New-York tribune., 1872-06-18

Verdi To be sung by f chorus with organ, orchestra,
military band. bells, envils and cannon accompaniment
zone hundred anyis will be played upon by 100 selected
Of the Boston Fire Department s. -
the Bouquet of Artists" professional operate chorus
with n chorus OF 10000 voices accompanied by organ,
6 Hymn-(Bethany.j NEARER My God to Thee" DIR.
Lowell Mason sung as follows % First verse Dy
by fullhorus with organ orchestra and military
bands and the audience requested TO JON IN the ae
Tie opening prayer, hope, was heard up above u
was certainly not heard earth, and the addresses
were likewise naudible at half the length OF the audi
torium. They were commercially short, however, and
the auditors after relieving their pentup feelings with
long round OF applause settled themselves TO the en-
joyment of the business of the day. lle .f
The spectacle at this moment, looking toward 'he
STAGE was magnificent. That tremendous chorus rose
head above head dizzy nights. packed so closely to-
gether that individual forms were neutrality-suspicious.
Only In the center was multitude OF Nomens Donhets
and huttering ribbons and on either sldc ahothor muir
tude Of white faces and black coats In the background
was the organ, with open, Illuminated pipes IN hgho
framework painted wood in the foreground, forest
OF volins with the cleaning OF brass shining through
them at intervals. The conductors stand IN rront was
raised TO a extraordinary hight.
1t was Mr. Gilmore who forward to lead the 1rst
hymn. He was hailed with tremendous heartness, ana
1t was some minutes before he could get to work. lie
took the time unusually slow and the consequence was
a very happy one. The chorus and the band blended
VI
not comply with the invitation to Join In the last verse;
aud the effect massing the huge assembage OF voices
was rather less striking than some eXtrayagant ehthu-
sasts had expected but the impression made was GER
tainly forcibIe and pleasant Then came Mr. Zerahn,
amid waving OF thousands of handkerchefs ana the
shouting thousands of pairs Of lungs The overture
to Rienzi" admirably played under his direction,
and greater part of it made good impression as
such music can In nve-acre building,
but there portions which seemed involved
and confusing, not because they were imperfeetly
executed but because they too much involved In
construction be properly rendered by 800 or 800 nsru
mens OF to be properly heard such awful dis
tances The chorus from Mr.. Pane's OratOro, schol-
arly and impressive number suffered also, and was the
least successful piece Of the day. except perhaps the
piano solo OF Herr Bendel. The piano was Jubilee
piano. specially constructed by Hallet Davis for the
absurd purpose of being played where piano has no
business III II almost everything has been sacrificed
for the sake power and though it does credit 10 the
ingenuity of the makers 1t must have been trial Tor
the artist Herr Bende TO be brilliant and, at
the same tme conscientious performer; but ne coud
do nothing with this instrument or IN this place
Madame Rudersdoff also somewhat oyertaxed IN
the "Infammatus" being heard, indeed, very we'll but
subecting herself strain which was unpleasant to
the audience, and must have been painfni 10 herseH
Here however, adverse critcism may stop.
Mendessohn's beautiful Farewell to the Forest was
exeellenty sung by the unaccompanied chorus with
correctness and grace most marvellous IN such large
body and the sensational pieces in the second and third
parts Of the programme went of admirsbly Our gallant
marines from Washington made fine show when they
came to the front and gave selection Of national airs
They played pretty well and got much applause as
they had all played like angels.
Strauss was the OF the latter part Of the
afternoon HE famous band Dis not here and is not
coming but he has at his disposal some hundreds OF the
best players In America, and with them he has shown
ia fin
is more beautiful than when he gets upon the stand
violin In hand, and with inspiration IN every gesture,
leads the orchestra through the well known measure
He plays vigorously for few moments, then he beats
time with equal vgor, turning around facing now the
audience and now the stage. and setting everybody
crazy at once OF all the instrumental pieces this waltz
went best because the structure is simple and the time
is so clearly marked. .
OF the two sambang pieces, the "star Spangled Ban
ner and the "Anvil Chorus, do not know that have
much TO say. Euloy upon them was expressed three
wears ago. They rendered with more yigor than
ever and improved in various ways. The ringing OF
the bells OF Boston made audible, tins time, inside
the Coliseum which it not before, and the remen
have become perfect in their drill that not hammer
fell out of time.
What YOU published three years ago the artistic
result of mammoth ubiees expresses what must be the
deliberate Judgment of all competent critics as TO the
character Of performance of to-day with the import
ant exception that at this second festival everything
except the solos is better done than at the first The
chorus shows the result of hard and werected train
ug the orchestra better than 1t was before and even
the Gilmore speciates, with the guns and the bells,
are given with precision and more striking effect
The faults are those inseparabe from the performance
of such vast masses, and never be overcome until
we conquer time space and learn to paint cabinet
pictures with whitewash brush. The fear that when
the chorus and orchestra doubled in sze the faults
that noticed before would be also doubled, has
not however been realized On the contrary there is
very remarkable Improvement which record
without attempting to explain. The actual force OF
present. today was about II 600 and the
number of instruments probably not much below
the promise OF the advertisement Strange to say how
ever the audiences disappointed everybody. Judging
from the experience Of 1862 1t anticipated that the
audiences would be smaller on the first day than during
the rest OF the week. but nobody prepared for the
beegarly array Of empty benches which disfgured the
Coliseum This afternoon the audience was less than
half as large as the chorus should say that seven OF
eight thousand would be liberal estimate of the attend
anee the floor being about halt filed and the galleries
nearly empty The sale Of tickets however has been 50
large that great crowds expected when the foreign
hands are introduced tomorrow and later in the week
The list Of distinguished guests was not very long
one the prominent of Boston, however, OF course
were represented. The Russian and Turkish Ministers
were present with few other eminent foreigners, and
the native dignitsres included Gov Washburn Judge
Clifford the Governors OF Pennsylvania, Kansas, Michi
gan Rhode Island, and New Brunswick and the Mayors
of omaha Portland. and Providence.
the attendance inside the Coliseum however, was dis
appointing the excitement outside has surpassed that
of three years ago not yet perhaps at its acme.
huf all Boston Is In the street from morning I'LL nlghf.
Shops and Offices are closed business is forgotten. ex-
cept in the booths aud among the ifnerant nerchahts
that line the avenues of approach to the Coliseum IL
has been almost impossible 70 get through fremont ana
Washington and BOylston-sts. The Common has been
black with moving figures and all the streets and open
places around the Coliseum filled with nearly lnPene-
trable mob A hundred thousand people who cannot
sord ticket 10 the festival pour ont Of The houses and
come all the neghborng tewns TO ENJOY the out