The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-10
GOUNOD'S MASS.


THE FRENCH CoMrosgn's MASS OF THE SACRED
HEART AT ST. STEPHENS cHURCn..
An attentive audience tnat fairly lliod tho large
Church OF ST. stephen, East Twenty-cignth street,
assembled last evening to hear for the FIRST time Gou
noc's ssMass or the Sacred HoarIh Tho singing was
by tho regular choir, but there WINS In addition horn
quartet, Mcssra DilIcr, Wiegand, Schg ana Bowen.
Mr. Herman Braun vlooncellist; DR.. s. A. Pcarce
was pianist and Mr. Thunder presided at tho organ
Before tho a number OF sacred pieces were gwen
among the elective OF which may be signalizcd
Gounod's "Thero Is a Green Hill Far Away" BY the
baritone, Mr.. +. Oudin; AdaDs' tine '.Canuque dc
Noel" by The robust tenor, Mr.. Romeyu, and an
10 salaiaris Of Donizett. by tho con,ralto, Miss
Municr
new work by Gounod lie always worthy OF critical
attention Tho irnuen Of sacrcd music upon ha
style has been SO In his operas wherever
the subject permitted he has freely ind lsed hit
beat to the devotional as witness the
church scene in Faust. rho announcements Of
by him therefore naturally creates
high expectation, and there mpaticnce last
night at length oil the first part OF tho programme,
which seemed DO made out upon the too generous
basis Of allowing all the leading performers oppor
tunity air their abilities. We should Ike 10 heat
the mass again before giving nnal opinion upon
H., but can sa.elY DO said that although
whole 10 redeem IT'S promise Of exceptional
merit Hard, indeed, II Is TO give novelty to tho SCI
ting OF the Of the mass which nearly every
great composer aud most mediocre musicians OF mod
ern times have trod their inspirations. How to es-
cape lrom tho influence OF Beethoven OF Mozart, OF
Hnyin, not 10 speak OF tho dozens OF other famous
names who have thrown the colors Of their
genius upon ihGso word pictures Of Christian
faith, OF imporng ana praise, is din.
and auIfs ficfu mr.
answered. The cminiscence that scoIns most TO
assert itsclf In the mass Is the lordly ono "
Beethoven, but ~ may DO observed also that Gounods
like many others who long pretended TO dc!y H. is
p ssing under tho influence of tho magician VI
Bayreuih. fnis Is felt In the usc OF tho brass and
the way OF bringing OF SOUND, but II
duccs a strange effect upon loug trained TO the
adoratlon IN thor hearia ihcro IS something pagan
In Wagncrisn, tho cry 10 many GODS nnd not TO ono
God o. many attributes 70 COOS WHO hcca but little.
but VINO DO led with luscious praise, to gods who
may be appeased by thundcrous invocatons. TO gods
WHO beau, but 10 masses Of sound NJ for sense OF
toned cries from tho ncart.. Thus the "Kyric"
Tor quartet and chorus while broad aud dccp la toho
hai not the accent OF implornr 70 be associated with
.Lord have mercy on US, Christ have mercy on u.s."
1t was as though tue singers beloved that II thcy
only called loud cnangh their fir-o God he would
understand und hcod. The "GIoria" which
follows Is tho gem Of tho mass and how
the altcs simply chanting tho words while
organ, plano horns and voloncolio givc tho melody, 10
delicious and ~ mass music strlkingly novel As o
treatment being adopted in thc waltz IN .'Faust."
There IL an Outdoor freshness about tho theme which
would remind one oi rural church procession the
the Latin countries, VITA It's songs and flowers aud
| smiling skies. OF II might recall a procession 10
tho temple OF Cores IN the times when these
were Latin Indeed. Tho "Gratis agimusn Is SUBJ
ducd, but the beauty Is sustained ami u leads up
nnc climax OF masscd sound In Qui scdes al dcrte,dm
I'ityis mfsverc noJis rms "Glori !" concludes IN
brilliant iuguc, not so mastery perhaps us that at
the end Of tho "Ciciou la Bcethovons Mass Ia o. but
| still beautiful measure
The style SUITS the s.Crcdon admirably II Is pitched
In bold, clear tonc OF affirmation, Properly subdued
| At tho passage describing tho death and burial OF
Christ, but a little disappointing In the cx-
| pc3tcd contrast TO DO made ut tho at
| Resmvern' Tho concluding phrases are vol
| but not very strikingy handled. The .,5nnctusn
again ID massive, beginning with iull chorus and
| chcstra In unison. Tue "Bsncdictus" Is rich IN
effect, bat Is not hcarLsufncing. The s.Agnus Dcv
| opens supcrby by the unaccompani chorus and 10
piece OF harmony throughout tho work, IN One,
CLOVIS with color, but at present icel constrained
10 say that as sacred music u Is an experiment The
| rem alton admirable by all the artists whose
| names we have mentioned, and 10 these We NAV add
| Mss Annie j. Boric, the soprano, whose conscon.
tiuus work was material aid 20 tho success
4 achieved. We hope soon " hear the mass arain