, 1873-05-13
THE MORALE OF THE CINCINNATI FEBTr



The great musical festival which closed at
Cincinnati last Saturday waBnot tho moro pasa-
ing evont Of 4 week. Its importance ia not
alone to bo measured by the fact that It was tho
groatest musioal succoss Of the age in this coun-
try, groator even than tho festival which pro-
cedod it III Now York. under tho auspices Of tho
same truo musician and accomplished conductor,
but It WINS alao an experiment, which, because 1t
was successful, must have lasting and radical
influence in shaping tho standard OF music In
tho Weat, just az tho New York festival will
havc in the East. In these respects, hr. Thomas
has proved himself a national bonefaotor and
made for himself nntionnl reputation. Ho oo-
cuptos the Same position to-day In this country
as PaBdeloup in Franco, Costa in England, Wag-
ner In Dayaria, and Lfszt In Austria and Hunga-
~. He ia tho monarch Of music, and his edlota
will hereafter DO obeyed, because he has shown
himBelf to be competent mastor, and has pro-
ducsd aucoess out OF pure musical merits,
without having recourse toany Sensational or OK
traneous auxiliaries. There has hitherto boen
no musical event in this country with which
tho Cincinnati festival can DO compared. The two
Boston Jubees had nothing in common With it.
They filed larger space in the public eye and
ear, they made more noise, and were in the na~
ture OF very glittoring pageants, but they did
nothing for music while they wero in progress,
and, il they have had any influence aiuce they
trauspirol, It has boon bad ono. They dlod
aud loft no sign. Tho Cincinnati festival was
organizedde nopo, out Of apparently crude mato~
rlala, and with many miBgivinga on tho part Of
Mr.. Thomas that tho performers would weary Of
their work, and that tho public would not accept
tho work. oven II they performed it wcll twas
In eyory respect doubtful experiment. Tho
tastes Of certain class OF Gormana wero
offended because the festival did not have the
beor and the Gemuotlichkeit Of tue Raengerfaata.
Ho also ran counter to the American tasto,
which likos to be tlcklcd with noise and chow.
Ho put Ills fostival exclusively upon fta muaica]
mort, and there ho determined 1t should stand
! or fall. He made only two demands: frat, thai
only tho beat music should bo performed, and
second, that 1t should be performed In the best
manner, md he inHisted upon these. domanla
with tho stubbornnoss OF musical Cnsar.
| What his programmes were Is already known.
| They Represented the highest otdor Of music
and from tho first noto Of the 81 Dottngen II
Deum," to tho lust noto Of the Walpurglt
| Might" with the intermediate "Orphous
and tho Filth and tho Ninth Symphonies, no hut
not only tho sympathies, but tho enthusiasm, O.
tho vast audiences. Five years ago, the ma1
who had said that an audience Of q. people ii
Cincinnati would rlse to their foot and cheer ths
Ninth Symphony, would have been csteerned I
mailman. The reason Of ita SUCCESS, as vol IF
of the succosH Of all the roat Of the muslo, WAS
that tho people heard It gvcn tor tho first tint
as It should bo. 1t gave thom m indication To-
tho first timo that there wna something higho
and better in uauaio than tho ohoap stut
to which they had always listened
and which was the common property OF hand
organs and brass bands, country ainging- g-school
aud Boston pAnjanlrunls. Tho amount 0
fatiguing work which WAS douo by tho ohorn
and orchestra, by Mr. aingor, the ohorua-maaser
and ltr. Thomas himself, by day aud BY night
for several months, would hardly be beloved
1t we're told. Tho succsss OF the fostiyal VA
Thomas greatest reward, and hereafter, both Il
New York aud Cincinnati. thsse festivals Til b