New-York tribune., 1868-06-11
THENAToNAL sAENGERFEsT


amuscments that have been transpsned on these West
ern shores by reason Of the vast immigration hher Of the
sons OF yaterland fnds its origin the medsval ages,
and like the Schuetzenfest has been deveoped by time
and experence 1t not In the Dlden time what II
nov beoome but was then OF lesser import The best
authorities fix the time when this Ierambuating style of
meody making was first known In Germany some where
ahopt the wear iOo and claim that the Mnnesngers Of
that era are the progenitors OF the fest now so unver
sally observed in Germany Previous TO this time, how
ever tronbadours or wandering nnstres were known
Irish, scotch, aud Welsh chronicles tell us OF their
existence In Great Britain. Il was the custom OF
about from place TO place. like the bads and songsters OF
the early ages of Greece uniting the harp and Tyre with
the musical tones OF the voice They appeared fire.
0uently before the crowned heads were extensively
parOnzed by the mobiles, and held in great veneration
by the people, The Mlnnesingers, however, con-
fined to Germany aud differed from the Troubadours In
some essential particulars They were peculiarly love
singers while the bards frequently made the political
questions Of the time the subjects OF their musical dis
course. SO great became tho popularity OF the Mime
number The Troubadours always used the same peter.
while the Minnesngers employed most charintsg VAL d
g isss Wersty Of tunes and melodies The fner dwelt
much the mournful and the pathetic tut Iho 1hu
ths bards or TPou5adours We're cold ar Intellectual tho
Mnnesingers always aimed TO touch w anu ~
mDne sa " sTnct m '1 in Of sng
ing bands unions (rerens ha Ing .aM tsr pace, a
upon these the en ,O compedfnoSn as the
Neb,,JU0e1fe fed%and contains many choice productions:
With the advent OF the s Of the nObe
and even of royaty-which were awarded to the best
performers These Singing bands made up OF the young
them In very great part at least may be attributed that
knowledge OF asic and melody that 80 generally obtains
onera OF TannhSuser may have better understanding OF
the Mpaesngers, when we recall TO their minds me plot
OF that work. which is founded the operations OF these
eariy meodists According to NJ. Fes, Tannhauser was
one Of these. He nOurshed in the 18th century Accord
ing to the old German legend he was good knight
"Det Tannhhuser war ein Ritter gut" -
"He cultivated poesy and music with equal success
Walter Won der Vogelweide Rodoph OF Rotenburg urc
of Lchtensten In word of the most celebrated judging
name In i207 he received like all the minstrel poets OF
Germany, invitation from the Landgraye OF IhunSa
The ppnce at his castle OF Warburg Esenacf Hero
begins tho plot OF Wagners opera III seems tlt lne
manuscripts of which we have nn Instance in tbs Meta
morphoses OF ovid, and that he was thereupo seL9a
for the gaiantrics OF Venus He chose this tteme for
his Improvisation, and sang with enthusiasm OF the
delights OF mysterious place called The ven9SOtrg "A
cry OF indignation went out from the auditory weh tny
heard him eulogzing sensual love instead ol . Po t
Platonic which fired most OF the MlnnehnReS LOT
the beauties that existed In Their naglnaton @
unworthy OF the prize, Tannhauser went away ouIn-
fess his and seek for absoluon but thls wac
fused Desperate and furious. the pOe deHsaeu ~
anew TO the worship OF the false ati , % e ,be novSr
him astray. He died impentenf ana ie i9 .le PVn. 49,
of the Evil one. Such Is tho story hahdea uoWn IV
age age and still repeated on the Winter evenings O'
with the INTRODUCTION of the opera into Germany the
chorus singers engaged 10 tne various & I'm sn5 as
musical knowledge was spread over berpahy, oIrIauo
gee cHbs spfang up In all parts OF tue ehPire.
