The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-19
Opening Night Of the Cincinnati
May Musical Festival.
Brilliant Audience, FineWeather,
Magnificent Music,
And All Things Working To-
gether for the Success of the
A Great Undertaking.

An the long bright spring day, bland as
uammer, with its soft south breezes, yester-
day. the thronging crowds gathered to the
a1sy, decked with the bonny tricolor of the
Rational bunting garlands of evergreens
md banners everywhere; pictures of Mo-
1rt and Beethoven and the other great
kehts of the musical world in all the win
aows, and enthusiasm and hospitality in
svsry house and thoroughfare. Last night
AEpund the gorgeous Temple of Music
voaoAsafed as by the conjuring wand of
Reuben Springer Aladdin, was, indeed. a
meme of almost Oriental enchantment As
the hour of opening the concert ap-
psoached, the hurrylng carriages began to
swarm in long lines from every street until
the immediate vicinity of the great hall re-
pambled the approaches to st. James Palace
en the night of the Queens drawing.room
q the "Avenue del Opera" on the coca
Han of ball at the Grand Opera under the
psign of the late Napoleon. Street cars in
spdless procession drove up Elm street and
unloaded before the door, and the side
walks were crowded with the gathering
hosts. all hastening to the opening festival.
Inside the vast temple the scene was even
moro magnificent Auditorium, balcony,
gallery and lobies all were thronged (the
audience numbering not far from 1000 per-
sonsA before the graduated benches of the
tass. When the orchestra was seated the
sight was one to be remembered for life
tbms. At the LETT the brightly costumed
>,to choristers were placed while the no
less beautiful sopranos like the petals
e q huge pansy, stretched to the right
With the seberer male members in the CEN
tsk
In the center and seated on the level of
Ne stage were t e musicians and Iheou0re
Thomas with his magic baton on crimson
hais at the point. Throughout the hall the
display Of superblY-dressed ladies was
magnificent No such an audience was
eyer seen before in Cincinnati. Silk and
hrecades and oriental fabrics and satin
md cashmere and other exquisite stuffs in
dazzling confusion of elegant costumes
vere eyeryw here. Diamonds glittered like
Mar beneath the blaze of the chandeliers
md beauty that dazzled the eye wherever
Cincinnati may we'll be proud of this
Suspicious opening night of her great fesli-
~ apart from any consideration of the
musical portion of the entertainment,
which, like q jewel of purest water, was
brightened-if such were possible-by so
(hir q setting.
THE INTERMIssIoN PROMENADE.
In the intermission the vast throng ol
Ali AL LII.
eorn swarnted into Floral Hall, that had
keen specially decorated for the occasion
with great blanks OF booming plants
Salms and other tropical shrubbery. Tne
cascade poured its silvery spray adown its
lsdse Of rocks, pencils of colored light tint
nd the silver radiance If the crystal water.
With ruby and garnet aud amethy st, anC
ne roses and gorgeously variegated leavec
plants and ferns and reaginellas contrastee
iheir rich efeen with the warm sienna O
the tanbark floor when the football OF the
promenaders fell noiseless. At either enc
q the hall were the refreshment tables
With ices and cool drinks that the crowe
partsok of largely as they discussed en-
husiastically the exquisite music to Whicl
tAey had just been listeners.
THE MUSIC.
Promptly at 7:30 Mr.. Theodore Thoma
noanted the stage, and few seconds after
wards the Musical Festival of 1880 was il
fnA blast The opening work was fron
Zach, the cantata "A Stronghold Sure,
adapted for performance by Mr.. Theodor
1honas and introduced by an organ pre-
hsde composed for the purpose by Mr
Whiting. The choice of an opening wor
vas very happy, as it introduced the audi
tnoe at once to the chorus, the great organ
tAs orchestra and most of the soIoists. Few
Indeed were there so critical as not to b
pgofnse in praise of every one and every
hing that contributed to what was a
once pronounced brilliant and marke'
uaccesA The power Of the orchestra eve
that Of any previous festival was at ono
npparent, and. for the first time in the his
tpry of. musical festivals here, the audienc
hard q body of orchestral artists able t
weet all the requirements of the great hal
sggan and chorus 1t is an orchestra, too
= which every performer is an artist worth
Il the place he holds. OF the soloists, Mis-
Oary had no great demand on her ability
- for which she is so well known
nirn0r Campanini did not at first conf pre-
kepd the vastncss OF the hall, never havin
isys ago, but he soon measured II
reoniSenents, and met them with all tn
nfhhess and fullness OF his nagnificen
veica Nothing could have been desire
= hin unless it be that he had mastere
~ text and sung his part in English. |
tks duet especially IL hardly seemed th
thiax for him to sing in italian and Mi!
Ghry in English. Mr.. Whitney was sinpl
WIiitney, and more could not be said Z
~. Mis- Norton's score demanded n
eyest work Of her. .'Mozart's Symphony
major, magni6cently rendered, close
- frst part Il was not till this wor
ne reached that the excellence and pows
r. - 6rest srchsstra was fully demon
s1E7IS seeond part consisted Of Handel
~. ndopted by Robert Franz Whs
~ leeted = featurs sf ths Hest