of the work, is distinctly original and even striking, having a vigor which is generally lacking in Gade’s later works. The second movement, the scherzo, is perfectly delicious, and a novel and very happy effect is produced by a passage for the first violins muted, standing out in clear relief against the background of an accompaniment by the reeds, and the bass and tenor strings played pizzicato. The third movement is a beautiful andantino grazioso, and the finale is a stirring arrangement of Danish popular songs, scored in a masterly manner. The performance was superb, and the effect justified the magnificent praise of the master whom we have quoted above. Still more interesting, however, than this characteristic Scandinavian work was the Handel concerto. It belongs to a class of compositions, of which Handel left many examples, designed for a variety of instruments. It gives less prominence to the solo than the regulation concerto of modern times, and most of it, indeed, is like a miniature symphony, with three instruments taking the lead of the rest. A broad and stately larghetto affettuoso leads without interruption into a fine fugato; and next comes a fascinating musette, a sort of dance movement, rather slow, as befits the time of brocade and hair-powder, but tender and not formal. The allegro molto vivace and finale are full of joyous spirit, and the character of the whole work is decidedly bright. Here we had a fine opportunity to judge of the quality of Mr. Thomas’s band in that part which forms the backbone of the orchestra. The grand full tone and faultless precision of the strings could not be praised too highly, and for the performance of the three principal artists the warmest commendation would not be too strong. In all respects the execution of the concerto was a noble and sympathetic piece of work.

Rubinstein’s new characterbild, ‘Ivan the Terrible,’ is naturally rather somber in coloring, but it is one of the strongest and most compact of his writings that we have yet heard. It was played with a fine appreciation of its broad effects, and the evening closed with a brilliant interpretation of the ever fresh and cheerful Eighth Symphony.

M. Maurel chose his songs with the taste of a true artist. The aria from ‘Iphigenia’ was the ‘Brilliant Auteur de la lumière,’ whose opening measures serve for theme to the overture which Mr. Thomas has made familiar to us; and his selection from ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ was the recitative and aria of Almaviva in the Third Act, ‘Hai gia vinta la causa.’ Both these pieces he sang magnificently, and being recalled after the second he stirred the audience to enthusiasm by a superb delivery of Faure’s ‘Les Rameaux.’”

“Horace seemed to think that all matters of art were uncertain—that opinions would always differ, and what would be beautiful to one man would be ugly to another; for he laid it down as a rule in aesthetics that concerning matters of taste it was perfectly useless to dispute. But even in this realm of art, whose rules are so difficult to define, there are certain things that people are agreed upon, and one of those things is that we owe to Theodore Thomas the finest orchestra on the continent. There are other leaders who are at least as good musicians as Mr. Thomas, but none have yet shown that combination of personal qualities that so happily united in him have made his orchestra what it is. Every new concert is a fresh revelation of its excellence, and it is not the least of its merits that the praise it has received has given the individual members a certain self-confidence, and there is a boldness and firmness about their playing in striking contrast with the timidity and irresolution that pervade an orchestra under the lead of a director in whom they lack confidence. This, unfortunately, is the rule rather than the exception with orchestras.

The programme of Saturday evening’s concert, the third of the series of six, was as follows [lists program].

Though Gade has written seven or eight symphonies he seems never to have had more felicitous ideas, or to have treated them more skillfully than in this his earliest symphony, and one of the first of his works. At least this is true of such of them as have been presented here. This C minor symphony is the one to which Mendelssohn refers with such admiration whenever he mentions it in his correspondence, and which he first brought out at Leipsic. Every movement is replete with charm of melody and a certain wild spirit which the Danish composer doubtless found in the household and traditional songs of his own northland.

The Beethoven symphony with the joyous strains of whose finale the concert closed, was probably familiar to most of the audience. The allegretto Mr. Thomas has put upon his summer programmes. The wonder always is that any one so gloomy, dispirited, and down-hearted as Beethoven was, and so apparently devoid of all sense of humor, should have given musical expression to thoughts brimming over with brightness, mirth, and [illegible], such as make this movement one of the most charming and popular pieces in Mr. Thomas’s repertoire.

The point of novelty upon the programme was Rubinstein’s musical sketch of the life and death of Ivan the Fourth, surnamed the Terrible. It is one of those vivid and stormy compositions in which the restless genius of the author delights. That Rubinstein had before his mind’s eye certain episodes in the life of the cruel and blood-thirsty Czar cannot be doubted, for, in fact, he calls the composition a character sketch (characterbild). What those precise episodes were, and whether the murder of his own son, the culminating point of his brutalities, was one of them, it would be interesting to know, inasmuch as such knowledge would materially add to the enjoyment of the work in question.

There are those who insist that music should speak its own language, and that to interpret it with words, is to lower its value, but this is not a doctrine of universal application, even if of general truth, and like Raff’s Leonore symphony this musical picture needs a key.

The vocalist of the evening was M. Victor Maurel. With fine discernment as to the character of the music that should be sung at such a concert, he chose arias by Gluck and Mozart. The former was especially a work of great elevation of thought and breadth and beauty. In rendering it, M. Maurel showed himself possessed of a larger artistic capacity than he had ever before displayed. It was a superb and noble rendering of a great aria, and no finer piece of solo singing has been done upon the concert stage of this city for many a day. The Mozart aria was sung with equally good effect. And M. Maurel, being recalled, gave a song of a religious character, by Faure we believe, with such artistic fervor and such beauty and strength of voice as to win from the audience the most marked and prolonged applause.”

“Theodore Thomas gave one of his best concerts at Steinway Hall on Saturday night. Gade’s Symphony No. 1 in C minor—a composition which won the warm commendation of Mendelssohn—was a notable feature of the programme, both from its flow of Scandinavian melody and from its peculiar orchestration.

Beethoven’s Eighth symphony, which received a charming interpretation; Rubinstein’s powerful ‘Ivan the Terrible,’ in which the composer fancifully attempts to depict a cruel and repulsive human character, and a quaint concerto by Handel, were all listened to with earnest attention.

M. Maurel was the vocalist of the evening, and sang in his best style airs by Gluck, Mozart and Faure.”