as cyihystion advanced, became indepeIdeht soeees
and their musical tournaments became more ana more
frequent In about 800 the sangerese we're tr0duoeu
an more extended scale, and since then mas IKE tbe
developed into national institution
among the Germans. Every city now boasts OF s sing
ing sOcietes, and their festivals are held frequently
These are generally given under the direction OF the most
eminent composers, and the competition Tor prizes Is
OF course when the Germans became numerous in the
United satesthe proposition Of holding their annual les
yas after style Of things Ia the old country was en-
received. Very Justly these Conventions
became be regarded as OF great Importance because
they had the eject OF initiating musical organizations ~
pJer he Union and Of contributing % musical cult an
exciting laudabe emulation among associai uabe OF
essnt cities rhGy int5oaSSse SO GOD and rSns
amusements among the German ANS and offered in.
one Of their faVere national cusltlyaton of music
iucements for tbs more general ned the safety of the
But dangers crept which thr1re OF variety was neg
sasnSere' arSe e ssfep vale the number Of sScie
ties was yet small and necessarily sighted and
tse ,,,s senSst,ss, very often only m9noto
nous OF r OF their leaders induced them 10
maze Claims cor individual prominence, Wmcn naa lne
1ng mn all the time, 70 the exclusion OF more
ss sfssss Si stsP'ffE q tie Pa h % the
prizes il not looked upon with favor by those who
nave heart the real interests OF tho institution They
,rt for the sake Of The festival custom nangur
lted by the North Eastern saengerbund and was contn
1851, Baltimore; 1857, New York; lsSS
Rhiladelpha; Isss baltimore; ls:s' NewYYorS issI
Philadelphia There were none held as may be seen
Turing the war.
aver there another and powerful organization
known as the North American saengerbund, whose |
national festival s take place the l7h OF this month
Chicago the occasion being Its sixteenth anniversary
ntha AL
given From that until tae close OF the war there
we're nonei but in 1865 festival was given IN Columbus
s Ind. and that for 1858 ls TO be held as above men
Toned ~ efpeetGa Int and .n nIhers @ nY WIZ thn ha.
eyer been held In the United states The famous singing
from 9s & cae toe 70 be- Ths
societies thus far reported rom other % cites
Chicago Geprmauia aannerch5r, Freer sangerband,
North Chicago edertafe Gesa1gsection OF the Union
Mannerchor OF the Chicago curngemende, Teutonis
and Syea; CIncnnst funger Mannerehor
Harngar Mannerchor, St. Cecilh MaDnerchor, Orphens
Quartete Club, Druit Sangerchor; Cleveland
Harmonic Mannerchor DetrOr, Harmonic, GesaDgsec-
ton of the Arbeiter Unterstut:ungsyerens; Louisville
Coneordia Orpheus FrOhsiun, Lederkranz; st. Louis,
Arion des Weston; Columbus o., aannercnor fe9rla,
Concordia; Kankakee, Deutsaer ManherShor; n ehi
madison, Ind, Concordia; Dayton, % HarmShiei
Crown Point urne.
Gesangsection Richmond Ina;, M"9nsrefSr me, n
tona Mannerchor Bloomington Ill, Gesangyeren; Phil
adelphia, Mannerchor, Yunger hannerch9r ottowa ILL.,
Iiedertafe; Rochester, N. " Mannerchor Hamilton,
Ohio LiederkranI Laporte, Ind, Mannereho lndianap
opOlis Mannerchor; Newark. j. hannergesangverein;
buffalo Liedertafel Blue Island, Gesangyerein Allen
town Pa Sangerbund; sidney OHIO, LiederkraBz; Ho-
boken, Quartette Club Twelve other societies whose
names are not Included in the Oye Will also be present
without doubt making total 81 societies IN attend
ance The orchestra which viii supply the lnstrnnentai
music OF the concerts viii be organized from Chcago
milwaukee, Cincinnati, and st. Louis .,,.
Beside these, however there are 10 De present
from Europe from tho Mannerho OF Cologne from the
Rhensh Saengerbund OF Viennt Austria ana 1ron Der
lin In Prussia These arrived 0 Tuesday by the steamer
Cermania On the 18th the uederkranL are 10 give
concert In honor Of the at Joness WOOD ana
on the l3th friendly musical interchange oommsrce) s
10 take place at the Germania Room In which a the SO
eIeties OF New and vicinity are TO participate On
their way TO Chicago starting he morning OF the 4th
fhe Europeans are the guests OF the NewIork Soci
eiies Tie programme for tie festival Is most elab-
orate one and shows determination Of the Executive