New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-24
MUSIC, ART, AND DRAMA.
MUSIC.
THE rEsrrvA1-sEcoNp DAY.

An tha characteristics of good chorus sing
are illustrated in the Handel Haydn Society far
nora rertecriy than NevYor5 has ever known them to
M Illustrated before The quality Of the tone Is as re-
ro.-kable "a its volume. This p partly because TIM
Voices are very carefully selected, being admitted
a the society untn their fitness been severely
,ested. and It is partly owing 70 the ex-
celent training which the singers receive from
Mr. zerrahn. They sing with open mouth and perfect
attendance They never feel for the notes" as II
they were not of their parts- They attack with
extraordinary precision, and give every note us vaiue'
not fraction more a fraction less Thus their sing
ing Is maryelously clear and in the perfect blending Oh
voices al the roughness OF the individual organ
fs obliterated and the tone comes out exqusVeV
sweet and beautiful. When the utteranee Is ~
exact It is OF much easier "
secure 3 fine shade of expression Inc SUI
passages are given by these 400 ladies ana soNsl.s
with an effect entirely Undesirable. The ceepra'o
passage IN tho Elijah" the other night Ana II t.
stu voice onward the Lord" and the CLOSING
ton Of the Chorus OF Angels, he. watching over
slumbers not sleeps" with the delicious '''-'
and diRiHusndo, deserve to be mentioned as -
OF the very poetry Of chorus singing. Ine m"SO -
Is full OF feeling; but il it had been less Ienou I
tender. the deicacy Of the executloh "ou-u -, -
Il seem pathetic In the great work OF h'iuei i0"
b,oh ssIec,ops we're given last night the power anu
e--andanr nj the chorus more frequently caieu
ont Than It's rentler beauties "Lpan Is perhaps iu
most beantiful OF 1rat0rios; lsrael III Es'P'
q tho most majestic IL has Deeh wen
described by John ;. Dwight as ai'nuS'
,,,oIr, n mountain chain OF choruses connected by
- ,rss masses Of recitative and few green wales
:, ,1 In the loftiest regions Of song Handel is IN
sun-oaehahe ; and he never reached grander hight
nor sustained himself longer on dizzy elevations win
unaggng strength than in this colossal work. one OF the
most sublime and most difficult in the whole range OF
sacred music The choruses are mostly in eight parts
rafef nfre~
Zach other rom opposite sides Of the stage. -Four OF
these double choruses were chosen for performance
last night The concert began with the tenor re-
citative, which Opens the oratOuo, NO" there
arose a new king over Egypt" Nh Varley delivered
II in GOOD taste with admirable style ana Win much
better voice than he displayed on Tuesday, and MI
Lang accompanied him on the organ. Then followed
In the concert procramme in the 0ratOriO the grand
chorus And the children Of Israel sighed" The tenor
air "The enemy said will pursue" IS taken from the
second part Of the OratOO. After that was placed the
famous Hailstone Chorus. How superby II was sung
and how wonderfully 10 was played! 1t had 70 ne
repeated OF course The duet for two BASES, "The
Lord Is a man OF war; placed next to it
on the programme but it omitted wisely,
rerhaps-for &C the morning rehearsal 1t proved
Gather too much for Mr Wilde. Then came
thp closing numbers OF The OratOrO,the grand chorus
The Lord shall reign forever and ever" with It's re-
cative For the horse Of Pharaoh and the jubilant
Miriam the prophecies sing yc W A@1Aui
fading into the ua chorus, The horse and his rider
All the praiso that We have given to the handel and
HAYDN Society in speaking Of tho Elijah" We can
apply with equal truth TO the much more difficult task
which they performed last night. Their singing was
almost OverpoweTng in its magnilcence. and 10 would
have been easy matter 70 fnd fault in it And
Che orchestra which to have been admirably pro-
portoned the number OF voices. supplied as before
a most Brilliant accompaniment
Memberships Hymn Of Praise, which formed the
second part OF the programme brought out still more
beautifully the high finish Of the instrumental forces
The two symphonic movements with which 1t opens
were delightfully."- given under the baton OF Mr. ZeTahn
the alIegrehO especially stimulating great deal of
quiet enthusiasm. II We attempted to indicate what
ever was especially good in the oantat should have
20 mention every number From the joyous outbreak,
AN men, all things, sing 70 the Lord" 70 the triumph
ant close, "An that has life and breath"
che performance rvaled the Elijah" alike
IN tender meaning and in glowing spendCrs
The deepest effect was doubt produced by the duet
waited for the Lord" with the chorus eehoing the
solo voices in the exquisite manner which Mendeissohn
so often employed The duet good, but the chorus
was heayeny,-sO beautiful that it became almost pain
ful TO listen It. Nor the great dramatic
Waterman Will the night soon pass }" unworthy OF
the rest OF the performance Mr. Nelson Marley did his
share OF II with excellent emphasis and abundant
voice. and Mrs IVES, delivered the electrfying answer,
The night departing" not indeed in tones so fresh
might have desired, but with force and dignity
that fell little short Of grandeur She certainly deserves
praise for her correct readings, her intelligence,
and her evident sympathy with the composers whom
she nterprets. Except Madame Parepa-Rosa, we have
heard no singer Of late years with better oratorO
style
The applause during the evening was abundant, but
the triumph Of the Handel and Haydn Society and Of
Theodore Thomas was recorded rather in the faces of
the audience than by the cappng Of hands and stamp
Ing OF feet That the music went home 70 the peoples
hearts, thai touched their feelings, that it by turns
surprised with new revelations OF grandeur, and
sounded the renderest chords IN the breast
must have been evident 70 anybody who watched
Che assemblage. The hall was not 80 full
on Tuesday the receipts for the first night having
been about $500, but there stin very large audi
eDce and there large also at the afternoon
rehearsal Tonight, elijah" will be sung In Brooklyn,
and We hear Of many Nev-York people who are going
over there enjoy repetition Of the treat they have
DAD already 5teinway Hall Indeed 1t would DO worth
q much longer journey.