New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-15
A BRILLIANT OPENING.

The day Of the oeuug has been bright and cloudy by
turns but there rain. and from carly hour IN
the morning city busug aud festive appear
ancc strcaners 1diered out Of every window Fourth
st became almost impossible for the crowd. The rail-
ways brought mutItudcs into Town, and the hotels,
after spreading mattresses In every available corner
began 10 turn away people by the score. /
gave witnessed great many festivals Of one
KIND and another but except few Of the
Centennial commemora,ions, l have never seen an
American celebration hearty, general, aud pic
turcsQue s ts. with the c1ubcrant enthusiasm for the
music there il mingled warm sentiment Of gratiiud.
toward Mr.. Springer Tor his suurrD DONATION sober
satisfaction in the brilliant accomplishment 81 great
work. and immense pudc in the hail. need hardly say
that every one OF the 400 seats were sold some
DAYS IN advance, aud when tue hour OF struck
Tonight there must have been about 5000 or
1000 persons in the auditorium, while vas.
crowds ,a the streets and watched The arrival Of the
fortunate audience. 4 large proportion OF both IA.
ladies ana gentlemen ia fun dress IAr ladies' IN
The chorus were prrttly arraycd iu white aud light
colors; aud when 1Lcodor, Ihonas hailed uy burst Of
applause stepped 10 Tie conductors desk the spectacle
was a. glowing and imposing one could wish to see.
Then began first concert OF tle festival anu This
tur Programme:
scanos ron, =, ,Iccsfis -, ...... .Gluck
N'.r. Pappcnhrim, Miss Crunch, MISS Hccslc ur.
Charles Adams Ir. Fr.tscI, MI Ilom. .un, Sia
Tagliapieu1, Mr. Ecmmcilz, Mr. whitney.
Chorus. Orchestra.
Ceremonies 81 Dedication.
FESTIVAL singer
dine. ParponHoIm, NJ Adams Nj. Whitney.
Chorus orchestra Organ.
Symp Iouy NJ. 8, EiOca BccihoVen
Tho frs, selection SCI The key for tue whole festival
Majestic in its simplicity grand AMI serious, yet MI
speakably bright and lovely this wonderful music oI
Gucb's cast spell the Imagination which none OF
the programmes OF the week likely 90 disturb. To
most Of us Glu,E only the shadow Of mighty name.
It true heard fragments u Ms operas
at home and Thomas few pages OF mia Orphcus"
here III Cincinnati at the first festival ii 1873. Bat Of
the fun effect OF that famous dramatic music which
cOnyulsed The world OF hundred years ago. much
Wagners reforms cOnvulsc IL now, know only by
port Ordinary concert selections and Isolated scene,
cannot reproduce r. Passages that, removed from tnrr
proper context, are hard and full OF light
and beauty when we hear them under duc conditions
70 Judge Of "Alcestis" by pieces r. Ike taking bit OF
rock anj handful OF sand a. a sample OF the breezy
sea-shOre. Even tonight when tins great force Of
singers and noble band give synopsis Of The eutirc
work. we do not get an adequate representation Of
Chuck az really is in the absence OF dramatic action,
But Gluck's music does not depend 80 much upon
stage illusions as is commonly supposed. The dignity
Of bis conceptions and drecncss Of ms expires
son, the grace, variety, and pathos OF his melody, his
knowledge Of musical effects, the indefnabie poetic
sense which animates all his wOrk-thcse merits 81
least entirely Independent Of scenic Illustration II
WAS in the famous preface 20 "Alcests" now one Of
Of operate composition. aud land down the
principles which the starting point Of Wag-
nor's much more thorough and revolutionary reform
Wagner holds that deal opera neither poem set 10
music, "a string OF and GeclamaUOrY phrases
furnished with text, but composite OF art, in
which poet composer and decorator singers actors and
band all cooperate equal terms IN The expression Of
dramatic emotion. Tnai this expression may be per.
fectly unembarrassed he abolishes the conventional
aria, duet etc, and substitutes that continuous mel
Ody" which Is neither unIhythInic defamation
a set tune but something between the two Gluck
by no means this length Flo made no essential
change IN the forms OF the conventional aria only he
Topped off its extravagancos; he refused 10 sacrifice
dramatic truth for the sake Of displaying vanity OF
singers and he insisted upon much closer agreement
between the spirit Of the song and the meaning the
words than other composers had thought at all desira
oe The deeamatOry recltatiYe obtained at his hands
an eloquence, an impresstYeness, u richness and
melodc charm OF which nobody before hun had deemed
IL capable. The orchestra gained an impOr-
lance which fOreshadOwed the symphonic orchestra
Of the operas OF Wagner. And new passion
seemed breathed into song The essential truth OF
Glucks theory is proved by the vitality Of his music
Fashions and schools come and 20 composers flourish
and forgotten; Gluck after hundred years Is as
fresh ever If his works longer performed IL
because audiences have lost the taste for them
but because singers degenerate There no opera
houses in these days where artists cultivate pure
plain but passionate and emotional style eXacted by
these lofty strains, where tragic action Is living tradi