New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-14
TIE BEETHOVEN JUBILEE.
OPENING PERFORMANCE.

ant to the eye and very well adapted for
sound, and although II IL only quarter ~
big as the famous ediHce in Boston, 1t IL quito
big enough TO hold tremendous audience, and afford
ample room and verge enough for the largest chorus
are likely 10 collect Its advertised capacity-22OO0-is
Of absurd exaggeratiOn, but we dare
say it will contain 1900 people beside the
chorus and orchestra, and perhaps thrce-quartsrs
or four-ffths Of that number present last
night The glores OF the illuminated approach
past board fence lined with gorgeous posters and deco
rated with lanterns under the glare OF calcium lights
and policemen, and between OF sentries with red
silk badges OF Office, need not stop to describe.
The interior is tastefuly and rather simply adorned
Canvas coats OF OF the different States
hang between the arches on either side. Stripes OF
patriotic bunting the back and against them
suspended portraits, not by the old masters, Of
various distinguished musicians 10 whose identity We
decline TO commit ourselves. But the true ornament OF
such place, after ALL must be the people who al It,
The chorus rise in banks Of seats forming three sides Of
square. In the open space at their feet Is placed the
orchestra From the midst Of the back Of singers
rises the organ, instrument which boasts
Of fine front OF gilt pipes, but is not re-
makabe for volume Of voice We dare say there were
1900 perhaps 1000 singers in their places accept
without any difficulty the announcement that $50 mus
clans played in the orchestra The audience the be-
ginning Of the concert looked emacated dense fringe
of the economical surrounded the body Of the hail. but
the reserved places not half filed After the first
piece, however, everybody allowed TO go every
where, and the seats Immediately filed up.
The merit OF the opening performance ought not to be
gagged by the stricest rules OF art The NewY Ju
blee be has laid itself open to criticism
than could properly be given 20 the great festival in
Boston, first by its eXtrayagant, not u say bOmbastic
pretensons and next by the fact that its dimensions
are such as to bring it fairly within the range of
close critical judgment. When ten thousand
men and women sing together in a room capable Of
holding 5O0O0 know that the finer artistic effects must
necessarily be lost and we are well satisfied If the
only keep in tune and in time The laws Of acoustics and
other inevitable physical conditions forbid us to expect
anything more. 1t is well established, however, that
1900 or sing together without the drawbacks
which attend the performance OF larger chorus and with
proper voices and proper training accurately inter
pref the most delicate well the grandes Of com
posers conceptions. Though the number Of voices in
last nights chorus just about that from which the
richest tones might have been produced, must remem
ber however. that there has been little opportunity for
rehearsal. The band is made up Of great number
OF societies, who have been drilled under different lead
ers and together until yesterday or the day
before The whole festival has been prepared
in great haste and the haste unavoidable it ought
to dispose us TO a enient judgment Moreover, we all
know that jubilee occasions Of this kind the singers
rarely themselves justice the first day In Boston the
day far from satisfactory; the glory of the Jub
lee, such as it was, came later.
The programme OF last night, 1t finally stood after
numerous changes was as follows:
PART l.
l. Symphony No s. in minor. Beethoven
Full orchestra, directed by Carl Bergman.
Aria and chorus, Infammatus Rossni
Madame Parepa- Rosa, full chorus and orchestra di-
g. Madrga since first saw your face Thos. Ford.
New Jersey Harmonic Society, directed by W. +.
L. "Thanks be to God" elijah ......... Mendelssohn
Full chorus and orchestra, directed by Dr. Jas Peeh
D. Gmore's band, directed by r s. Gilmore
l. "The star-spanged Banner"
Madame Parepa Rosa, full chorus, orchestra, organ.
artillery, &c, directed by p 5. Gilmore.
g. Part song "voice OF Spring" ....... Mendelssohn
NewJersey Harmonic Society, directed by W. f.
4 "HaIlelmiah " Messiah ............ Handel
Full chorus and orchestra. directed by Dr. Jas Pech
The first of these pieces was undeniably failure. Mr.
Bergman probably conducted symphony before
with such utterly pitful result We lay no blame
upon him. for he is certainly the finest symphony leader
in the country, but his $50 evidently lacked in
hearsals and the contrast between their performance
and the rendering OF the work by Mr.. Berg
manns 100 players at recent Philharmonic concert
decidedly painful. There was noble music, how
ever in the second piece, where Madame Parepa Rosa
gave the In1ammatus solo with magnfcently telling
effect though the chorus hardly warmed to its work. and
for its numbers not very telling The chorus from
Elijah" Is very hard one for such large
body OF singers TO render, and went only pretty
well it was stronger than the " Infammatus," but
rather blurred and ragged The madrgal and the part
song by the New-Jersey Harmonic Society were both
bad, decidedly bad. The execution very crude and
the conception OF the madriga entirely at fault. The
three perfectly satisfactory and nsping pieces Of the
evening " The Star Spangled Banner" the over
ture to "oberon,' and the overture to "stradela."
We warned readers yesterday that the
first Of civ thpm
manifestation of their patriotism, and it just
said The chorus magnificent the artillery, despite
movement echo, had fine effect and far above the
din of all rang Parepa's voice with power and sweet
ness that stirred the audience than any
thing else in the course OF the evening People
jumped from their seats, waved their hats
and handkerchefs, went crazy in fact the Jubilee
crowd in Boston, and of demanded it all
againand got too. Mr.. Gilmore conducted this piece
with his usual electrical energy and received good
share OF the applause. He had already introduced him
self to NewYork with the overture to Stradella per-
formed by his own band OF so pieces, entirely
reeds and brass, and had been greeted with most
emphatic and tor NewYork) unusual hOnors. He has
the best military band heard and the overture
was exquisite Mr. Carl Rosa also had welcoming
round of applause when he forward to conduct the
"Oberon" overture. This Is composition Of 80 much
delicacy that fully prepared for failure in that
large hall and with that large orchestra, but it was
rendered to perfection. That ana tie stradela were
the instrumental successes Of the evening
The famous aria from Samson, 4" Let the Bright Sera-
phm" was to have been given by Madame Parepa Rosa,
with the cornet osgato by Mr. Arbucke OF Boston, bus
it was omitted and the concert closed with the Halle
uah" chorus in the midst OF which at least half OF the
audience took the opportunity TO 20 out 1t was excel
ently DONE howeverfar better than any OF the other
ehorses-and those who went away without hearing 1t
made great mistake.
AN UN-MUsICAL ACCOUNT FROM AN IRREGERENr