The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-11 00:00:00

WORCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL,

WORCESTER, Sept. 10.

Herr Schachner must be difficult to satisfy if he was not
pleased with the very admirable performance of his orato-
rio in the Cathedral this morning. With regard to the
work itself there is not a word to add to what was published
the day following the production of " Israel's Return from
Babylon" at Exeter. If its composer is neither a great
master nor a man of genius, he is, at least, a conscientious
musician, and does his best--which now at-days can hardly
be said of many who are more highly gifted, without being
prodigies on that account. Herr Schachner was lucky to
have his oratorio brought out at the Worcester Festival, and
to get the place of honour assigned him in preference even to
Handel, still luckier in finding such zealous and congenial
interpreters as the band, chorus, and solo singers, under the
superintendence of Mr. Done. Rarely has a new work of
pretension enjoyed a fairer chance ; aid if, at the end of the
performance, the whole of the vast assembly crowding the
nave and aisles of the Cathedral slid not rise from their seats
with the firm conviction that they had been listening to a
chef d'oeuvre, it was certainly no fault of the executants,
Probably not a single amateur who had heard the ora-
torio in London, and was to-day equally fortunate at
Worcester, would refuse to admit that the last attempt was
better than the first, although the first—as may be readily
imagined, with Mr. Alfred Mellon at the head of a splendid
orchestra, a powerful chorus, and four of the most distin •
guished singers of the day—offered very few points for cri-
ticism, By this performance, indeed, of " Israel's Return
ao enwmm e
oeorrk
wewr
ohe
other
te
hTtehhr
eel
living
voratorios
judgment
of
composersh alt ledi err
of
Ferdinand
universally the
from Babylon" the Worcester Festival of 1863 deserves to be
r
distinction, have never been produced in England, may be
questioned by some people who like to pick a hole. where.
they can without serious risk; but the pains taken by every
one concerned, from the wielder of the conductor's stick up
to the owner of the double drums, the commendable anxiety
of those in whom the direction of the music meeting is
vested to have full justice done in all senses to the new work,
and thus, as it were, to justify their choice, call for nothing
less than hearty acknowledgment. The Worcesterian en-
thusiasts, in thus honouring Herr Schachner, have done
honour to themselves, and earned unqualified credit. They
would have made " Israel's Return" pass for a veritable
chef d'oeuvre, had it lain in their power; but failing in that,
they resolved it should sound as like a chef d'oeuvre as the
materials of which it is constructed would allow. One espe-
cial advantage was vouchsafed to the oratorio yesterday.
There were, in all probability, just as many friends and
partisans of Herr Schachner present as on that former me-
morable occasion when the walls of Exeter Hall reverbe-
rated with vociferous demonstrations of approval; but the
arena being now a cathedral church, whatever the impres-
sion created, there was no chance of applauding, either in
right or wrong places; and as not a single repetition was
asked for, by those who enjoy the exclusive privilege at
these morning ceremonies, the performance was nowhere
interrupted, so that Herr Schachner's work could be heard
and judged fairly and impartially as a whole ; and if this
second experience suggested nothing new to say about it the
inference to be drawn is palpable.
" Israel's Return from Babylon"—the reader may care to
be reminded— is divided into four parts—the Captivity, the
Deliverance, the Reconcilement and Return to Zion, the
Promise and Song of Praise. These headings alone suffice
to explain the plan of the book, which, as there are no inci-
dents, is all that is necessary to remember. They will also
serve for reference in the few observations to be made in
yesterday's performance. The band gave the orchestral pre-
lude—meant doubtless to describe the despondent feelings
of the Israelites under the yoke of their bondage—as finely
as it could possibly be given. Here were pianissimos no
less than fortissunos—piantssimos, too, the like of which it
would be agreeable to welcome a little more frequently in
London ; and this too without offence to the members of our
London orchestra, seeing that the band engaged by the
conductor of the Worcester Festival is almost entirely se..
lected from their ranks. Perhaps it is easier to play softly
Godifferent in character, were ye conquerors" and " War against
in a church than in a theatre or concert-room. The choruses
BinatbhyeioCna,,p_titvhityou—gh wholly Captivity--"
'Go
well sung. The first, by the way, is one of several
instances in which Herr Schachner imparts peculiar indi-
viduality to the celestial bequests—the words of the divine
admonitions being always set to a single note. This note
remains unchanged, and is reiterated upon each successive
syllable, while the harmony is modulated in the accompani-
ments. The expedient was applied by Mendelssohn, in his
comic operetta " Heimkekr," the part of the Mayor being
cast to an amateur who could boast but one available note
in his voice; but what Mendelssohn did for a joke Herr
Schachner has imitated with the gravest conceivable inten-
tions. The admonition in the first part (Captivity)_" Go
