Analytical QTotes, ^itst Conceit SUITE No. 3 IN D MAJOR BACH. In its own day the whole Suite was caked an Overture, taking its name from the opening piece, which was much the mast important. ״! bach’s ׳great Suites for orchestra without a solo instrument, the Overture is a truly monumental piece of music. The piece open with a slow and dignified section and then there is ■a full-sized Allegro in fugal style. In this one, as d most always with Bach, the ideas seem to grow one from another, not on- ly with endless fertility of invention ant melo- die resource, but with the inevitable sense of Ihness which stamps the music ׳as really great. The design of this Allegro is splendidly proper- tioned, full of beauty in detail, and as a who- le: in bright spirits throughout, it has two light hearted episodes as foils to its fugal di- gnity. Obedient to tradition, it i׳s followed by a return of the stow and more solemn opening. The next movement, for ,strings alone, is the beautiful air with the stately procession in the bass, which is so often heard apart from the Suite. The other movements are d i dance tunes of that spacious and more leisurely age — two Gavottes, a Bouree and a merry Gigue. SYMPHONY IN D MAJOR, No. 2. BEETHOVEN Those who insist that a work of art nece.ssa- rily mirrors the mental condition, of the ar- tist, will find their theory disproved in Beetho- ven’s Second Symphony. Gloomy and despai- ring, he wrote here a work that is full of spon- taneous merriment and with the spirit of de- light. The symphony was the product of a dif- ficult year. His deafness was increasing and he was combatting other illnesses. But in the face of discouragement and distress he could still write: «I shall as far as possible defy my fate... it shall never pull me down.* The doc- tor insisted he should spare hi׳s hearing by 1’.i- ving quietly in the country and sent Beethoven to Heiliigenstadt, at that time a restful little vil- lage near Vienna. It was while he was living there that Beethoven commenced his Second Symphony. Of the ״Second Symphony Berlioz has said «ln this !symphony everything i,s noble, energe- tic, proud. The introduction (Berlioz means the Adagio motto) is a masterpiece. The most beautiful ,effects follow one another without confusion and in an unexpected manner. An Allegro con'brio of an enchanting dash is joi- ned to this admirable Adagio**. «The Andante (here Bed ioz means the Lar- ghetto) i׳s a pure and frank song, which is at first ׳sung ׳simply by the ׳strings and then em- broidered with a rare elegance... It is a ravishing picture of innocent pleasure which is scarcely shadowed by a few melancholy ac- cents. «The Scherzo is as frankly gay in its fan- tastic capriciousness as the Larghetto had been wholly and serenely happy; for this sympho- ny is smiling throughout; the warlike bursts of the first Allegro are wholly free from vio- knee; there i׳s only the youthful ardour of a noble heart in which the most beautiful illu sions of life are preserved untainted.* «The Finale is like nature. It is a second scherzo in two time, and its playfulness has perhaps something still more delicate, more piquant.* PULCINELLA —, SUITE STRAVINSKY, after PERGOLESI. Stravinsky composed the music for Pulci- nelia, a one act « Ballet with Song* in 1920 and the work was given for the first time in May of that year at the Paris Opera by the Ballet Busse with the choreography by Mas- sine and the scenery and costumes designed by Picasso. The principal mimes were Karsa- vina and Massine. Stravinsky afterwards arran- ged a concert suite from the music far the ballet ;!nd this Suite was performed for the first time in America in 1922. Stravinsky minutely studied the' Pergo- lesi compositions and produced not only one of the most delightful Suites of our centu- ry but what may be called «a portrait of Per- golesi and his times painted by Stravinsky. He borrowed from Pergolesi not only the melo- dies and their characteristic harmonies, but also the traits of style and the form of these pieces...* The chamber orchestra for which «Pulci- nelia* is scored is divided up tike the orches- tra of the historic concerto grosso. A Solo String Quintet confronts the full body of strings, and the wind instruments (flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpet and trombone) are: also treated as soloists. The parts of the Suite bear descriptions suitable to the 18th century character of the work. BARTERED BRIDE —, OVERTURE SMETANA. «The Bartered Bride* a comic opera in three acts was composed in the early months of 1866 although preliminary sketches had been made some three years earlier. It was first perfor- med at Prague in 1866. The brilliant overture lias been given all over the world innumera- hie times, with the greatest success. The opera lias a folk-character and describes the sale of a bride among the Bohemian peasantry. The Overture is based upon themes from the opera and is an inspiring piece of jollity.
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