New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-23
mr.. STOEPRLS RIAWATHA.

A fair r;zed sudienoe-the Academy being nearly
half fuattended tho frs representation OF tais work
Having already given fal notice Of it, ttsre Is moth
il particularly left 10 say Of the composition We
consider valusbe addition to the music of the Con-
certroOm, ard, the subjsct being picturesque aud
varied, it and other such works ought to take the
place Of the obsolete orstoros. One Of these, By the
way, We characterized as suprems bo'e-snd We are
glad TO find that the most intelligent Of the Boston
press less than four Of them having found the ice
broken for the fret time in regard 10 these Hsndesn
perriwig russnces are for the first time saying
true 9sttetic word in regard to them. The BoaoH
Cou'ier is closely logical The Boston TrdHserrp sb
solutely witty on the ssful infection Of Hardsls Is
rsees in Egypt, with its plaques Of frogs, lice, and
other tecioas materials for music about as lyrical as
boot Jacks and old clothes This dismal rubbish set 10
twenty odd fugues more or less very skilfu, and as
lyrical a. The multi pcaor table, is the sort of stuff
tia, tire rubrices would render eternal Bat in
America not Eogland: rether q George III. nor an
Alci bishsp Of Canterbury here can indorse whole
pile Of crude musical forms filed with much of the bar
bMisms Of hs day, wi;hOu! even good melody want
irg in essential logical progress and with only occa-
sioDslly redemrtory pssssge TO fit it to mode
reverence for Whist il vast is essential to music to
politics or religion but there is point beyond which
human endurance cannot 90. Decides, MepdeIssohn
wrote for tie English people, and plscsted duly Church
and State. But bic ledge of effective drsmatic
vocal music never entitled hin to play the supreme
critic He never had the force to write anopera, and
he took 10 the easy art Of composing oratoros ora
toros bssed-shsde Of Pndsr prose extracts from
the Bible, which, meteress defy association with &
sir gle melody worth listening to.
On the subject Of the choice Of words there is no
criticism, hence the ignorance Of taking prose words
heller tkeer from the Bible, and supposing that any
thing really it to be sung be evolved therefrom
The radical Bible oratoro theory is false. 1t has no
solid lyrical facts 10 sustain IT, There are occasionally
good pieces-soue snblime but the standpoint. Of
sucn works IL iase. If music be metrcs, the words
must be, and the great mass of the words taken by
oraoro writers from the Bible not good. SO thick
the public, who yawn under the inhctiOn and think
many of our best musicians but they have not the
courage to say so.
Since The TRIBUNE, six years ago, gave full
statement on the hard character Eegsh oetry as
generally expressed in its meters-we wrote some
three columns on the subect-there has been change
from the tric-trac Iambics Mr.. Longfelow wss the
frst to the force of theory for his Hswaths is
trocbaic, and is wonderful improvement. Mr.. Stoe
pei could not have written twenty decent consecutive
bars on the ordinary poetry, and not ten on prose
words Now he has produced fine work, which will
live. We do not really believe in any melodies as
thoroughly ecst..c except those for the scene, aud
when there is the right to set of the music With sp
propriaie gesture and movement. But a more
tranquil style of melody, and which is an sgrees
be relief may be found in works conceived after the
pattern of Hawstha. There Of course, must be diff
feren ,e in the bounding deec ston tragic grief of
character tie stage and the narrative Of The same
thing or the unreal egoism Of the rscter :" in CHI
zen's dress" TIE can be intense, the other can
not. Bot this apart, there ia wide field for vocal
ir strumental music in tfe concertroom. The advsn-
tage too the Of rehearsrg such work, where
nothing is conn !ted to memory, all being sung, book
in hard; and there is fierce bother crushing
pense as to dresses scenery, action, and poll
ics.
We have to add word on the orohestration Of Mr..
Stoe1e.. Il il deliberately beautiful. II hold the
singer in strict time which is proper enough Tor con
cert music but would not DO for the stage. This long
drawn style Of accompaniment requires softer playing
for the piano passages than was generally youchsafed
At times the singers but mperfectly heard. The
vocal parts were well sung by three good wholesome,
Dr. Guilmette much renowned and admired here;
another, Mrs. Hsrwood Of Boston, who has very
sweet voice and nice mode Of singing, suited to the
PRINT simplicity of the character the third, very
agreeable tenor, Mr.. Millsrd, likewise of Boston,
The solo of the Great Spirit tue Barcaroe and the
Love song the Destn song, etc were all welreceived.
One of the choruses the Harvest song was encored.
The Mendessohn Union distinguished themselves. They
were in great force. An admirable Society this 1t
wants only more teuors. The orchestra was very
good, and strong numbering fifty performers. 1t wa
led by NJ. StoePe Mrs. Stoepel read, amid loud sp-
plau:e the literary portion of the work Her dramatic
pathos toward the close excited intensely strong ap-
proval. Thepisce succeeded, andmerited success 1t
should be heard again. 1t would be well to try it at
Matinee in .Se Academy so that many persons unable
to come at night may epjsyit.