Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

SYMPHONY CONCERTS SYMPHONY CONCERTS 797
It would be invidious, however, to endeavour the attempt here made must be understood to
to point out as yet those in whose works his deal only with more or less permanent institutions.
There is little hope that it can be
influence is most strongly shown. It must suffice
to record that there are still many younger complete, even for the countries already named ;
composers who are able to pass the symphonic in Germany, where every small town has its
ordeal with some success. Among the most orchestral concerts as a matter of course, and in
successful are the Bohemian composer Dvorak, France, where there is much less centralisation
and the Italians Sgambati and Martucci ; and than among ourselves, the task of cataloguing
among English works may be mentioned with even the names of the various bodies which are
much satisfaction the Scandinavian Symphony foundedforthe performance of symphonic works
of Cowen, which was original and picturesque would be impracticable.
in thought and treatment ; the Elegiac Symphony
of Stanford, in which excellent workmanship,
London
vivacity of ideas, and fluency of development The first English organisation of the kind
combine to establish it as an admirable example is the Philhakmonic Society, founded 1813,
of its class ;
and an early symphony by Sullivan, for which see vol. iii. pp. 698-703. The New
which had such marks of excellence as to show Philhakmonic Society (see vol. iii. p. 366)
how much art might have gained if circumstances
was the next, founded in 1852. In 1855 the
had not drawn him to more lucrative famous Crystal Palace Saturday Concerts began
branches of composition. It is obvious that their long and useful career, which was carried
composers have not given up hopes of developing on until 1901, being for all that time under
something individual and complete in this form the able direction of August Manns. (See vol.
of art. It is not likely that many will be able iii. p. 42, for their early history.) The concerts
to follow Brahms in his severe and uncompromising
began with the first Saturday in October,
methods ; but he himself has shown and lasted, with an interval at Christmas,
more than any one how elastic the old principles till the end of April. The orchestra consisted
may yet be made without departing from the of 16 first and 14 second violins, 11 violas, 10
genuine type of abstract instrumental music ;
violoncellos, and 10 double basses, with single
and thatwhen there is room for individual expression
wind, etc. The programmes usually contained
there is still good work to be done, though
we can hardly hope that even the greatest composers
of the future will surpass the symphonic
two overtures, a symphony, a concerto, or some
minor piece of orchestral music, and four songs.
The distinguishing feature of the concerts was
triumphs of the past, whatever they may do in their choice and performance of orchestral
other fields of composition. [Among modern music. Not to mention the great works of
writers there are very few whose fame rests Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Spohr,
mainly on their symphonies, apart from the composers
Weber, and other time-honoured classics, the
of ' symphonic poems. ' Anton Bruckner's audience were familiar with Schumann's sym-
eight complete symphonies, Gustav Mahler's six, phonies and overtures, and with Schubert's
and Weingartner's two, have achieved great symphonies and Eosamunde ' ' music, at a time
success in Germany at diiferent dates ; but among when those works were all but unknown in the
those that have attained universal acceptance concert-rooms of the metropolis. Mendelssohn's
all over the cultivated world, none are more Reformation Symphony was first played here ;
remarkable than the three later works of Tchaikovsky,
so was his overture to Camacho ' ; '
Brahms's
and the seven of Glazounov. The last Symphonies, Pianoforte Concertos, Variations on
composition of the former reached an astounding a theme of Haydn and Song ' of Destiny '
;
degree of popularity in London owing to the
circumstances of the composer's death just at the Rubinstein's Symphonies ; Goetz's Symphony,
time of its introduction into England ; in the Concerto, and Overtures ; Smetana's Vltava ' '
matter of form it differs from his other symphonies,
which are on strict classical lines, in Wagner's Faust ' ' Overture ; Sullivan's Tem-
'
Schubert's Symphonies in chronological order ;
certain particulars, such as ending with the slow pest Music and Symphony ' in E ; Benedict's
movement, and giving to the second subject of Symphony in 6 minor, and many other works
the first movement a rate of speed as well as a were obtained (often in MS.) and performed
character in sharp contrast with those of the before they were heard in any other place in
the metropolis. Bennett's ' Parisina ' was first
played there after an interval of a quarter of a
century. A very great influence was exercised
first subject.] c- h. h. p.
SYMPHONY CONCERTS. Under this title
are grouped the descriptions of some of the
most famous organisations in Great Britain and
America, at which the performance of symphonic
works is the main object in view. The
occasional performance of a symphony at a
miscellaneous or choral concert is not enough
to justify the title of ' Symphony Concert, and
Raff"s various Symphonies ; Liszt's ' Ideale ' ;
in the renaissance of English musie by the frequent
performance of new works of importance
by Mackenzie, Parry, Stanford, Cowen, and
others.
A disposition was apparent in the managers
of the concerts to present the audience with
;