The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-05-25
THE sosroM sPLURoE.
Handel and Haydn Musiea1
Festival.
THE HuB OF The UNIVERSE IN auBsuaI
GRAND OPENING ON TUESDAY.
Nsw FORK Largely 8spfsssatsd II CrlnollnsL
ContraItos and Critics,


e.. 90. 10.
Or spesisl Boston Cerrsspondenss.
Bosros. MaE ~ leeA
rhs "Bub Of ths Universs" L. In tho midst Of mo-
steal hubbab The grand festival OF ths Hanasi aal
Haydn Society commenced to-day atths uuso Hsi VIZ
TOR street,
The principal feature OF the occasion Was its qaanol
Besos great qsasti Ia " oratosy u utseslxro
and IL art u aspres ieagth ahd weight then y
qualify. Thus " have Msndsisohu, Haydn and AaaA01
Interpreted by chorus Of nix hundred sIngers and -
orchestra Of one hundred Instruments Il u q goldsa
rue that given aanbss OF instruments voioss-asl
that limited one-ls sufhcIsns TO produce harmony,
while the immense multiplication Of tho Same sfIsoN
very little for harmony but great deal for sound ThA
was In measure illustrated to-day. Half the strength
would have produced oil the desired effect In addusa
TO tho vocal and orchestral forces also The
great organ, Of which the Boston people proud
What would Boston b without her organ, and whae
would tho organ bs anywhere else but In Bosons Every
great city has its specially. New York has hss
Park, Philadelphia her Independence Hail. Baltimore
her monument, and Boston has her organ. Although
the great excitement for months past has been this
steal festival nursing Of half q century-for this b
the ntieth anniversary Of the Handel and Haydn e.
ciey-it Is surprising how little show thero Ia hero
side the Music Hail. II such an wero 10 ~
In Now York We would have the papers teemng with
on the opening day. and the walls and fences pacardsA
with but strange to say there was nes
Introductory paragraph about In the morning papers
here, nor q piacard In the windows Of tho music
stores The philosophy Of tho modern Athenians. I
presume. dsdans such arti1ce relying upoa
tho consciousness that whatever they do musa
DO well dono, and requires no Fictitious aid-thas
ugood wine needs no BUSH" II is evident that g.
To-, uHn oAfl
ducs old Jupiter withhold his aqueous maledictons %
this city II rained In torrents all day. consequently
the Inauguration ceremonies were not very largely
attended in tho forenoon There was In fact no jam, ~
anticipated but the contrary large number q
empty benches. This may have been the result Of ~
weather. probably because the performance was
given public rehearsal Sunday evening, and thus
lost the interest Of novelty However there were probably
twelve hundred people present. many fashonabics and
quite number Of intelligent, muscoving ana cnucal
folks Fvesxths Of the audience wore ladies' In;
Decd tho male attendants hinly scattered among
the gay Of the that they look Cd like
spots the disc of the About onehrd Of tho 0ooR
and lower balconies occupied STAGE in front Of the
monster organ before which stood the splendid bronze
statue Of Beethoven crowned with wreath and draped
in garlands Of flowers American flags hung from ~
principal pillars of the organ upon which were medal
lions Handel and Haydn decorated with flowers The
appearance Of this end Of the hall was exceedingly
beautiful and whom the performers took their seats the
coup dl very nne In the centre Of the stage the
orchestra of hundred performers was massed, ana
chorus looking like muudinous Peions piled upon
many Ossas and clothed in Gil the tnts Of the ranDow
tho balconies presenting in all solid Of humanity
hundred strong about onehaf a. many 90 wore
IL ne acn .y on
Roderck Dhu's cansmen. The effect OF the chorua
although wa. remarkably well trained and does srss
such as 70 mako you wish that there was only half Of
curious and for time somewha. pusalIng incident
occurred before the performance commenced The per-
formers observed az by instinct to post ths-
carefully OK their eyes the direction Of the
ceiling at the OF the hail. Mr. Zerrahn At tho same
time leaning his music stand In attitude dlstany
resembling that Of the Lycian Apollo and gazing stead.
silence for several minutes; the audience meantime
wondering what It all meant Tho uniform Of an odioet
being visible in tho balcony II soon whispered around
that General Butler present. and that the artists
waiting for his speech. But It soon dawned on
taken by some unseen placed the roof-and
So indeed, they When the mystery was explained
there was general shoas q laughter and applause
The festival overture and chorus Martin Luther's
choral by Ncoa was then given and the proceedings
DR.. j. Baxter UpLam, then delivered a lengthy and
rather tiresome address, which, with the exception Of
few facts concerning the progress OF the society since
1875 when had only sixteen members the present
day, whom numbered two thousand was comprised Of
| a tedious criticism on the workso OF the German COM
posers and mai apropos illusions TO he Protestant PHI
grms y and othet indications Of Puritancal smiling
quite OF place It boosted that the Handel and
Haydn Socctys festival not for Boston, but for all
| America. II is pity, therefore, that DR. Upham, who
has really done Infinite service TO the society, should
| have attempted evidently 10 Bostonize IT,
Memberships Hymn OF Praise, with its Introductory
symphony by the orchestra, was then performed; the
adago movement OF the latter being exqusitoy played
The caatota good in all lis parts In some Of
the oriissimo passages became evident how cumber-
some was the musical machine which the conductor un-
derook manage, although, considering the number OF
vocaists hold Il in pretty good control The solos 70
this work tun2 by Miss Houston MISS Goodnow ane
Mr. Hazlewood all Boston people. The chorus was made
up from tho different smaller Handel aud Haydn societies
around the vicinity OF Boston About bali the orches.re
| came from New York Indeed, ~ far a. the Leading
soloiss concerned, New York has larger share In
this festival than Boston There are for instance the
popular prima dcnna Mrs Jennie Van zandt, Mrs Kemp
ton contraAo; Miss Branerd Nine. Frcderici, OF tho
| late German Opera; Hermanns, Hmmer and Farley
Formes and Perring we're announced but dssppo,nsd
w.
Nothing could 10 greater than the house 10 point q
| numbers Ia the evening The hall was immensely
crowded. and the effect from the mass OF brilliant lights
above and the variety OF costume and color below was
magnificent Haydns oratoro Of The Creation was sung
the evident satisfaction OF the audience, who were
most demonstratve Mrs. Van Zandt appeared TO be
special favorite lawns her FIRST essay in oratoro and
she sstonIshed hor audience. with Verdure Caa ana
the trio with Mcssss Farley and Rndophson, HOW
many thy works" woro appauded again ana AGAIN
Miss Brsinerd too came In for fair share OF approoa
cboruses better han at the morning performance TO
morrow there will bo grand afternoon concert ana on
Thursday evening Hsndel's grand oratorio Israel ID
Egypt Crowds arc nocking 10 from tne county 70 ..
night and l should not wonder u tne pam'e" onys"
the festival were yet 10 come
Nmoa regret to learn that the loss by the recent
.~cua vtu he hcs v,ev than Gsn1