Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-07-08

An Estimate Of the Great Craze from spring.
nsid Polnt - The Points Of Success and
Fallufe. ......# "f

An Estimate Of the Great erase from = spring.
nsld Polnt - The Points Of Success and
FalluTe. ......H .r
Iron the sprlnshold Republican. july u =,
The Boston "p0w-pow,' as some OF tho
acldulous New York critics contemptuously
call Mr.. Gllmore's jubilee, cloees its second
week to-day with great flourish OF trumpets,
Ave military bands participating. In spite
Of u bad beginning, and the expenditure OF a
quarter Of million Of dollars up TO the end
Of the first week, the great undertaking
seems likely TO pay expenses and something
more. Il was an Interesting question at first
where all the money was coming from. The
chorus, In an enthusiastic spirit Of solf-sacrl-
flee and In spite Of rather uugenerous treat
ment by the managers, spent their breath
without hope Of reward; but everybody else
who contributed In any way 10 the perform
Rnces had 10. be paid, and the bills accumu-
lated very fast. At first the masses were
conspicuously absent, but the prices Of ad-
mission were lowered and since then the at.
tendance aud the bank account has. i'm
proved. Then the orchestra, large source
OF expense, was cut down more than one
half alter the FIRST week, and with this and
other economic reductions the balance at the
close Is likely to be on the right side Of the
ledger.
But has the jubilee been successl In spe-
clal features very decidedly Yes. Az a
whole, and so far as la monster character Is
concerned, No. It Is very grand TO hear
~, 900 voices sling "Old Hundred" and the
other familiar tunes which have been per
formed there; but this jubilee chorus had a
higher aim. The book In which they were
drilled for weeks aud months contained many
selections Of special merit and some degree
of dlfiiculty. The chorus learned them, and
they went 10 Boston expecting 10 sing them,
but not nth part of them has been heard
aN all NNhpe naaauaa Mr. lilmnFa fnunU
at the start that his chorus, although better
trained than that Of the first Jubilee, was too
large TO be manageable, except In slow move
ments, and he has been afraid 10 trust II with
much else. The range Of the music per-
formed has therefore been very limited; q
few selections have been sung and resung,
and the part Of the chorus which was to be,
and should be, the great feature of the fes'
t'val, mas been for several days absolutely In
significant. The orchestra was also too large
at the start for any finished, clean-cut per
Torrance, although II did excellent work Ia
spite OF the disadvantages of place and mum
6ers; and the organ, miracle OF noise, was
In every musical sense, failure. Could Mr.
Gilmore reduce the ensemble Of bis jubilee Il
one fourth Its present slEe-smaller chorus
smaller orchestra, smaller organ, and smaller
concert rOOm-he would ENTHUSIASTICALLY maxi
Il q much greater success, so far rs muslca
effect and artistic result are concerned. The
possibilities would be infinitely greater; III,
actual performance could but be In a llkt
aud gratifying degree improved. The yu
gar idea that 20, 900 voices combined are NOR,
effective than less number In q smalle
space Is happily exploded by the presen
jubilee, aud not even Gilmore will undertake.
TO carry through an affair OF such magnitude
again.
We might point out other particulars II
which the grand scheme has been failure
thu miami fnFta anlna fDF instnnpn. Whlcl
were very glarlng absurdlty In room fiyt
hundred feet long. But we pass 10 the specla
excellences OF the jubilee, which have reall!
given Il all It's ecldt. First and most note
worthy were the foreign military bands.
was a happy thought In Gilmore TO engag
them, and II has been happy experience
for the patrons Of the Jubilee 10 hear them
The criliesscannot quite agree witch Is best
but all admit that no approach to such per
fectiOn of style and absolute finish OF per
Torrance has been reached by any Of on
American bands. The common harshnes
aud blare Of brass Is forgotten In admiration
Of the high musical quality OF thelrtonc, thel
rich blending and contrast Of reeds and brass
and the symmetry aud smOOthness Of all thei
performances. Il Is well worth ones Will
10 20 to Boston 10 hear such playing a
theirs without regard TO the rest OF the Jub
lee attractions.
II the jubilee can boast only one great vC
cAiist, u Ia certainly To It's credit thAt thal on
IA cOnsummate artist. Madame Peschka
LeutneT has shown herself soprano Of daz
ding capabilities. There Is apparently moth
Ing 10 the way OF vocal execution that
beyond her reach; aud 1t Is not merely III
tWltterlng OF bird, but splendid, iutelllgen
singing. To secure so fine q singer was on
Of Mr.. Gilmore's trlumphs, and To lntrodnc
TO America composers so famous "a Abt, I'll
0erman song writer and Strauss, the Aus
trlan Matchmaker, was another.
There have been signal errors OF manage
ment and execution, a. was, Of course, lney
table with an enterprise OF such magnitude
Some OF the programmes ayebeennnworth
OF festival so ambitious, and all of thei
have been changed and rechanged, appa
emily by the freak OF q moment but u
special triumphs which we haEe narrate
have largely atoned, with the public at leas
for these deficiencies, and have secured Il
the Jubilee the degree OF success which
has attained