Central Park Garden Concert: Scandinavian Night

Program devoted to the music of Scandinavian composers. 

Includes program. 

“We had a charming evening of Scandinavian music for the last but one of the Summer concerts, and though the air out of doors was rather cool in the latitude of the Central Park, the Hall was densely crowded. Most of the composers whose names appeared on the programme have won a marked popularity in this country, yet we hardly realized until they were grouped together how much the geius of the North is doing for art, and how distinctly its works are colored with tints peculiar to themselves. It would be difficult to describe the Scandinavian muse; but we recognize her instantly in her wild, clear beauty, tinged with a melancholy that is not exactly sad, and a little suggestion of ruggedness which is perfectly graceful and refined. There is something characteristic of course in the peculiar intervals and modulations of Scandinavian music, but these do not account in full for the strange charm which we find here, the spirit which vivifies the outward form. Hornemann’s Marchen-Overture, ‘Aladdin,’ is an exquisite example of light and cheerful fancies, a little fantastic in structure, as befits the subject. Soderman’s ‘Wedding March’ is a gem of delicate conceits; and Hamerick’s Nordish Suite is literally filled with beauties to which Theodore Thomas always gives the most faithful of interpretations. The quaint and vigorous Old Swedish Ballad, the Norse Fling with its strange rhythm, and the Bridal March with its romanza, so charmingly sung by the ‘celli and repeated by the violins, are movements which invariably captivate the audience when this Suite is heard. The three pieces we have mentioned have a great deal in common, and were placed together in the first part of the programme. The second part was devoted to compositions of a more serious style. Gade was represented by his excellent ‘Ossian’ Overture, and by two movements from his last Symphony, in the reverse order of their original arrangement. The Andantino is a beautiful melody somewhat in the vein of Mendelssohn. The Scherzo is entirely original, and altogether delightful, and is the best part of the whole work. Gade, we believe, has never surpassed this early composition. Svendsen, from whom Mr. Thomas selected the Symphonic Introduction to the drama ‘Sigurd Siembe’ and the Scherzo of the 1^st Symphony, is a composer of much stronger character, who combines with the romantic spirit of the North a great deal of the freedom and splendor of modern German music. The third part of the programme was composed of some pretty trifles of Lumbye.

A Wagner concert to-night will close one of the most brilliant and instructive of Summer seasons Theodore Thomas has ever given.”

“A national concert, consisting entirely of the works of Scandinavian composers, was given last night by Mr. Theodore Thomas at the Central Park Garden. The overture, by Gade, entitled ‘Nachklänge von Ossian,’ was especially attractive as a novelty. It begins allegro moderato, in common time and the key of A minor, with slow chords sustained very softly by the violas in three divisions, the violoncellos in two divisions and the contra bass. These are followed by pauses, after which the violins with mutes accompany a delicate violoncello solo which forms the first subject. This is subsequently played by the clarinet and horn, and afterwards fortissimo by the whole of the wind instruments in octaves, accompanied by staccato chords for the stringed band with harp, which latter instrument is freely employed throughout. The second subject is announced by the oboe, then it is repeated by oboes and faggotti, and afterwards by the first violins in the key of C major. On its next appearance it is found in the key of A, and is succeeded by a recapitulation of the first subject by wind instruments as above. With a slight allusion to the opening violoncello solo the work concludes.

The andante graziosa, from Gade’s symphony op. 5, is in F major and in 2-4 time. Its melodies consist of short phrases, chiefly played by the oboes and accompanied by the violas and violoncellos in four divisions. The scherzo is an allegro risoluto quasi presto in 6-8 time and the key of C. The violins are principally engaged in executing rapid triplets, while the wind instruments intone melodious phrases. There are two distinct parts, which pass through three times, and then with a reminiscence of the first subject the scherzo ends.

These Scandinavian composers, by studying thoroughly the works of great symphonic writers, by striving honestly as earnest students to become masters of the classic forms of modern instrumental music, and then by turning their attention to the musical idioms of their native land, have formed a school of art which will greatly enrich the library of the musician and the programmes of our concerts.

The works of the Danish composer, Gade, have long been known and admired. His cantata, the ‘Erl-King’s Daughter,’ which was performed last year at Steinway Hall by the Church Music Association, though showing unmistakably the fascinating influence of Mendelssohn, gave also unmistakable evidence of strong northern character.

The Norwegian composer, Svendsen, has obtained a favorable hearing at the Central Park Garden for the Symphonic Introduction to the drama of ‘Sigurd Siembe,’ and the allegretto scherzando from the Symphony in D major, op. 4. Both of these works were admirably well rendered last night.

The compositions of Edward Grieg (whose great genius as a boy led Ole Bull, the violinist, to advise his parents to send him from Bergen, in Norway, his birth-place, to the Conservatory at Leipzig), being chiefly for the piano-forte, have not as yet been heard here [paragraph on Grieg follows, but none of his works are listed as being performed on this program].

We are indebted to Chopin for idealizing the Polish melodies, Liszt for the Hungarian, Rossini for Alpine, Auber for Neapolitan and Gottschalk for Louisiana and the southern Creole melodies. It is especially gratifying to be made acquainted with the Scandinavian melodies by works of art so admirably well written as these.

This national music, which has flowed for generations spontaneously from the hearts of the people, is the most natural expression of their inner life, their ideas, feelings and aspirations. The significance of the ‘Volkslied’ is its chief merit. Yet, all national melodies are of great value for artistic purposes, as well as interesting for psychologic speculation respecting their invention by people whose sole laws of art are those which they carry unconsciously in their hearts.

Certain technical peculiarities may be briefly pointed out, with reference to the works under consideration, namely, that the harp and stringed instruments with mutes are freely used, and that the stringed band is often subdivided into eight or nine sections; that the minor mode prevails, and the rhythm is frequently changed. Thus we have in the ‘Springtanz’ (The Norse Fling), in F minor, of the ‘Nordish Suite’ by Hamerick, the following strange rhythmic plan: 4 bars of 5-4 time; 4 bars of 2-4 time; 6 bars of 2-4 time; 10 bars of 3-4 time, and then the most uncommon arrangement of 5-4 time is resumed. This tempting theme must now be set aside, as considerations of the musical language, the songs, sagas, fables, myths and legends of the Norse people would occupy too much space.”