New-York tribune., 1867-03-06
MUSIC

odmirore will aIWaYS demand Dis celcDlaLOI sumo
how even if we must repeat tute praises. II IS
glorous work, the NGSiCb in the strict, large sense
0f that much-meanng word; so gTea, W0Ill, lIuCcd
that tribe OF giants might sing II, ana ina some
Of The cbOruses too strong for them. How much Of
this IS hyperbOle, let those Judge Wno
have heard chorus of hundreds work
luiab-whO have seen SOlOists, one after another
crushed out by the literal weight OF these mlsity
masses One thing it is well to say ggan-that
Nandels works are by no means ever performed III
fine sonse of being fulfilled. There can he 10 vocal
strength massed or single, too great for them. Inc
hover and imagination which is given to the
ensemble of an opera might, II seems. flow granny
into the solemn channel OF the OIat0ro. Such I"
penius as Handels can entertain an army OF singers
M least the best we can ever brng-all the aeph %
bass all the hight Of soprano, ana all the loIcc "
expression that can be borrowed from the Stage. AH
1T is the stage and stage people seldom asSlS' 2 III
marsiialng an OIatOTO INTO sound me N9iN - ~
IN great part TO amateurs aud let us be gad Ol IT.
las built up stro foundation Of substantlaI music
afi6H5 b6pblar intelligence that minele5 I.,lHlv-
and the Messiah with It's religion, ana Is Ao' " w 'Vo
easily affected by meretricious tasleS .,-z
The Messiah was we'll sung on Monuay eIe".nS ~
in BroOkyn That is to say, its choruses We're nm nm
pressye aud hall of It's solos at least eiicctNS lu
elO0uent We could scarcely have asked tOl ptlt
voice than Madame Parepas nor could one soon 1c
found Miss Hutchings Nh. Geo. Simpson ana MI
YR Thomas were tbe)best of the sOlOists-the gen
temeu, as usual, much less satisfactory lniu t ,i,
ladies aud singing and then a II We're i'-dlSl
the storm OF HmdelS chores. DIdS VOC 3@itCt @
such oTm drops balnand so II was WIN ~ n. ] ,nC
PlTeUa'c lark-likC high notes IN the lhcliIiid'.9
story of the Pastoral. There IS no lIHcr st'iiiI
in the work than the symphony PIeluuius NJ III,
massage il is here that the thrill ana thI"p
of instruments so beautifully convey INC PiY''c
and rapture OF the shepherds watching gni ten in
npon them In peace on earth good VIII 10 men.
The scene as we shall call II, Is not very log w
we admire what Robert Schunann Wo0iu c.'h M lts
"heavculv length" because the ADJECTIVE is an
expressive one and the scene is Compete-the aren't
lecture of the music worthy OF new Jeiu',,iy.'i "
How Madame PaIepa threw ont thOSe starry .t.lRl
that usher the CnOilS %. EuuN WILL tl''A
with what absence Of the instant spirit needed tine
chorus was taken, every one. lem,m'. U.s.
upon the whole, IL was chucSlS UVu.'
But 10 bring in q chorus half q minute 2IicI us
time i, to bring il in with some OF lis lie gone:
Even angels WOuld have been half minute belllu
time i'm peace and good viii, had they followed ihe
great sopranos herald high note after so arJlical
pause. But are to speak here OF MISS Iinlc4l!!sS
who surprised Us after her flIst commonplace c!"I
with gracious anA tender expression OF lie >ial,
feed hi, flockn and He deSplscd ana ltJrttd;
and Though we think that Mr Simpsons tenor Is con-
fined and Unconditional, his delivery OF Behold ana
See" was good and sweet We mghJ ttcas Hli'
ThOmaSs bass 10 some objection; but ne sung
with dignity, if not always with expression. For
the pcst with the slight discount we nave Iltea 3S
20 the cOnductOrship II IS enough tlat MI. l. l..
Ritter conducted, and that George Matzka leu the
Still more is to be said for we cannot soon dis
miss the Harmonic Society's two hundred voices.
