The New York herald., 1874-11-18
A N q s E N e N T s.
Academy or Music-verdrs Messa di
Requiem.

opera 10 saLlSY OemAuuS OI some O Ills
patrons, who wanted to hear the last work OF .
maestro endeared TO them by the most melodious
works OF the present day. and the conductor, Sig
nor Muzio, to whose Intelligent and unremittine
cndeavors much OF the excellence OF the perform
ance Is due. The sooists last evening were Nile.
Alice Maresi, soprano; Miss Annie Louise Cary,
contralto S'gnor Carpi, tenor; Stgnor Flortni,
basso. The chorus and orchestra were very large
In numbers, we'll balanced and had evidently
emerged In thorough condition from long. severe
course OF training. Judging from the general ef
feet OF their portion Of the work 1t compares
very iavoraby with some OF the best oratorio per-
iormances we have had in this city. The solosts,
although they also had passed under the critical
eye OF Muzio, were not 80 successful. Miss Cary was
admirableln In everything she undertook In the mass,
ana added another wreath to the dozen or she
has been placing aside for the last two or three
years. Mile. Mares did not succeed In many par
ticalars In portraying the highly dramatic music
sang smoothly and witlout a naw, and Signor
Fiorlnl was utterly ineffective. There Is some
thing to he considered Dy vocalist IN the render
ing Oi such q work as O Requiem besides the gilt
ter and tinSel OF the stage.
The mnoral service Of the Catholic Church, ex-
empihed III Its Requiem Mass" Is OF unusual
solemnity. No English translation can do ade-
quate Justice 20 the actual suomly OF the ritual,
Domino" to the hnal ."Libera Me-" The
''Dies lrn" Is poem OF fifteen stanzas, each OF
WnlCn Is u WOuel In lG3el. mo WOTkb OI the Two
great minds VINO have essayed the task OF photo
graphing the words OF the Kelule m in fitting
musical colors stand pre-e to the present
day. he requlems OF Mozart and Cherubni are
now without anything that may be placed on
terms Of equality win them. although widely
dIsslmilar In character and treatment. Scores or
composers have entered the same field, and few
nave quilted IL even VITA creuit. Verdi Is the
newest conner, and much was TO be expected from
genius and fertile expedlenis In aught
pertaining to dramatic enect: Now there
the :Dies irR,' in when all the tremendous
the valley OF JenosOpnat, Is described In the most
thrilling manner, with the fearful prayer OF
the Christian, tine despair OF the wicked, the awful
earthquake and rendlng asnnder OF the frame
work of creation the coming OF the Judge, the
sound Of the archangels trump. the opening OF
the books and the thousand ana one incidents OF
that day, such as Michael Angelo once depicted
Mozart, as became his chiidlike. tender nature
and the calm majesty ol his musical SOUL wroLe
music TO this theme which seems ike o grand PIC
ture that with the ADDED light Of competent
execulants, ike what Raphael would have I'M:
Intensity OF expression OF CheruDlnl revealed an-
eT ne purely dramatic side Of the picture goes e
an extreme. We doubt very much If IN any OF his
operas can pe found such truly sensational effects
The composer seems not to nave recovered from
! the ''AIda' state or mind when he undertook 70
| pen dirge over his deceased friend. "reminiscences
OF his last opera are very numerous In the mass.
| The best NUMBERS, and those which appeal most
strongly to the musician, are the Requiem" at
mezzo soprano; "Confutatis " bass solo; "Lachry-
mosa." quartet ana cnorus; 0nertOry, quartet,
ana .'Sancsus," fugle ior % double chorus: s s..,,
ana prayerful voices Is exceedingly mOurnful. The
quasi canon "re deceit Hymnus" IS "reminiscences
or the GrcgOrtan chant. AS he theme gltdes into
a beautiful theme for the viOlins wntcn Is inter-
rupted at intervals by the VOICES whispering ''Et
lux perpetual" the movement nows on like
All OF this part Is characterized by solemn lty
and calm befi Lting the subject.
