New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-29
Music.
RosslNI's "MEssR s6LEyNEIIrs

Aca emy OF Music The praise bestowed upon it by the
critic t.ough little extravagaut U.s. upon the whole
well merteL With tho half affected modesty peculiar
him. Rcssni ed his latest work petite" The term
will not hold Neter !n dimensions In character ia
the Messe so.epnelleo little ching. In sacred music 1t
is its authors masterpiece. - 40 '~~'
Written at Passy In 1862 this work first performed
March 49, 1864 at the house OF Count Pllet before
invited audience OF SQme $50 persons. The sisters
Marchisio sgnor Gardon and Signor Agnes were solo
i the p' a ae5ed a Si afmo
niun) accompanied, and ~ Jules Cohen conducted
bankers salon while the performaUce is taking place.
we see Rossni turning over TO- M s o
hl left. In a sits Auber, calmly listening, and
whenever the music ceases, chatting WIN niafo VINO
upon his seat Eo St lawrence upon his gdrOn and
while behind him Duprez shows what called son
Torso dHercue ct face Rabeaisienne" The work as
upon Rossin one Of his rare fits Of industry. and he
promptly scored it for full orchestra Why he dld not
publish 1t is hard to tell Assuredy nobody has Done1ted
BY the delay save perhaps Mdme Rossn whose sale OF
the Mass 30 NJ srakosch quickly followed her husDands
From the stabat" the "Messe soennelle' is long
stride IN tas d o, o fSa he Woo the FORMER
"mezzo serio" and never intended II for public use.
However this may have been We know tnat Just rhen inc
master had not forgotten his OLD vocation IheLe Is
truth in the familiar remark that he introduced the
70 e S gare o before OBJ
The man must be bold who would now say WORD
- safe to assert that the religions element is in great part
wanting. Happily Rosslni did not pass away without
In nothing is the Messe soenelle" remarkable as
in the sacred dignity Of style to which 1t here and
1nesS "' W whom everybody l. fa@af i shows
him partially clad in the sober garments OF Church
composer. With undOubted Rossinanism is m%ed up
that which did not before know to be Rosslian at
ALL The latter is genuine surprise and almost jlstnes
lnrb Tr Sad before Been Wrten Il is strange
indeed 20 see the man whose early breaking away from
music and who lived to flood the world with melody, at
The last producing work rich in scientific devices Tho
composer OF "Semramide" and Cenerentola" writer
of fugues and double such is the revelation OF
the "Messe soennee." At least one good result will
tunes from necessity rather than from choice.
must for ever hold their peace TO such detractors
blows. The Mass completes what those works
began 1t proves that had Rossini, chosen he
seSossG G"' writer's ' The proof comes late and
It's cogency lie more In the advance shown than IN
the point reached but the question OF ability settled
We have already ntmated that good deal OF the Mass
its composers familiar style. Yet even here certain
dignity while entire work shows that at a. Rossnl
made serious effort to write music worthy OF tho highest
published the Mass consists Of fourteen mum.
bers including an 80 sautars not heard AZ ane rs'
With the instinct Of an operate composer kossni mas
freely used the solo Out Of ~ vocal numbers six
are devoted exclusively them and they also largely
employed In conjunction with the chorus Few Will com
PLAIN OF ms since ~ , vow ., consiyuc,Iye
Xxi the Mass has at least one fault Like Mendessohns
P@o begins IN gae KEY nhs en- aDd IT,
carrying out Is marked by novel features OF special
The "Ryre" "a MINOR divided into two parts after
common fashion begins with eight bars Of Instrumental
p,cs strkng and expressive feature Of the number
The voices enter successfully In imitation, but the
punta character OF the opening bars Is not sus-
tanned and recognize the sensou humorst OF the
'stabat" The movement, however, Is extremely int
resting and sung nearly throughout. has an
reasiye
together chares his style 1t Is short double canon on
the octave v OI e most ace OF carly Italian masters
Noting It's ingenuity and the easy flow OF It's parts;
y yns 70 musical schoiastics. This finished the
"Kyrie" Is resumed In major. with an amplhcaton IN
Gloria make complete design admirable In lts
unity. bro' vigorous and broadly harm3nlhed ale
followed by an andantino OF peculiar construction be
built almost wholly upon Alternate ionic ana SUP
dominant chords which pass by abrupt moduatons from
key key. The eject y strange and somew hat forced
II Is such in fact a. we should nave UIssu i TOT R %
master rrn sserts himself In the "Graas" major.
PosUian beauty Is given ont by the voice and
successyely taken up by tho Others repeated IN iu
malRSa Sy elegant rcatment That this number will
have an Immense popularity We do not doubt nor VIII
gous music At any rate Il is the perfection Of graceful
and expressive writing Inc np aSics ectiv
though It be when well surg we 90 not preaet ts ,
ture is himsy and s themes commonplace The French
critics have almost unanimously passed quickly over TINS
air, and We shall not accuse them Of Injustice. But
they dwell long and lovingly upon the Qu TOLLS
a duet in + minor for soprano aud conlnlto; " lie
'Qui TOLLS" says NJ. Jouyin, OF re ftgdro
nous ouyre lie monde des anges. Quee melodie quee
suave - and addressing yotary of strict church music
cie1x - ne exclaims vous ees t9rrc mais dams
conree on Deu plaza son Eden ct 10 pomies DE
dies Beneath this extravaganza there Is however not
aon Clearly the work OF him who wrote louis est
hono' 1t Is more elevated In style and expression than
that famous duet There few things In music more
changes more happy than that into the tonic major,
fear We might say something about the Quonan, =
an elaborate bass air In major, were 10 not followed
Thought for unity Rossin Commences the latter with the
short allegro which opens the Gloria" This leads 10
Pnrs nv the ears We are apt to over estimate
pecied good and natural for the French critics 20
stance Here OF the expressions used Page
monumcntale." une page MiehelangeleSque une page
Dicu Depuis quill sur la terre des fngues ct des
suguises, ON men VII Iamas de paree These terms
| noble effort. Truly the maker OF melodies was
maker Of melodies and something more lie mere
pshed fugust aud with admirable effect Moreover he
appears thoroughly In love with his task When dom'
ulnt medal ushers IN long diminuendo and as long
succession OF rich and solid harmones the master seems
drawing 10 an end Not So however rev oars UenOe
full close the fuge starts again rs vigorously as ever
finishing at length with Godn The
"Crcdo" IL major shows even greater felicity OF design
than predecessor. As rule this patt OF mass gon
snls Credo" also In several movements but each u
cosev associated with the rest aud tho Of faith Is
| kent we'll before the mind by frequent reqnent
repetition In full chorus of the word "Credo Notn
| I'm. could be better as matter OF constIuu
tion or effect As far COnsuhstantlalem fari pas
sagcs OF a dlgnihcd character are given 10 SOL nnn
chorus with repettions In various keys snort dOupo
canon ON the octave follows after which the story OF inc
Incarnation Is grandly told the long silence at MS close
hroLrn only by ntfu chords from the orchestra being
one of the masters most impressive devices Ia the ar
for Soprano Crucifxus" "a hat maJorl profound sen
o,i, "a produced by means the most legitimate whiie
the choral outburs enharmonlc change 10 the 90