ye conquerors"—is uttered upon a series of E's; that in
the third (Return to Zion)—" Whom I have spared from the
sword"—upon a series of G's ; that in the fourth (Promise)
They shall be my people"—upon a series of C's. The
idea was, perhaps, by the aid of simplicity, to confer in-
creased solemnity; but the effect is at the best mono-
tonous. The chorus in the Deliverance—" Sound the
given with extraordinary spirit ; that
Go forth to the Mount," con-
veying the exultation of the Israelities on their delivery and
il onutdhoti mbrel
Return " sov as
Zion—"
their joy at the thoughts of seeing Zion once again—splen-
didly ; the final chorus of the Song of Praise—" Praise to
the Lord," which, like the chorus just named, involves an
example of Herr Schachner's method of conducting a
"fugue"--and is preceded by an example of the light in
which he views chorale—best of all. In short, more effec-
tive singing has not been heard at any of the meetings of
the three chairs; and, as the music was strange to the
singers, they may be said, without exaggerated eulogy, to
have covered themselves with glory. Nor should the solid
and continuous support they received from the members of
the orchestra be passed over, inasmuch as to that was in
great part due the highly satisfactory result.
The solo singers were Mademoiselle Tietjens, Miss Pal-
mer. Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Santley. Herr Schachner's
oratorio only stands in need of four "principals," and he
could not possibly have fallen into abler or more willing
hands. The three quartets (with chorus)—" So when the
dread clouds," " With singing come we unto thee," and
" Put on thy strength, 0 Zion 1" (containing another spe-
cimen of " fugue")—the first of which occurs in The Deli-
verance, the second and third in The Return, were incom-
parably given by these excellent and invariably attentive
singers. Another striking performance was the duet,
" Hark I 'tis the breeze of twilight" (Evening Hymn__
written strictly throughout in what is termed "canon on
the octave," the voices answering each other note for note),
sung in the most perfect style by Mademoiselle Tietjens
and Mr. Sims Reeves ; and again another, the duet for
men's voices --" The Lord has tried His children"—which,
it is scarcely necessary to state, was equally fortunate. The
solos were beyond reproach. Mademoiselle Tietjens, who
was in magnificent voice, gave the cavalina, " Come not, 0
Lord," the air (with chorus), " On high resound our songs
with praise," and the soprano recitatives (which are both
incessant and fatiguing) as thoroughly well as the corns
poser, most nervous and exacting about his own music,
could possibly have desired ; Miss Palmer threw genuine
sentiment into the air, "Fallen is the throne, 0 Israel I"
and the arietta, " The Lord hath laid bare His holy arm;"
Mr. Santley gave "Awake, rise, and shine" (in which is
observed a setting of the passage, " Behold, darkness shall
cover the earth," materially differing from Handel's "He
sent a thick darkness"), with wonderful energy; and Mr.
Sims Reeves surpassed himself in the air, "The Lord of
Hosts is with us," and the solo, " He will bring them again
into His holy place," finer singing than which has not been
heard. Thus every incident of the performance was in
favour of Herr Schachner, and the best wish we could offer
up in his behalf is that he may again have an opportunity
of hearing " Israel's Return from Babylon" thus unim-
peachably performed.
The selection from Handel comprised the overture to
Reeves) ; the
Seraphim,"
airfirst,,Feoaraparateorwr oratorio), ,d
yt
ehdeelei cmphapro :dna
tsisl
tl;eCah(mAeisr "Cherub b( and
ss
the air " Waft her Angels," with its impr.es-
Palmer), and the chorus ""When his loud voice in thunder
spoke," from 4, Jephti- a" (his last) ; the chorus "Awake
Gaza" (Madame Lemound'''
eclipse" (Mr. Wilbye naCoens•
the trumpet's lofty sound,'' including the solo "Ye men of
beam," the air " Return,otr),
Sherrington) ; the air "Total
tea-Dolby), the chorus T 0
00d of Hosts" (Madame Sain-
thaermchivo,ru(smlo
Wilresitssc)r,eatthede
tread," the air " Honour and
dust his glory they would
lAiisadeoverlasting seat," the air
from 4. Samson," the oratuosri
itselfoisseclawlehTiaihetijteanaso—mtenns-
o
nwerrceelwy
aa
double chorus " Fixed in
"Let their celestial
was admir-
able; Let the bright Seraphim',
Tietjens—trum-
pet Mr. T. Harper), and the cholur
there
eate till 4
'w"ith the "Messiah"
were was2,l
rcaonnkceerdts
'shich he would give the preference.
after-
noon's music ! The selection, however, an knowingpo set
to
and though the performance did not
p.m, no one was induced to complain that thel
number of
tho report
2,170
nearly
rf
much of it. The numbers in the Cathedral
neatly 400 more than yesterday—and yet the collection for
the charity was only V4O os. Bd. This is ai)cecinougntneodtoforuirobuyer
a report generally
tocirbeeulgaitveden tahwetaye;
avnedst
ti.ekets had been bought up in certain quarters, for the
pbearttircuttelarthteseree/Tis
wyt
aitto:.4ithiu,
it
that people who attend a performance gratis are never so
liberal as those who have paid for their admissions.
The last miscellaneous concert in the College Hall this
evening, the "Messiah" to-morrow afternoon (for both of
which every ticket has been sold), and the ball in the Guild-
hall in the evening, will bring this unprecedentedly success-
NT festival to an 54 1

A steady supply of gold to the amount of
£20,000,000 a year has reached us of late years from Cali-
forum and Australia.