They were quite capable of singing Handles tgUcs
with effect-and mighty tugucs they ara Ithi''l'
with PrOSperOs wand lald on them. 10 thch
rent those of old Sebastian BaChi gnaIleO ana Ng0l
Ous as they are. seem as barren branches without
leaves. The grand chOruses =" Lift uR%om headI;
and the HdlloiuiQh, were upon the whole most teil
ing, a. indeed they should he. We should like 20
have been aStOunded by the latter, and gldndy
managed chorus can do this nut-suilclcht lol tle
fme-wc were impressed The audience, az this
passage. up. as II seemed, TO the compel
ling thunders OF Handel, as Lion OF old rose
into towers through music But we referred
t. the programme, and found that the audience
were respectfully requested To rse ana leE'L rem
standing during this part of the performance. That
is right enough in one sense-tOr such an oratouo rs
the Messiah is sacred As the church; hui We Ike
natural spOntanety above all things Could we nave
had more pleTclng sIlau or Two III the chorus
tenOIs 10 contrast with the Oce3uIOar OF the ng>>-
wS should have had enough for one time. L re-
mains 10 be said that the Handel revival viii con
time aud pdGs MdccdbGs is 70 come. Wcafe thus ~
De plenully refreshed from the deep salt rcsound
ing gStlength OF master whom music must cherish ioI
its souls and bOdy's sake. Genan-bOTD as he was
he belongs. II possible, 10 the English mind; ant We
must think of INN along with Shakespeare, Milton
and JOuSOn, recalling his slneWy music as we DO that
other large ntterance Of the early gods"
SAMSON, the second OF the Handel series was heard
last evening at Steinways and 1t is due TO it, strong
and earnest performance to say heard gratefully.
The same great elements which Characiellze the u
sdh occur IL this gTandly LQlVlduallZcd WOiA; DV
1t is perhaps because We MISS certain IeiiSiou,
enthusiasm, or because the theme itself is
inferior IN the Inspiration OF variety, thai Inc
MeSSiQi Is TO be, upon the whole, preferred
There Is vast variety however, IN the choral masses
OF Sdhe0a. wherein the composer. lke milton cti'-
bate, II splendid tragedy the blindness OF Oh" other
Titan. II is IN Samson that the sublime musical
sOOquy, Total Eclipse Occurs--a passage winch
is 10 music what MiltOnS lines on bis bUduc,-
are 90 English poetry. We can here but breiy
record the particular worth of the pclfOrBance.
The aje Oi tine chOruscs, tlXcdin ms eveilds n-
scat" was emphatically well done. That marvellous
chorus of the Phlstlnes, Hear us, Oh God. where
IN terror is depicted such we hear in no digmL
was it seemed 10 rs, lnsufhclentiy gwen pui l i'
remarkable how much force and expression can ot
put into the production OF Handel and still without
satisfying us Great DagOn,' Is colOred, caaldc-
fprigpl chOFUc. shows what MANNER OF men
the Philistnes We're and treats Us 70 Suggestion Oi
heatheu miTth high cheer and wlne'' ID an upfodt
of half barbarOus triumph But we might go on,
thus speaking Of Ble whole mountain chain OF ChO-
ruses let ii suffice To say that the most OF them
taken and given. " The Dead March ana
tho Scraphnn7 air are the wonders OF
this OratOrO. The huting grief OF tine
former, the sunbnght eXaItation OF the latter
are the most magnificent contrasts which Spas0H
presents. Anything more spirited, upliited, and
cheerful than Madame Parepa Rosas delivery OF the
Seraphim air cOuld not well ask. Handel Is,
indeed tTumpet-tOnged III this great air thg effect
OF which last evening was electrical.
OF Carl Wolisohns Beethoven Mstintes We
can say but little now. That Madame Johannscn
on Friday sang Schubert's Posi- Song and Sclruman's
HaRdaicd with an enthusiasm in most respects
worthy of those poets OF music, must be recorded.
Mr. WOlfsohn's performance is as usual an eucida-
ton of Beethoven, and what keener praise can we
give it The fingerreach after effect 1--WE see it IN
all the panisln OF the day-hear It, OF course. III the
dominant List musicj cauuot belong TO the method
of interpreting OF Beethoven. That demands s,lr-
render 20 the inner spirit Of music-music OF which
Beethoven was SO subtle, many-sded and
imaginative q master. IL has been re-
marked that IN tho sOnatas we hear the
orchestra. and the praise is suggestive Of the
universality which characteTilcs all his works from
his songs 10 his symphonies. The variety of skill
and the sincerity OF feeling demanded from the
player is III accordance with these iacts aud Dir.
Wofs0hn Is good enough 20 SET them forth for us in
his perspicuous and able playing. Fridays pro-
gfduinc comprised flle exquisite S0nala fantasia
f0Tnl-E Dat major Op Grand " The Last Sonata .
&, minor uae "a la less topUtioupd