, 1873-05-11
TIE CINCINNATI FESTIVAL,

t. THE CINCINNATI FESTIVAL. =
Tho full and graphic dispatches which tht
correspondent Of TIE TRIBUNE has sent from
the Cincinnati Musical Festival during the past
week have brought thatseries Of entertainments
very near to the Chicago musical public, ani
have found as general an interest in this city III
the short season OF Italian opera which Mr
Marotzek has given at McVicker's Theatre; In
very many respects, tho Cincinnati Festival has
greater musical importance than any number OF
operato performances, and its influence will not
be confined to the locality where it was held
The first and most important work which the
Cincinnati Festival has. accomplished, has been
to demonstrate to ALL people genuinely interested
in musical culture that real progress is repre-
sented rather by quality. than quantity. 1t is
confidently stated, as result Of Mr Thomas
work at Cincinnati, that jubilees Of the Gilmore
school viii henceforth be abandoned, It was
known before that they we're purely sensational.
The patriotic idea was 8 large element in their
composition. The popular notion Of patriotism
is inseparable from noise. It was, therefore,
with big building especially erected for, the
occasion, q big organ that was built with refer
ence to volume OF sound, big drum that was
paraded through the streets and covered With
canvas, anda big blow generally, that Mr. Gil
moro brought his enterprise before the American
public. The first Boston jubilee was barely
op1 41,a canrr1 Yaoyy1fa6 n a
financial loss, while neither. one nor the other
contributed a particle to the advancement Of
musical culture throughout the country. There
was no better nor higher ambition On the part Of
the American people by reason Of their occur
renee No musical idoas we're promulgated; tho
musical societies were rather damaged than i'm
proved; the orchestral players came away with
more careless habits than when they went into
it; there WAS the contagious excitement Of q
great crowd, but no genuine musical en-
thusiaam. Mr. Gilmore himself is understood
to have said that be would never again make tho
attempt to organize one Of these noisy, blaring,
and unsatisfactory displays, in which anvils and
bells and big guns enguf musical ideas and
destroy musical perceptions. XII
Tho results Of the Cincinnati Festival are very
different 4 trained orchestra OF q hundred
musicians, Tell-drilled chorus Of q few hun
dred picked voices, an arrangement of pro-
gezn1nnes TINT included 8 varied excellence Of
selections, and . guiding musical spirit like that
Of A1r. Theodore Thomas, have provided week
Of rare musical culture, the influence Of which
will extend far beyond the immediate enjoy
ment Of those who we're fortunate enough to be
present at the Festival Tho complete financial
and artistic success which has attended the Festi
val will encourage institutions in the same 1egit-
innate direction; and will teach the musical man
ayers and directors throughout the country that
it is not necessary to descend to the hunbug
and clap-trap OF the itinerant Snowman in order
It is wholesome lesson, and there is reason for
congratulation that it was first demonstrated at
the West. Chicago has no disposition ocomplain
because Cincinnati was tho chosen spot for this
useful innovation upon American musical prac
tees, for Chicago will enjoy its. beneficial re-
suits IN common with the rest OF the country.
atr. Thomas is q musical. prophet Of his day,
and belongs to all Of us in common The good
work that he haa done in Cincinnati will leave
ita Impress On all future mus1cal festivals that
hope to attain success and fanao. ,e
+: The unseen aud. unfelt influence OF Alr.
Thomas success in Cincinnati is broader than
chat which will bo illustrated in the musical fes-
ivals, conventions, and reunions in. the future,
It Will extend at once to church music, school
singing, operate and orchestra performances.
The American people have no, reason to depend
upon the personal; capnccs Of foreign
artists and the. selfish interests Of for
eign, impresarii !. for their operatio and
orchestral entertainments, as they have always
done II the past. There is good material in this
country which only needs proper direction and
Development to supply the notable wants Of our
public musical entertainments: In the opera.
tor instance, the managers find it necessary to
transport their chorus and the nucleus Of an or
:hestra in their excursions throughout the coun- /
~. The result is, that these features are usu-
lily meagre, and the performances lack the COM
'leteness aud harmony which should be the pri-
nary consideration with the manager and public.
/ star singer cannot compensate for the bald
less Of the accessories and half-a-dozen good
layers cannot control whole orchestra: Yet
here is no reason why every city It the
izo Of Chicago, Cincinnati, st. Louis, Nilwau-
zee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or other places
'hich aro visited BY the opera troupcs, should not
ontain good orchestra aud good chorus, and
ven gentlemen and ladies entirely competent to
IL the minor parts 'of operatic casts. There is
Material enough in every enc Of these cities to
urnish these accessories, and that it has never
cen brought out is the result OF the coreless,
Ip-shod practices Of local mnsica1 circles, and
be lack Of severe discipline and proper ambi-
on. The population of our American cities is |
omposite, and all Of them contain variety OF
lusical talent and ability which, under proper
ontrol, would provide the very requisites that
r popular musical elements 1nck. There
luuId be in Chicago and, Cincinnati a sfandinn ]