New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-11
MJ1SlOAL CELEBRATION.
svcoNp rRIFNNIAL FESTIVAL OF THE BOSTON
HANDEL AND HAYDN SOClETY-0PENING DAY
MADAME RUDERSDORFF.
rRRoN OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Daa,s yearly As much as the frog-pOnd is the
ns1 and Haydn Society. II is as dear to the hea' "
-, true citizen Of MassaohUsetts-nay'l may "inV',
.av very genuine New Erghnder-as the memory -
pnnker Mn or Of Gilmore's Jubilee. Tue trumln .
r, society arc themes Of reSlde story in every reSp
- horscbold and the incidents OF that memoi" To-
smroar when IL visited New-iOrk az the M vo.
=, Leonard Grover, starved at ral'""! =. oono
Aepied the chance Of singing "na' 80. orr
IN sing but managed, nevertheless ~. arai,
meuOf'l'ail ,rio, too.tables. 1t is the proudest
a. a., tho ufe Of n Boston girl when she is a"n'eoa
member Of Mr. Zerrakn's chorus anu ~ -,
tho destination Of rebeaisals il DUpi' o., - -
.ba r,ace which our own gay Dachoiois "ii WIN p0
~, - tono or the german. II is not surprising there
pan VI ' Tto,ujal Festival Of tie Society should be
of especial and quite peculiar Importance to
On - Of the word. that from all parts Of New
,7,.rd and even from such barbarous LANDS as New
isitors should crowd into Boston, attracted parity
,,ra appreciatiOn Of art, and partly by curiosity
~ his famous musical association doing its very
", ,rork While Tremont-st. and the hotel Hobbies
- arranging with the veterans Of the Potomac,
~, uplrtudes are wandering about in search Of the
tnvrinthne Music Hall land generally falling to ind 1t,
- having found &C. to discover the way in and making
:, ,iuro hours little mObs on the Common, where gen
,nc Punch and Judy show dstracts their minds for
While from the contemplation Of Handel. The motley
crovd-lades with nuSicbooks and unchbaskets; sol
n Gentlemen from the rustic districts, somewhat dazed
NTH the unaCcustOmed tmHOil blooming girls, with
smiling faces and sparkling eyes, and gay, even though
chty Irregular costume all the solid people Of Boston,
.ban whom there better anywhere in the world;
little bit cynical trying to patronize the
show and making lad failure Of it, all these with the
auaring flags and the sporadic exhibitions that haUnt
their showhils from hundred dOorways, remind me OF
the great Jubilee week. though OF course the excitement
is far more moderate.
If Will be hard for a thoroughbred New-Yorker to
realize that whole city should take this deep interest
in severely classic InuSal celebration But Boston
has done il many times hefJre and will do it, hope for
many years 10 come. Ills announced as the "secOnd
trcnHia festival :" but 1t really the fourth, for II
may the expression there two before the first
To lie exact, iuGeuendent festivals had been
gwen, experiments upon the public taste, before the
celebration OF 1868 formally naugurated the regular
series OF great rienEia gatherings - that first est-
val the number Of performers almost exactly what
II "a now. But Of the singers, l have
understood were members OF the Handel and haydn
Society. These outsiders belonged TO various suburban
organizations which had been for some time under the
personal direction Of famous Boston leader Mr. Carl
Zerrahn. This year the Handel and Haydn Society de-
ponds entirely upon it's resources for the chorus
Under tho excellent management of the President, Dr.
Upham; the Secretary Mr. Loring j. Barnes, and the
Invaluable conductor, Mr. zerrahn, it has increased
both in numbers and efficiency, and is able to place
in array a superb chorus OF 2S4 sopranos, 1914
altos IT tcnors and ia bassesa total Of 7S9 voices,
all admirably drilled This is very the limit which
chorus cannot exceed without the sacrifice Of some m
pOTtan musical Effects There is certain grandeur In
the singing larger masses like the huge companies OF
the Jubilee chorus; but the performance OF 700 or 800 In
hall like this in Boston is not only artiscay finer,
bat really impressive to the popular ear. In re
pect orchestra Boston less fortunate and has
been obliged borrow from 1 recognized in the
band to-day about 20 members of the NewHOrk Phhar
mouic orchestra, and some OF the best OF Theodore
Thomas's men With these and his force combined,
Mr. Zerrahn has been able TO compose an excellent or
chestra Of 100 instruments.
The at the opening this afternoon was beautiful
The benches for the chorus had been built from tho stage
up and the first gallery, and wero so arranged
that with the great ut the back they formed the
hall OF an.phtheater opening toward the AUDIENCE
The orchestra occupied the basin in the CENTER ana out
az T. midst Of them rose the noble bronze statue Of
Beethoven Some time before the appointed hour the
hall (Which holds about 5000 people, was entirely fu-a
notable improvement 1865 for in that year the at
tendance on the first day only moderately good Al
So'el,eS the performers fled into their places with
a quiet raIidity astonishing TO those who dld
not know with what perfect system 1t was all
arranged The conductor had his customary ovation
and IN a moment the festival opened win Ncolals
pest Overture" founded upon Luthers eh0raI-'he
same with which the celebration opened in 1868 Inc
trst Thing that impressed the critical Listener was the
extraordinary precision Of attack. Mr. Zerrahn waved
his baton; there soft rGse VI silks flashing OF
bright neck-ribbons, a gentle unduating movement IN
these brilliant banks Of human forms, like the wind
sweeping over a bed Of waving flowers and at another
signal every voice burst out, simultaneously,
God 5 castle and defense
No ono ,argod behind No one waited to catch the note
from n ueighhor No one afraid OF being wrong.
The iItonatons were bold and true and when the
mighty organ took up the harmony with the orchestra
and the voices the effect literally sublime. AT the
close Of this grand performance, Mr. VIM H. Cummings
the English tenor who has been brought over from Lon
don with Madame Rudersdorf expressly for this festl-
val appeared upon the stage and got splendid greet
ing He is young and progressing and has beautiful
yOice sweet, resonant and sympathetic His sustained
notes are almost always excellent For bravura singing
he lacks passion The aria, accordingly which he chose
for his introductiOI-Handel's Sound an Alarm"
curously illustrated both his best and his weakest quail
ties Much Of il rather tame but the conclusion was
80 good that it furiOusly Tcdemanded. MI Cum
mngs is far superior to any Of tenors in the
kind music which be has made his special study and
his success so far has been decided.
And now came that glorious chorus again,-this time
IN McndelssOhns fOurpart song, Farewell to the For
est" They sang il without accompaniment, and per
fecty that the audience called for it again, whereupoB
they sang II without conductor. Mr.. Zerrahn stood
idle at his desk and let them take the tempo and mark
the shading for Themselves Something OF feat for
chorus voices; but find words to say how
good was except that it was absolutely faultess.
Those who knew for how very many years Madame Ru-
1ersdorI had been Of the foremost of English inter
prefers OF Handel hardly prepared for the
stately and handsome woman apparently little beyond
middle Ike, who (after Miss Cary had sung RosAnfs
Non pin meStG > next introduced to the audience
Time indeed has not wholly spared her voice, but he has
Touched it gently and left it true and strong Madame
RudcfsiGrf a great artist, Of that broad dramatic
school which threatens become extinct and such
afts.-wness La Grange for instahce-dO not easily