The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-06-04


The Boston Musical splurgs.
Contemporary history teaches that Boston ia
great place. It is, in fact, an institution,
Bostonians being the judges. II has been self
styled the Club Of the Universe that is to say,
all creation is supposed to revolve around it a.
the grand centre. But, after all, Boston is to New
York what Salem is to Boston. II the Club"
were to fall into decay, Salem would no doubt
assert its hereditary rights to succession as the
representative Of "hubism," if we may be per-
mitted 10 coin word. Washington is known
as the city Of magnificent distances. New York
is acknowledged to be the great emporium-the
capital, the heart, the brain of the country.
Philadelphia is the City, par excellence, of
Brotherly Love and somnambulism. Baltimore
is the Monumental City; Cincinnati, the Queen
Of the West, and New Orleans, the Sovereign Of
the Gulf; but Boston is essentially the city Of
great pretensions.
Boston makes occasional fourishes; but it
is for the most part upon the reputation of
exotics. 1t has Bunker Hill monument
which took nearly century to erect, and
which was ultimately danced into completion
by Fanny Ellsler. 1t has q Faneuil Hall Of
historic memory, now almost fallen into disue-
tude. whose doors were once closed against
Daniel Webster-the greatest New England
statesman and orator-because his genius was
too great and broad to be compressed within
the narrow compass Of Bost0nian ideas. 1t
has its famous Brattle Square church, with
Revolutionary cannon ball inserted in the
wall An inter-mural park, which, with native
modesty, it calls Common" which not many
years ago was the common pasturage of Athe-
MAN COWS, endowed, of course, with aspirations
far above the ordinary bovine tribe. Its sub
urbs are delightful-and here nature has been
bountifnl to the "Hub;" but it's streets furnish
an apt illustration of the narrow and crooked
ways of life. Then it has an organize Alpha
and Omega Of Boston pride, the jewel Of its
SOUL but the instrument was built in Germany,
and it unfortunately happens that they have no
one to play it. Boston has won the elephant;
but it does not know what to do with him.
When the great powers of the organ have to be
demonstrated, they send to New York for an
organist, and we are always ready to supply
the demand.
Boston gave q grand musical festival last
week. Eight hundred performers made the
Music Hall resound with harmony; but it was
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and other
cities that furnished the principal material,
vocal and instrumental. Without the aid Of
Mrs. Van Zandt and the artists Of the German
Opera the sslo singing would have been very
far below par. Without the auxiliary force
from the orchestra of the New York Academy,
and few professional players from Phila-
delphia, the Instrumentation would have
been unequal to the task of interpreting
last there was grand concert given at
the Music Hall to develop the capacities of
the monster organ, for the special delight
and establishment OF visitors from abroad.
The visitors supposed that they were to be
treated to something immense; but it turned out
that they were grievousfy disappointed. The
capacities of the instrument were not developed
at all; and they had to console themselves with
attending an organ concert at . Catholic
church next day, by invitation from the pastor,
which, it seems, they thoroughly enjoyed.
There is story told Of a man who, upon
being asked whether he could play certain
piece, replied that he could not, but he had an
excellent musical box that could. This is the
case with Boston. If she cannot get up .
grand musical festival on her own material,
she has several musical boxes in other cities
that can, and she has availed herself Of them
to some purpose on the occasion Of the late
grand splurge.