[Music:  (Violas) Largo (Woodwind)]

acts of the tragedy.  It is clearly the Antar motive,—­here amidst ruin and desolation.

The fairy theme is also unmistakable, that first plays in the flute, against soft horns, Allegro giocoso,

[Music:  (Flute) Allegro giocoso (Horns) (Harp)]

and is lost in the onrushing attack, furioso, of a strain that begins in murmuring of muted strings.

Other phrases are merely graphic or incidental.  But the Antar motive is throughout the central moving figure.

The scene of the desert returns at the end of the movement.

In the second (Allegro, rising to Molto allegro, returning allargando) the Antar motive is seldom absent.  The ending is in long notes of solo oboe and first violins.  There is no trace of the fairy queen throughout the movement.

The third movement has phases of mighty action (as in the beginning, Allegro risoluto alla Marcia), of delicate charm, and even of humor.  The Antar melody plays in the clangor of big climax in sonorous tones of the low brass, against a quick martial phrase of trumpets and horns.  Again there is in this movement no sign of the fairy queen.

In the fourth movement, after a prelude, Allegretto vivace, with light trip of high flutes, a melody, of actual Arab origin, sings Andante amoroso in the

[Music:  (Arabian melody) Andante amoroso (Eng. horn) (Bassoon)]

English horn, and continues almost to the end, broken only by the dialogue of the lover themes.  At the close a last strain of the Antar melody is followed by the fairy phrase and soft vanishing chord of harp and strings.

"SCHEREZADE,” AFTER “A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS.”  SYMPHONIC SUITE

Prefixed to the score is a “program,” in Russian and French:  “The Sultan Schahriar, convinced of the infidelity of women, had sworn to put to death each of his wives after the first night.  But the Sultana Scherezade saved her life by entertaining him with the stories which she told him during a thousand and one nights.  Overcome by curiosity, the Sultan put off from day to day the death of his wife, and at last entirely renounced his bloody vow.

“Many wonders were told to Schahriar by the Sultana Scherezade.  For the stories the Sultana borrowed the verses of poets and the words of popular romances, and she fitted the tales and adventures one within the other.

“I.  The Sea and the Vessel of Sindbad.

“II.  The Tale of the Prince Kalender.

“III.  The Young Prince and the Young Princess.

“IV.  Feast at Bagdad.  The Sea.  The Vessel is Wrecked on a Rock on which is Mounted a Warrior of Brass.  Conclusion.”

With all the special titles the whole cannot be regarded as close description.  It is in no sense narrative music.  The titles are not in clear order of events, and, moreover, they are quite vague.