New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-11

and the Tasso" Wagner overture one Of the COM
posers earlier works written. in fact before MS hrSt
grand opera Rienz y played with great spirit and
precision 1t originally intended as the hrst move
mont OF a Faust symphony. but the remaining move
ments were never written and it first published
under its pre- sent title. 1t by OF the
composers strongest works but there sill great
passages in IT, Wagner must have been terribly IN earn
nest when lie wrote II. The cannot be said with
go much certainty OF LiSz"s Tssso. Brilliant ana
effective as the piece is, we can never feel
quite sure. whilo hearing ii, whether List
thoroughly believed in what he was writing. or was
merely showing of. To it is one OF the most superb
bits OF pc gcantmusc that we know. but deeper than
tins hardly goes 1t most superbly played Beet
hoveD's 100 Toned, concise COrOlnus overture every
note of which draws blood has been heard to bet
advantage here and tho lovely Prometheus adago'
so full of ciln heavenly sweetness though it was only
written ballet muscl, made deep impression. Schu-
uGEus great fat symphony, the first Of the mighty
four WAS played with more finish than could rea-
AOnably have been expected from an orchestra all
the rcTsucrs Of which not accustomed to play
together and after only rehearsal 1t is extremely
difficult. Tho performance was, under the oircum-
stances, . positive triumph. Miss Wynne sang Bachs
great song OF rejoicing with.re refinement OF express
sion and sentiment she, however, took the tempo
for the joyful character OF the song MI
Osgocd delighted the audience by his tasteful and
artistic singing OF the Schubert ROmlnza that he could
not escape an encore. The demand was made
upon Miss Wynne after her two rather insignificant
little Welsh songs, to which she responded with
curious little bit nondescript melody, gracefully
companiei the harp by Mr.. lockwood. This latter
gentleman also deserves high praise his exceedingly
artistic playing II the harp oDbigdtO in The Prometheus
adagio.
The evening performance began with repetition of
GcndolssOins "Hear Ny Prayer" The great work of
the day and indeed of the whole festival Sebastian
Bach's great ST. Matthew Passion music. The Handel
andH no for cinr
the first to bring this monumental composition TO
worthy performance. It is indeed no light thing for
society like this to give all the time and labor
to bring out large work in wholly unaocustomed
style the Passion music and OF such immense eChni
cal difficulty, when there little hope of the works
finding general favor in the eyes Of the public. But
hard work was cOn5cientiousy done, and the reward
great as possible. The public were enthusiastic
beyond all hops expectation. The st. Matthew Pas
sion music. like most OF Blchs works, very little
known in Germany until the untiring efforts OF
Felix MendelssOhn and some others turned the public
mud in that direction The annual performance a the
st. Thomas Church in Leipzig was looked upon rather
as religious ceremony than musical entertainment.
The sOcaicd severe" style OF the work and its i'm
tnense technical difficulties frightened away most
choral societies. they took the pains to try
through. which enough. Even after Men
dessOhu had succeeded in bringing the work public
notice. tho performances must have left much
20 be desired. Like other orchestral and choral
works OF the older maser5 the OF the Passion
left very imperfect state byits composer
Bach not TO be sure, rccE'essy careless in writ
lug down his orchestral music Handel But IN
many places especially in tho airs, his Passion was very
scantly scored. This all the to be lamented,
that Bachs exceedingly h0rd and elaborate style made
any filling out Of the Accomplishments matter OF far
greater difficulty than in Uanders case difficult as that
Is For a long while found to do for the Pas
sion what Mozart did for Handles Messiah namely, to
rescOre At last Robert Franz put hIshonlder to the
wheel. and filed ont the orchestral part in so
superb manner to completely throw into the shade
everything the that had been done before him.
The rescOiing OF Messiah did not the whole
reflect great credit upon Mozart who probably did 1t in
a great hurry for parts of 1t very poorly done
But Francs of the Passion is in every way 50 per
feet, completely in accordance with Bach's style
thai easily imagine Bachs having done Ii him
self Franz has similarly filed out the OF
other works OF Bach aud few OF the smaller works OF
Handel IL is TO be regretted that the petty, jealous
squabbngs OF the Handel Society should prevent his
taking some OF Handes larger works in hand such
the Messiah, Israel, and Judas Maccab9us The
Boston Handel and Haydn Society has been of
the first 20 use Franz's Of the Passion. At
the last festival, in 1871, 1t not very fine per
formauce of few of the airs choruses and chorals,
but the selections did not give any adequate idea OF
what the work really This year the society has
taken much holder step and has done its work far bet
ter. The selections given by it do not by
comprise all tHe uncSt music III tHe out tney
least present the story Of the Passion in Its entirety.
Beginning with the grand opening chorus (Which was
given up after repeated trials at the last festival too
dcup the selections included the episode at the house
Simon Leper, the Last supper and the Betrayal,
the first part ending with the duet and double chorus
"Aias lay Jesu is taken" with 1t superb burst
"Ye nghtnings, ye thunders, in clouds are ye van
tshedf'
The remaining numbers Of the first part including the
exquisite figured CHORAL and the first IL numbers OF the
second part omitted. The second part began with
the alto air with violin obbligato Oh pardon me,
Cod" and included the OF Judas returning the
pieces Of silver the rending Of the vail in the temple,
and tho two last choruses The before Pontius
Plate. with its elamorous tbae peoples choruses,
and the famous cry Of Bsrabba the scene OF the
Cruchxion, were omitted AS for the performance we
can only say that 1t surpassed everybodys most san
gune hopes. There were many places ia the airs that
left much TO be desired, but this was unGyoida-
bio. 1t will take ten years before our sing.
have got sufficiently into the spirit OF this music to
sing IT with that freedom which is Indispensable
really fne rendering Mr. Rudolphsen and Miss Wynne
bore of the hOnOrs of the evening Too much praise
cannot be given 10 either OF these artists. Mr. William
Winch sang the extremely difficult and taxing part Of
the Evangelist and the beautiful tenor air with oboe
obbligato aud chorus, al watch with my dear Jesus
away," IN manner that deserves great commentator
and with the most selfforgetting devotion the
Mr. Ees playing OF tho oboe oDbligatO in this air
exceedingly artistic and fine. The other solosts Of the
evening Miss Adelaide Phillips and Mr. Myron W. Whit
ney received marked signs OF commentator from the
audience but seemed hardly at home In their parts.
The choral part OF the work, barring little hesita'
ton in some parts OF the opening chorus, really
superby done The soprano ripienO with its choral, 80
Lamb OF GOd that keeps recurring during tbis chorus
sung with great precision and force by choir or
BOYS placed the LETT galery above the chorus TIE
thunder aud lightning chorus was Iapurously encored
The impression whole work made upon the audience
OF the deepest aud all true music lovers may now
assured that great PsssiOn-nusc has at last
TAX mon