New-York tribune., 1868-05-11
THE BOSTON MUSICAL FESTIVAL
THIRD AND ForRrH DAYS.

/ Beethoyen's awful Choral symphony There has
been the usual variety in the afternoon concerts, anu
everything on the programme has been well done
| Madame Rosa, for instance, has sung the famous
sfena from "Oberon' e. Ocean thou mighty
Monastery. which she gave recently in New
/ York rendering il there with rather more
dramatic force than she did here, and has
also sung Beethovens ".Ih. perfdO" which is
conparatiyey little known because there are few
| who can do il justice Carl Rosa has played SpOnrs
! violin concerto in g. major, and won genuine mp,
plause for his delicate touch bis feeling style ana
| Ills artistic cOnscientiousness. The orchestra mas
| PLAYED the "1GBHhdUscr' overture admirably Meil-
! delssOhn's Calm at Sea and Happy voyage quI6e e
! we'll and Schuberts Symphonies IN MAJOR ana ID
minor. All these good, but they are ho hoNtI-
! ties and have been quite as well done III our own
city, and some Of them better. Inc TWO compost posi-
tions which | mentioned inst, hoMeNep ,hn,, hane
| never been heard in New-lork IN anything
like the perfection with which they M nave r,. neen
produced here. The st. Paul last nighl ilnuIs-
day was one of the best performances OF an 0latoiO
TO which ! ever listened, and the choral sym
phOny' it is hardly too much TO say mas ne Her Deen
sung in America until to-day, though we know TO
our sorrow that il has often been attempted III tue
great Festival had done nothing else than bring out
! this stupendOus work IN an adequate manner IL
would have been entitled 10 aiectionate remein
brance by all musc-loving Americans But ilist
for the Oraoro. st. Paul contains lew sllihlng SO
los and no long ones. II IS chiefly narraIlNe con-
veyed in short rccitatlNcs with mere ana theIc Il
rhythmica solo. aud interrupted by frequent
| recurrence of exquisite chOruSeS isilnct
ts most fascinating manifestations The majesty of
the old hymns, the passionate intensity oil sueh
dramatic scenes as the Take Him Away, ana the
Stone Him TO Death" the songs of praise, the pa
thOs and the peacclulness of prayer and the sweet
! calm of religions hOpc-all are expressed IN these
| wonderful chOruses. There was magnihcent WORK
! here for that magnificent company OF singers ana
nohly they did it. How glorious was their opening
! " Lord Thou alone art God: how grand were llc
/ massive chorals the Seepers Wake the " Rise up,
anse' and how superbly they gave that fine chorus
| Mt the end of the First Part, oh great is the
! Tb,f,V tI,,h hoe AZ fall hey shouted
Stone Him 10 Death with tOlcbe dramatic
passion which no less than marvellous N 80 large
! a body of singers and they breathcd forth the
exquisite beauty of How lovely are thy meSsen-
gers opening sotiO with rolling accomlmni-
mcnt ON the organ, with dcllcacy which ! cannot
TOO warmly praise. Every time / near these ~
singers my respect for them and for their leader Is
raised. Only rare combination of enthusiasm Win
culture could produce such results DllSi lot my
own city when ] see how far New-lork has beon
excellcd. The solo parts in the 81 Paul were taken
by Miss Houston soprano, who has strong pleas
ant but not perfectly fresh voice and great deal o
taste; Mrs. Cary alto, who sings very sweetiy ana
touchngly; Mr.. Simpson aud Mr.. Rudolphsen.
II the Handel and Haydn Society have done them
selves credit by the oratOrios of the week Their per
fOrmancc of the Ninth symphony can only be justly
characterized rs glorious achievement. When our
Harmonic and Philharmonic Societies tried it.
together last Winter and failed so
utterly we heard great deal about
tc fmnossibilities1 of the music We were assured
that il could not he sung effectively; that II was wrt
ten when the composer from long years ot DEAFNESS
had lost in measure, his comprehension ol harmon
/ COnlblndtOuS-Nntn -
sublime chaos, not unlike the confusion generally
produced I'm the last movement OF this choral sym.
phOny. This is all nonsense. II has always seemed
wild and bewilderng To us because we have never
heard il properly performed But this musical tcstl-
val has proved that II Is quite possible 10 give ~ with
tLe prnde,t and most inspinting effect. Frighttul
its difficulties are. they are only SUCH as patc.56
aud intelligence can overcome and for the first
time IN America they paye been completely con-
quercd. Can You mol imagine the sensations of tue
conductor as he stood in his place to-day the eight
hundred singers rising IN great masses around and
above him, aud watching his slightest movement,
the waving of his hand the flash of his eye, To lead
! them through the terrible labyrinth; the hundred
PLAYERS, Obedent 10 his slightest motion; the dense
audience behind him, quick to blame ana slow To
praise. and rot half approaching the magnitude OF
/ the task in hand; and fronting him there in the
middlc of the orchestra the great bronze statue Of
Beethoven wearing his awiulcst The
look he must have worn said inusi-
clan in my hearing when be wrote
this choral symphony" The leader was like
general. with the eyes of his king upon him. leading
his assaultDR columns against stronghold where
the best troops had bccn time after time, rcpulsed.
Iut there was to be no failure to-day. felt sure of
that as soon rs few measures Of the quartet
which opens the vocal portion had been sung. Mr.
RudolpScn, who look the bass, has good. strong,
pleasant voice q little deficient IN smoothncss. but
perfectly tmSty. Mr. Simpson had evidently studied
the tenor part with zeal and though hc once showed
signs OF faintness in the crisis of the difficulties he
soon recovered himself Miss Phillips sang the alto,
as she sings everything, admirably but Madame hOsa
the life of quartet, and after Mr. Icuahn one
might say, the inspiration Ot the whole symphony
But we all know that music has no difficulties Tor
her The success OF the quartet was probably an en-
couragemcnt 10 the chorus. They threw themselves
into the conflict with the confidence which Is bego-
ten by good gcneIalship, and the fiery enthusiasm
which comes Of q hearty love of the cause. Their
victory was a superb triumph. The clouds which
have hitherto cnyeOped this mighty composition 81
the mghtiest Of musicians have been scattered;
lenceforh il appears TO us not srouded with grand
and ncOmpTehcnsble mystery hut informed Wild
! superhuman beauty and radiant with lnsplmtiOn. |
can hardly describe the sensation which tins unri-
/ vailed performance has created among all musicians
ttlt, agn fftTfu utg tD
comprehended it's importance. a great singer de
clared that when IL was over she rushed to the
artists room and could hardly help screaming with
delight Ierrahn has been treated ~ q conqlcling
hero: everybody in Boston wants TO shake hands
with him and when the next evening he met his
chorus ia their rehcarSalhall. they rose nj lilo en-
trance and checrcd till they were hOaIse.
NTH DAY.
Boston, May Q, 1868
An excitement such as Zerrahn aroused in artistic
circles yesterday has been kindcd to-day among both
the artists and the public bv the second appearance of
Miss Aide Topp. She played LISTS pianoforte
certo in Hat major, and surpassed not only her
previous performance In Boston, but il ] am
not mistaken all her past performances IN
New-York. / have never heard hor touch
purer, more sparkling, on moro SPIRITED The
fire Of the composer seemed 10 have entered INTO
her own soul and given even unusual force 70 her
arm. The GilegretiO riCdce was splendidly played
and the closing allegro animate was still better. 10
say that she was yocliciOnsly applaudcd Is rdlcu
Ions weakness OF language. Artists crowded around
her as she left the stage the orchestra dropped their
instruments TO Join in the Clappug. and the people AT
large, not content with vigorous Use of hands and
feet actually shouted with delight. Remember, this
was in decorous Boston and you may have some idea
of the sensation which the yOnng lady creating.
Another sensation to-day HAS been the production
for the first time in America of McudelssOhns
" Reformation Symphony in ID. Tins was composed
for the celebration Of the tercencnary of the Augs-
burg Confession in Germany in 1880 but the cele-
bratin did not take place and the symphony was
FIRST performed at Berlin in 1872. From
that time it remained unpayed and unpublished