The "Dies lra." commencing with an allegro
O0if1fO in q Ia stormy enOupn
lure the mind the idea OF the last day were 1t
. not Tor the commonplace enecls used. How
different Is the method employed by Cherubfni
Tue charge OF cavalry on battlefield or
thunder storm is suggested to the mind rather
matte yet smacking very much OF the footllshts Is
the attempt TO describe the shudder OF mankind
dramatic enect Is reached when the trumpets call
the dead to Judgment Four on the stage and Iour
dans les com.isses as reply 10 each other ana the
vivid KIND. Jhe outburst OF the voices,
like a response from tue grave, heighrens
basso, .Mors stupebIt." are also very
dramatic. The succeeding number, "Llber
% wor ana very weak non ~ @
mass. trio, lor soprano, contralto and tenor,
"Quid sum mlser." with ve,y peculiar and highly
and claronct and iagotto, IS des late enough to
portray the ledrs OF the CHRISTIAN mind wnen
II. Tnls was given with much expression by
Miles, Maresi anu Cary and Signor Carp.
Inc "Rex tremenQG m0JcStattS," Win It's over
powering enumeration by the basses and the
passionate appeal. 5alva me-" the latter present.
ing the most magnificent enects, moduatng from
key to key. Sc ming TO become more impassloDed
and earnest as IL proceeds until IT enos IN q wall
Tor mercy, are some oil the best thoughts OF the
Milo. Maresl and Miss Cary then sang the duet,
"Recordare," a morceau o. the true Verdi type
ana gem IN lts way The e. tenor enc ~ solo no. nunl
cipal themes OF 'AIda.' was given bv Carpi with
out naw, as far as vocaizatton IS concerned, but
Asctn IA 81
solo, OF the most striking features In the mass,
..Coniutatisn is also based upon "AYda,n and was
came a lovely quartet .Lachrymos;l,' in b, dat
MINOR. In whcn the chorus afterward Jolnetk
mae Of he % ant
The abrupt manner in which It ends in 9 major Is
open to objection.
The otrertory, "Domine Jesu," Is an elaborate
quartet, beginning with q cello obligato and
theme OF rare beauty. There is much Of the
Gounod style OF treatment OF meodlc subject
In this quartet. Its lowing measures and dignity
Of manner inspire admiration. the ''Benedictus"
OF S mass G anas a0sDe ~ M the 40 Hos'as o, e.
the nar sn abruptness OF the phrase Guam olim
Abrahe.n as It spoils the rest OF the part.
stirring, brilliant, we'll constructed and i'm
mensely effective number Is the "Sanctus." The
iugue, with double chorus, Is the most difficult In
meat could be paid to the admirable training OF
Signor Muzio than to say that last evening IL went
sne @ tue
and well marked. This number was heartily en-
cored.
The "Aguus Del,n which Is said 70 have been the
great feature Of the mass when 1t was performed
at Milan and Paris, was also u decided success
last night. We do not coincide In opinion with
those VINO place It above the otncr numbers OF the
mass. II Is ingenious rather than artistic and its
unison passages, with the eccentric coloring OF
three flutes, attract the attention OF those VINO
prefer sensational 10 real musica, effects.
Miss cary sang the mezZO soprano part In the
trio, LUX Gterna,n q great deal OF which brings
10 the mind recolectiOns OF Mcycrpecr, with the
SIKH and finish Of a thorough artist. The end OF
tns remarkable work is very dramatic. II con-
sists oil the "IIbera me, Domino, de morte
nterna," given by the soprano, with the chorus
and orchestra as accompaniment The So
pran0 part requires such intensity OF expression as
w0nid almost demand a Parepa or TietJens,
ana when was entirely lacking In Mile. Mares
The chorus was admirable IN this number. Tue
musical public are indebted to Mr.. Strakosch and
Mr.. MuZio for such representatlon complete IN
the principal parts, OF a work which mas created q
deep Impression aud much discussion on the
other side OF the Atlantic. As far AS
IL NAV be regarded as proper substitute