The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-21

a NeU Musical Consposition-W hail with
pleasure and pride every new production of art
crediable to our city, and therefore we feel happy
to have to record new musical work, of M. T.
LaHache, which deserves the highest praise.
This composer il already known to the public BY
BY various publications, such as Polkas, varia-
tons and Fantaisies; A. 10 besides, one of the
most popular contributors to the leading musical
periodicals Of this country. Now he has Just
9breu1At eut Grand Jubilee Mass for four voices,
dsdicatedto the Boston Handel and Haydn Society.
BY placing his work under the patronage Of a
society bearing such name, the author indicates
on the very title page what are his musical predi-
lections--in what taste and upon what principles
he composed his Mass, He has remained true to
the German school Tho adheres strictly to it, and
lays aside all the spurious Embellishments which
do not belong to that elevated style. 1t is, per
haps, for this that M. LaHaehe deserves mos
credit: he has produced an excellent composition
without going beyond the limits Of his subject i
i real sacred music. from beginning to end, with
out any foreign admixture; and thus to compos,
requires genius, talent and study. A great deal o
what il given now to the public a. sacred music 4
any thing but sacred. Often you 20 to hear new
Mass or new Oratario performed, and, instead
OF the immortal style of Handel and Of Haydn
you hear miserable attempts at initiating the pas
sionste strains Of Bellni and Donxetti The mu
&C y operate, and not sacred. You need only
CLOSE your eyes to imagine that the stage, and moi
the altar, Is before you. There il such thing al
making sacred music profane and irreligious. o,
sath4 running sacred words to the melodie. of III,
opea akto the man Of correct taste and devon
fselings i would justly deserve the name of profa
nation and degradation Of the art True, the vulea
VII not 50 readily applaud style strictly sacred
q discover it, beauties but we to degrade the
Art for the uninitiated rather than raise them to
49, appreciation Of it True still, it is much
sasler to compose without paying regard to unity,
and, tor effect to fill up with pieces of all styles
out this il the ruin Of the art and such works can
not ontlive their authors
M. Lahache, however, does not discard mod
ern improvements whenever thew are consistent
WIN the true character of Sacred Music. For
nsunce, NJ has judicously done away with the
usual tugues at ths end Of the finale choruses. be-
cause Their style is rather too scientific, and expe
'ence shows that in our country, especially, thew
ale out little practicable to choirs. The correct
reading q the work is made easy from the great
eare ~ ~ the execution marks, which will save
labor g dkeirs, leaders and organists.
The part for the organ exhibits much pract;c,,
sklon the instrument. The melody is rema,ka.
biy well sustained through the whole piece while
the harmony is pure, and occasionally deep and
novel,
In listening to performance of this Mass, we
have noticed various beautiful passages, and some
very effective Chords which it is necessary for us
10 mention. We would only state that the " Ben
aietus," duett for soprano and basso, seemed to
u about the best production of the whole. We
''n'ed also, particularly, beautiful little solo
.P'.no IN the Gloria" which begins with the
words Misvers no5is" Its freshness and
simplicity are we'll adapted to female voice ask
,ng me fatercesaion of the Almighty.
:, Wecannot but wish further success IN The .o,,.
poser. Nov that he has tried his wings in ,hs
sacred regions, he ought to soar little higher .,;I
and give rs next an. orstorio. We would III.
also, to hear his Mass performed in ,b, ci,v NV ~
efficient choir, and We have NO doubt it is the vial
also Of . great many who have not heard i, vet
and only admire it from the score.