News

Garber Announces Advisory Committee for Harvard Law School Dean Search

News

First Harvard Prize Book in Kosovo Established by Harvard Alumni

News

Ryan Murdock ’25 Remembered as Dedicated Advocate and Caring Friend

News

Harvard Faculty Appeal Temporary Suspensions From Widener Library

News

Man Who Managed Clients for High-End Cambridge Brothel Network Pleads Guilty

Symphony Concert.

NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED

The third Symphony Concert was given last night in Sanders Theatre and was in every way interesting and delightful. The work of the orchestra was as usual almost faultless and the standard which is usually applied to its work, a standard which may fairly he said to apply in this country to the Boston Symphony Orchestra alone, was not a bit lowered. Miss Priscilla White, the soloist, made a most favorable impression. Her voice is of excellent quality and is used with good taste and great accuracy.

The first number on the programme was a Suite by Dvorak. There are five movements, a short opening prelude, two dance movements, a 'Romanze" and a "Finale." In the first movement the theme is introduced by the wood instruments and is passed then to the brass and this constant change continues through out. The strings keep up a weird tone which reminds one strongly of Grieg. The second movement has a very marked polka time. It begins in the minor and passes soon to the major on the same theme and then back again to the minor. The third is a very dainty, tasteful "Miuett" movement. The "Romanze" has a very mournful, pathetic character and suggests something like disappointed love. The fifth is a wild, furious climax to the whole story - perhaps a suicide in connection with the disappointed love. There is ample chance here for the play of feeling on the part of the musicians and feeling had its place.

Miss White sang as a second number an Aria from Graun's "Der Tod Jesu." Her rendering was always intelligent and sympathetic The Aria has little of the fire work element about it and therefore to sing it well is to put one's soul into it, not so much being required, perhaps, in the way of mere execution. Throughout, the enunciation was remarkably clear and this is one of the best features of the soloist's work.

The great work of the evening was Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. which was written in 1802 when the composer was but thirty-two years old. The Symphony is a happy one, is the expression of the emotions of a man who is "at peace with himself and the world, happy in his art and not yet stirred to his very soul by the sorrows of life." An exceedingly odd effect is produced in the first movement by leading the mind gradually on and on till it demands a climax and dropping it just where the climax is expect d. This looks like a mood for occasional playfulness in the composer, a mood not at all inconsistent with the greatness of his genius. This playfulness shows itself again in the last movement. Here again the work of the orchestra was masterly.

In "Ophelia's Dying Scene" from "Hamlet" Miss White had a better chance than in the "Aria" for showing what the human voice can do. Great technical skill is here demanded and she did the work justice.

Weber's Overture "Euryanthe" was composed in 1823, Strange to say its first presentation was a failure. The violin parts are exceedingly intricate and this with the immense number of unexpected modulations caused a disastrous break in the performance. Since then the work has been given much less than its due share of attention. It certainly is full of beauty having as it does such a wealth of modulation and harmonic effect. Parts of it are weird and ghostly but it all comes out well in a shout of triumph, a fitting close for so excellent a concert.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags