New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-09
MUSIC.

AND THEIR MUSIC
ryaox An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or fHE tribune
BosroN, May S.-The Thursday afternoons
concert began with GlucAs overture TO "Iphgenia in
Aulis" conducted by Mr.. Theodore Thomas. The over
ture was played with the very beautiful ending that
Wagner wrote for performance. This was FOL
lowed by "In Native WORTH" most superbly sung by
Mr.. varley. Then came Memberships motette Hear
MY Prayer for sopranosoo and chorus, with Miss Edith
Wynne in the solo part This composition begins IN Men
delssohns usual rreproachable rather uninterestne
STYLE and goes in the until the last movement
"Ob, for the wings OF dove" which is one OF the
most completely beautiful things in all the composers
writings. Miss Wynne covered herself with glory by
her genuinely artistic and soulful rendering OF this gem
OF pure, religious melody We are curious 20 know by
whom the orchestral accompaniment OF this motette
was written. No mention OF 1t is made in the catd-
logue OF the composers works. The original accom-
paniment was for organ alone The next piece on
the programme Gluck's exquisite Che faro senza
Euridce," from "Orpheus," sung with great taste by
Miss Annie Louise Cary Her rich. Incisye contralto
never sounded 10 better advantage than In this wonder
ful melody.
Next came Mendelssohns unfinished oratoro Chris
tus" The work has been given before IN Boston,
It Of the composers posthumous works left I'M
finished q; his death Mendessohn evidently intended
70 be his greatest oratoro the choice OF the subject
the dangerous comparisons such work would be open
going over, IL does. much the same ground that
Sebastian Bach had royalty rod in his great Passion
musics Of ST. Matthew and ST. John all point to the fact
that the composer girdlDg himself for his srandest
effort What little OF the work he able TO finish can
be considered in way inferior 70 Elijah, g. Paul. or
the Lobgesang Some parts Of the work perhaps
superior 10 anything in his choral works with the ex-
ception OF his "Lauda SoD which must always be ac-
counted perfect effort in this class Of compost
on The very beautiful chorus There shall star from
Jacob come FORTH" ending with the old Lutheran choral
VIE sch6n leuchtet der Morgenstern" is certainly
one Of the finest pieces Of choral writing IN ali Men
delssohn. and though it has all the unmistakable
characteristics of the composers STYLE 1t has less OF
that offensive ensuOus weakness and want OF decision
that we often feel in Mendessohn, than any other
OF the lyricaly melOGOus chOruses in the composer
works Mendelss0hn was never man on very large
scale and never a man unsteady Of much force but
his perfection Of style, his thoroughly musical nature
and complete mastery musical form, often
enabled him TO cut respectable figure
IN composing than men OF much more de-
cidcd genius and natural power. There Is
hardly any composer who appeas directly to so
large a class OF listeners and whose music can be 80 I'm
mediately comprehended. Tho stormy Z" turbdo.' or
chorusos OF the people Chrstus,' in no way su
perior TO other things Of the sort Elijah and ST.
Paul They are full OF the accustomed minor chords
unisons and strange sudden accents which have be-
come the small change for ierOcity in choral compost
ton They arc indeed effective and, TO a certain ex
tent dramatic; but how weak and ioisoness compared
with similar choruses in Bach and Handel They
we're giants very truth, land 1t we're hardly fair TO
compare Mendelssohn with them, the identity
OF subject matter did not force comparison
upon our mind. The chorus, Daughters Of Zion
weep for yourselves" Is gem in It's way and the hna
choral for male voices He leaves his Heavenly Portals
is very effective from its rcn full harmony. albeit the
low register in which IL is necessarily written takes
away much Of the clearness and decision that We in
Tor Mai choral Ovp
in the peoples chorus, Cruelty Him. surprises US
that is, that who generally so careful in the
in which his music fitted the text ~ IcnGessOhn
was should have allowed himself completely TO per-
the prosadica accent Of the words, by the musical
rhythm Of his choral phrase Curiousy enough this false
accent il Just striking in the original German as
in the English translation. The performance Of
"Christus" IN every fine could be- desired.
The concert closed with tho first performance OF
Dudley Bucks i6Ih Psalm, " God Is Refuge" The
Handel and Haydn Society arc much to be commended
for the generous step they have taken toward eucourag
ing our native composers. Before this year OF Our
nrscass musical organz atoms had done the hrst thing
in producing works by American composer. some
wears ago the Handel and Haydn Society did indeed give
some vague signs Of bringing out Mr. Paines Mass N D.
which had already been performed with hlter1E sue
cess in Berlin but the Undertaking fell through from
some cause or other This Winter the Harvard Musical
ssociation led the way by bringing ont Dudley Bucks
overtime to his cantata of THE Legend OF Don MTno
at one OF their symphony Concerts. The Handel and
Haydn Society have followed their lead in
including in their programmes two works Tor
solos chorus and orchestra by American composers,
Jobn r Paine's oratOrio Of "St Peter" and Dudley
BuoKs Psalm Mr.. Buck has shown throughout this
composition such easy mastery over musical FORM such
intimate acquaintance with the way OF handing Doth
voices and orchestra that in hearing his WORK one IN
stinctvey throws aside the condescendng tone OF haf
cornmiseratve criticism that homemade art Is too
W. that afaral Taf
ing 20 the work OF funedged musician, and that the
composition is not merely attempt That II IS great
work we would by no means say The composer himself
would be the last TO lay claim TO such an adjective
What is most grateful 10 Is that tho com
poser has not undertaken 10 DO more than he
can well accomplish. There is in the work
no pigmy mimicking Of Handelian phrases no
modern transcendental grasping at the thunder
in crashing effects" and overdone periods, no religious
sentimental resusctaon OF the vague, mystic cadences
OF the old Italian church writer's Mr.. Buck has evil
IDENTIFY written right on the spirit and inspiration Of
the moment moved him. Marked originality, or even
marked individuality seen little of IN the work II
be besettng trait noticeable IN this psalm,
in some other Of Mr.. Bucks work. Il Is rather graceful
pleasing than a strong lone, namely tendency TO
rich. sOnOrous mOduatng chords OF the seventh in
preference TO the stronger more vital natural sevenths
OF the key. Mr.. Bucks chOruses often graceful TO
fault the outlines flowing so softly rounded, that
they sometimes lack slItuSu utc4hlOu 1cl ~
hardly be turned to reproach, that who evil
IDENTIFY born TO graceful should ne cOnened 10 exercise
his innate power Of pleasing instead OF aping strength
that he does not perhaps, possess On the contrary
is even pleasant to find man nowadays whose tech
meal knowledge and artistic training would enable him
10 make "a imposing and terrific mock-thunder as any
musician alive, and who nevertheless, is willing TO
forego all gories OF crushing annihatng effects"
and write music quietly within the limits OF his own
powers Ia OF the more brilliant passages OF the
psalm the music has, perhaps rather operate tang"