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THE COURIER.
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IN RELATED KEYS
Herbert Bates
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The most striking feature of last Sun
day's recital at the Universalis! church
was Carl Schubert's "Journes." It had,
however, the defect of program music
without a program. One knew that a
phrase stood for something, but whether
it was a quarrel with the driver, or a
plunge of the horses, or a gust of wind,
there waB no telling. Such music needB
a guide book. The really excellent part
of the composition was the development
of the Volkslieder, odd barbaric melo
dies with an echo of things heard at the
World's fair. They inclined to the
minor, with an odd foreign rhythm and
tonality. They carry one in fancy to
far off places, where grim fur capped
men. with jarring names, sing plain
tive war songs and rejoice in minor
strains, in music not morbid, but plain
tive with the spacious pathos of the sul
len steppes.
Schubert has used good material to
advantage. But bis own original work
seems to lack strength. His composi
tion seems like an excellent collection of
"Lieder" with a fair introduction.'large
ly in proses, by the collector.
It is a pity that the Adagio from the
Sonata Pathetious was played as a vol
untary. The stir of the audience pre
vented ite full effect. A lighter piece
should be offered as the first victim.
Beethoven should be kept Bacred, both
from the rustle of entrance and from
the jingle of the offertory. And this
Adagio is a wonderful thing, wonderful
just in itd simple melody, a melody that
rises in strong lifted lament, not sob
bing, like Chopin's. It speaks, quietly,
calmly, but with that great wail, "if it
could but be!" always springing up.and
sinking again into the resignation of
defent.
And this melody that tells us this is
as simple as the simplest hymn, an air
a child might strum w ith one linger! It
is this that gives Beethoven his su
premacy, hiB power of building from the
simplest material the Bublimest sub
jects. He adds much, harmony, vari
ation, all the intricate elaboration of
which a great musician is capable, but
the God of the musician is not in these.
It is in the grandly conceived musical
thought at the heart of them, piteously
Bimple, with the childish strength of
greatness.
Another notable number was the last,
the Bridal chorus. Mr. Hagenow's ar
rangement was very effective. It was
played, too, in the right spirit, not
beaten out as a triumphal march, but
made what it should be, a tender con
secration of marriage; a prayer and i
benediction. That text book of Philis
tinism, the "Franklin Square Song Col
lestion" makes it a setting to the words
"Flag of the Free!" a charming exhibi
tion of unmusical patriotism. It was
noticeable, by the way, that the indi
viduality of Wagner appeared very
strongly, even at the first notes. It was
a? if a new and strong speaker had risen
to say his few words. The personality
compels at once. There is au interest
ing article by Mr. Goodrich, in the last
Musical Courier accounting for this in
dividual impression by showing Wag
ner's peculiar system of harmonization.
It seems that, where there is a "skip" in
the melody, he does not, like most com
posers, harmonize it with a chord con
taining both notes. He changes the
harmony with the second note, as in
the first measure of the Tannehaueeer
overture, thereby giving the peculiar
effect of pompous richness that marks
his work.
Mr. Charles Hagenow played Spohr's
second concerto with skill and sweet
ness. His work shows a great gain in
confidence. The Telyn quartet sang awares!
Lead. Kindly. Light," and "I Am a Pil
grim." They seemed to sing more sweet
ly than at the Charity concert and with
more ease and expression. Mr. Ran
dolph's voice showed to particular ad
vantage, especially in the second
number.
The church, as usual, was crowded,
steps and gallery. Why not throw open
the "annex" to the north? It would
Burelybe filled. As these things are
now, one must go very early to get even
a fair seat.
The performance of selections from
the "Messiah" drew a large audience to
the Congregational church, a larger
audience, in fact, that could get in. The
selections were for the most part from
the first part of the oratorio, a foretaste
of what is to be expected when the
whole shall be given later. The chorus
promisee well, though rather small, and
suffering a little from the fact that their
leader did not stand before them. There
was a little raggednesB, which time
should do much to overcome. Of the
soloists, Miss Becker and Miss Worley
should be commended. Miss Becker's
first number seemed a little cold, but
the second fully made up for it. Her
voice is very sweet, and fitted the pure
lyric flow of the aria. The same is true
with regard to Miss Worley, who fol
lowed in "Come Unto Him," an aria
with almost the same flowing subject.
Neither voice fitted particularly the
more florid numbers, which require
operatic training and operatic powers.
Mr. Wurzburg and Mr. Smith lacked
the volume and confident force needed
for such work. The organ, played by
Mrs. Raymond, and the piano, played by
Mrs. Jones, together with the Hagenow
string quartet, furnished the accom
paniment. The organ added much to
the Hallelujah chorus, though it was
rather irritating to 6ee the chorus Bit
tin R-as passive listeners.
The quartet suffered a little from the
absence of Miss Ersign, but its play
ing, particularly in the overture and the
pastoral symphony was delicate and
sympathetic One cannot but look for
ward to what is promised later, the com-
plete oratorio, with full orchestra, and
it is to be hoped, enlarged chorus.
Apparently Mr. Damrosch may injure
his interests in New York by his ab
sence, playing, as one paper pityingly,
says, in "barren provinces." Well, he
has made the desolute places rejoice.
'Perhaps that may be some consolation.
But the barrenness of our musical fields
is much like the barrenness of our liter
al pastures a matter not of fertility, but
merely of irrigation. Give us the money,
the prosperity, and 6ee the imprisoned
music come stirring to the light.
It is doubtful if, looking at it from a
same distance, any musical event has
given such stimulus to our music as the
visit to Damrosch's company to Omaha.
Those who did not go, have felt the
nearness of the influence, the promise
of artistic greatness that makes one dis
contented with smaller ideals. If we
would only go on! Can we not, by sub
scription, in some way, get one concert
from the Thomas orchestra? Certainly
it is worth the effort.
Mr. Sieveking seems to be raising
quite a furor in Boston. They recalled
him seven times at one concert, and the
girls are talking of him in the same
breath as Paderewski. More than that,
his pictures are in all the papers. Verily
we have entertained a lion, un-
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