New-York tribune., 1875-05-12
MUSIC IN CINCINNATI
OPENING OF THE MAY FESTIVAL.

100 AND A CHORUS or sO0-ADAPrATloN or T'iB
EXPOSITION BUILDING FOR rnE rEsr1vaL-A Sue
CgssPUL OPENING CONCERT LAST NIGHT.
fry TELEGRAPH YRoN A STAFF CoRREsroNDRN7l
CrycrSNArI May ll.-Cinc;nnati has been pretty
sight this bright warm day could wish te The
streets are decorated for great victory Every
pubnc building is hung with banners, strcancrs, and
festoons. The shops both great AMI small as well as
more than half the private houses deckcd with
coors and green wreat.s. A hundred thousand Little
flags Hutter from the Windows and stretch from house
top to housotop Portraits Of the great composers.
framed With evergreen, confront ut turn The
chief avenues adorned they with profuson of
red white, and blue, aud filed with the well dressed and
eood-hulnOred saunteregs who always come forth IN
crowds hodiday occasions. remind you at once OF
fancy fair and Of particularly successful fonth oi
July
Tho Of Theodore Thomas and his trsty chorus.
Master hung the breczcs in front OF
the while the face Of the Grand Hotel 10
covered with eseutcheons bearing the names OF Bee
thoven Wagner Brahms. Mendessohn and the rest The
United States Of America represented by the PoStOfhce
and the Custom house. puts ON gorgeous bravery IN
honor Of the OCCASION hear of citizen who has
decorated sdog To stranger the unanimity with which
the whole city has given itself up to the celebration Is
surprising spectacle The outward show OF fesuvy Is
much more general than it In Boston during the
jubilee excitement and also much prettcr. Nor
ia this to lie accounted for by the strength OF the
German element in the population OF Cincinnati
in bedecklg their shops and houses hat they nave not
taken the lead and the festival IL not In any a
German Americans heretofore have shown no great
aptitude or taste of this kind. and the zeal
with which they have taken ii up Is tho more not'
BILE bocauso cecb entirely frre from the sen
sstona which supposed to be necessary 10
atrnt The multitude Here are no musical cannoneers
and hromcn with anvils stunning effects OF noise
and numbers; no sambaEg and buncOmbe. ts festival
Of high art which rules the sweetest and most cu
waited taste; and. although Cincinnati never had any
musical performance grand scale until TWO years
aro she now presents series OF programmes which IN
many important particulars those OF any prev
American festival.
For th, remarkable development Of musical culture In
the West the credit must be divided among several
pcrsons TLOdoc Thomas, c course. has been the gld
ing olii .ence aud the Of Inspiration The rcntie-
men o. the Festival Committee have done the city ana
the whole West immense service in engaging him. ana
faithfully carrying out his plans and very large share
Of praise must be AWARDED Mr Otto Singer. who. since
ne removed from New-YOrk Cincinnati two years ago
seems found just tho right field for display OF
his remarkable talents He is surely one of the aDest
and most magnetic chorus leaders In the country
His singers will do nythng ia please him. and his popf
larity unboundod Tho chorus drilled uhder his Dan
consists Of 500 sngeTe about 1870 OF whom come from
neiyhboTing towns. The rest belong here ana o' tDo
Cincinnati chorus proper about 300 were members N
the old Harmonic society, all the others being quite new
Tho ,tra consists OF 100 performers. Cincinnati fur
pjshrc "A very few while Theodore Thomas's own band
and the ira men selected by him i'll Newl ork mako up
the rest.
The Exposition building where the performances take
place well adapted such celebration for s ac"uS
tic properties admirable and is easily reached Is
near the central part of city, Is large enough to seat
an audience OF 5000 people. and Is well Ventilated IL
IL not pretty ana attempt has been made to hide tts
stern simplicity. 70 brighten its somber cooring
Drapery and hags would have nterfercd with the sound
There arc spacious apartments. however, adjoining the
halt WIN INNS
inp tho long ntcrmssiOn ON side Tefreslnent
roOu arranged like evergreen bower on the other
il large rotto built with bark and rock work. and cob
tanning miniature lake and fountain
But after n the people themselves are the cher orna
mont OF a place of this kind and by half past seven
O'Clock tho hall, despite s unsish:ly beams and dca1
L,e was d fine sight. The band ia placed in the middle
Of thc stages in one above the other BEHIND ana
above If is the organ On either hand rise ts banks OF
The chorus until they reach above the galeries They
arr separated the orchestra by senieTcuIar phS
parion which acts as a sounding ngboard for the band
and throws its tones with surprising distinctncss
The HILL WAS almost full probably many as 45oO
sat being occupied and it audience OF the most
brilliant quality Many Of the ladies compiled Will the
publc request without bcnnet- AL INC lsuion
able world was present In its best attire.
The programme for this opening concert was as FOL
lows
Triumphied {" Song of Triumph . op So. Brahms
Baritone colo double chorus, orchestra ana organ ~
PART II.
e,lectnas from "Iohengrin wagner
eO.O voices. chorus, and orchestra
II was significant though perhaps an acc'dcht ihu'
cation OF the progressive spirit OF this fesval that 'he
frt yrnme plum ged at once into the conflict oe-
tween tho new and schools OF music, and challenged
a place Of honor for two composers who have usually
been ignored at celebrations or this knd except Id
a few OF the most enlightened cities OF Germany
"Iobeugr 10 be sure. does not represent the most
aggressive phase OF WagIcr's musical Icvoiuton ano
the portions chosen for performance tonght were
those which cultivated listener, however excus'em III
his devotion 10 the old school could fail 0 ENJOY wagner
rnorroyer il no longer lighting for recognition III
this country his popularity with US is already
ssured Erahrns however il almost stranger. lie is
ttte more than forty years OF age. and his youthu
career was much veKod with storms In genius long re
n.iped uuperceived: his strong individuality was ms
taxen for wild eKtrayagsnoo, and hs ferthty was oe
nouncet-probAby with somc foundation OF Jusuoe-as
an inartto excess 1t s only Of late that he has won
the vide r-ct which his extraordinary gifts deserve
His song Of Destiny" his German hequiem' uhS
Z. Song of Triumph" and many OF his smaller "oriS
have ssu welcomed to the most dignhed ana spenoio
COMPANY in the programmes Of European leSu'aS anu
critics and the public beginning u uhuos'au 'u"
here Il poet and musician who has something nc" 10
SIM for Ils though dispute still rui's IA ABOUT HIS o
SONG OF TRIUMPH.
Tho "Trinnphlicd," or song of Triumph" was per
,-oed uuder the COMPOSERS direction about two years
ago at the ffty-hrst festival OF the Lower hie' III V
Lorna If was written 20 celebrate the victories OF the
,nsr arms aud the re. Of the German I'm
,S-c and WAS dedicated " To the German Emperor WI
ho,n The words taken from the 10Th chaptor oI
Peyrlation "Hdellah Praise the i-nrd! u"n"I' ana
roUer and glory God Pcr III righteousness ana rulh
the Lord greth judgment Glory bc 10 UOd All ye is
servants. and ye that fear him. all both humble and
oh fnr