New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-11
THE MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
CLOSING PERFORMANCES.

FIRST TINE IN BOSTON-TRASHr HohDS CNiANO
TO GLORIOUS MUSIC IN " SOLOMON"
[FRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'l
Boston, May 9.-CustOm has decreed that
every musical festival at least every musical festival
given on Anglo-saxon ground, must have socalled
"popular Saturday afternoon programme The con-
cert given yesterday afternoon was one or nose occ
where the performing artists have 1t all their own
way during the week the singers had to lend their tai
ent to Performances OF great works Saturday after
noon each individual singer could choose such numbcrs
as beat served display his her special vocal GIT
Any yet 1t was by no means poor concert
To begin WITH we had Handel's " Utrecht Jubilne,"
given the first time in Boston. The committee OF the
Handel and Haydn Society could not have made nap
pier choice among Handels shorter works than TINS
Jubilate" In the first place. although an occasional
composition 1t shows the composers genius In Its ful
strength and in the next place 1t is one OF the rev COM
pete works Of Handel to which Robert Franz mas
written additional Accomplishments. Handlers score con-
tains parts for the strings and for trumpets Inc US
ual pair of oboes only double the violin parts in certain
passages Except In number) and even the quartet
of strngsi Is complete in the choruses only Franz mas
written parts for second violin and vioo where they
were wanting besides adding parts for two horns TWO
flutes two clarnets two bassoOns three tromOones anu
organ besides remodellng the original oboe parts by
great good luck the original trumpet parts did not have
TO be rewritten is often the case modern In
stuments being able TO play them as written by the COM
poser. FranZs additions are mastery filling up tine
gaps In the IN way that wouldno uouDt nave et
with the composers approval. They are throughout
contrapunta and wholly consOnant with Handlers
style.
The "Jubiae opens with joyful contTato solo ana
chorus In major Nhe heroic key par excellence OF
Handels day., to the words "Ohl be JOYFUL" IL ISL
Handel's most vigorous vein, and leads up to tuGue
on the words "Serve the Lord with gladness." This
number albeit short, Is what contrapunti'ts call
fugato with chOrae and worked up with the greatest
energy. Next comes duet IN minor for conrato ana
bass 10 the words, Be ye that the Lord he Is
GOd"; q wonderful movement in moderate tempo, In
which the two vie with each other in giving ex-
preston TO that deepyfe faith which Is too solemn
for light and unresraned utteance. In this numberW We
sec side OF HaDders genius, the counterpart OF which
we look for In vain In any other composer. It's inc
expression OF the most profound sentiment In wholly
dgnlfed, decorous and even conventional torm Ihere
are few pages music in which is found at once so
much OF the real aud go little OF the outward
form Of religious emotion.
Next comes superb chorus, Obi 20 your way into
his gates" which begins with the most stately solem-
nty and is deliberately worked up without losing one
lot Of It's subhmity Then comes an equally serions
terzet for conrato, tenor and bass For the Lord Is
gracious; His mercy is everlasting"
The work concludes with two majestic choruses In
major, the first a grand cGpcliG movement for the
voices, with elaborate fguration In the accompaniment
and the next choral ugue, such as only Handel knew
how to write, and which works up to glorious eli
max.
The performance was very good In the main, except
that the singers not quito familiar enough
with the concerted numbers to sing them with sure
aplomb.
The majority Of the audience would have enjoyed
the had they not been eager to hear the
miscellaneous part of the programme they Kept their
loud clapping for that.
sgnor Campanini began the long list OF solos with an
aria from verds ia Fora del Destino" which showed
beyond doubt that Verdi, when he really gave his
whole mind to It, could write quite as hidcOus melody
as the most advanced Teuton The singing wns how
ever, superb 1t were ediods 10 go through the whole
list OF things sung; let touch upon only afew points
Miss Tbursby sang Italian birdsonR In the most ex-
quiscly brilliant style; the great duet, "Hon Tg0fr,
from william Tell" was gloriousy sung by signor
Campanini and Mr. Whitney, and had TO be repeated
notwithstanding all regulations TO the contrary. Miss
Thursby was also encored IN the 1ute song from
L'Etoiie du Hord." Sad relate, Signor CampRDni
tried to sing SiegmtIndS Ove-sOng from Pie Waikdre
and showed that he had not the remOes conception OF
the character OF the music; singing 1t great deal to
slow, and ending q screaming high Blat, which said
"Cdnpanfni Jec" quite plainly enough for the whole
audience know that they not listening to Wag
The concert ended with the final "Amen chorus
from Bachs edntdtd per oGnt tempo, " Ich hate cet
Bektmmernss" OF all existing musical settings Of the
word Amen this is probably the finest and grandest
1t may he called finer than the great amen" in the
Messiah" 1t worth going miles to hear, and re-
paid the inveterate Halter OF miscellaneous con-
certs for waiting to the end.
This Sunday evening tho Festival closed with the
first performance in many years Of Handels " Solo
mon."
This oratorio was composed between May and June
IL 174s and was first performed in March, 1749. The
exceedingly time that Handel wrote 1t In accounts
quite sufficiently for the very incomplete condi'
ton in which tho has come down to
u.s. In fact there are few of Handel
adj innp
The work was evidently laid out on an unusually
large pan as the Orchestaton OF OF the choruses
ia very complete there being original parts for string
orchestra with eO parts added in the strong pas
sages) for reeds and two organs dd hoftum, besides
tumpets horns and drums but In many Of the airs tho
harmony has to be guessed from scantly figured bass
Mr. j. Q. d. Parker. OF this city. added excellenty
written clarinet and bassoon parts to I'LL up come OF the
most glazing gaps in the but he might have done
more TO better advantage, for many passages still re-
main IN q lamentable state OF incompleeness. Mr.
Zerrahn wrote parts for trombones and tuba to add
brilhancy to Of the choruses, and his additions
would have been quite satisfactory had he let the
third trombone and tuba follow the bass voice OF the
chorus too closely for good taste in many passages
Upon the WHOLE the score OF Solomon needs thor
ough remOdelnR by some such masterhand as Robert
Franz before 1t can be considered to be In Wholly
worthy shape for performance.
In IL present condition, but get glimpse at
many of its beauties Another drawback is the text
which was written by Thomas MOrell. To be sure no
one ever accused More OF being the least bit OF poet
but he turned out atrocous baderdash than
is to be found Solomon" The following lines give
pretty good Of the general quality OF the verse to
which Handel was forced to write music:
| "Can my infant CORD
With the fierce, relentless swordG
| Can I see him yield his breath,
| Smiling at the hand Of death;
| Aud behold the purple tides
Cushing down his tender sidesT
Would 1t not be well for Euglish.wrtlng poet to
undertake the task Of setting Handers music to decent
yersea Some persous would esteem it quite worthy
| an undertaking as translatlng GOehe's Faust" or
| - nivn [ a