New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-09
THE GREAT MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

THE HANDEL AND HAYDN sOCIKTY's SUCCESSFUL
INSTRUMENTATION LAST JUDGMENT
-RossiNfs " SIABAT MATER y" THE DEUCE
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE.
BosToN, May 1.-THE Festival so far has
been great success in every way None of those mani
fold misbaps to which festivals peculiarly liable
have as yet occurred the weather has kept the
singers threats in good order and nothing more serious
than an occasional slight Observation-Disclosures rather
TO sustained than TO cOldshas been noticeable
in any Of them Even Slgnor Campanini has not
found it necessary add 10 his reputation
as n great tenor by having recourse to that
sore throat without which tenor has hitherto been
thought complete. Thus no accidents have happened to
the Handel Haydn sociey's programme, which has
been carried to the letter One cannot but applaud
the excellent Judgment shown by the committee in the
whole affair. Tle only possible mistake was hay
ing the Ninth Symphony in the afternoon, and the
Manzon Requiem in the evening Of the Same day. The
fatigue caused by singing the choral parts OF the Sym
phony (prObaby the most taxing work In exstence)
somewhat noticeable in the chorus in the evening
But with this exception the chorus nave stood The hRrd
work surprisingly we'll
The Festival record up to date, stand follows: On
Wednesday evening. spohr's Last Judgment" and
ROssini's " Stabat Mater"
The former work practically to orr public 1t
was first given in Boston by the Handel and Haydn
Society 1872 and repeated seven times the last
performance being In 1874 1t was then laid upon the
shelf and has been given since, until the present
Festival. SpOhr wrote TWO OraOrios on the same
theme; the earlier one bore the title: "Das JGngste
Gerlcht," and given once In Erfurt and once In
Vienna in 1913 1t is now wholly forgotten, and,
TO trust the criticisms passed on in Its day. deservedy
So The second work is entitled Die Letzten DiDge,"
and belongs to much later period OF the composers
Ife 1t Is unfortunate that the English title corresponds
so exactly the original OF the earlier work Be
SIDES being liable lead people TO cOnfOund OratOro
with another, "The Last Judgment" Is not an espe-
ciaiiy fitting title 10 the later one. The work
has little do with the punishment Of tue damned and
the terrors ofudgment The text IS for the most part
taken the mOrejoyful pages of tho apocalypse the
reward OF the blessed the eestases OF the Heaven
and the Earth the eternal beattude Of them that
die In the lord, are sung In It.
The historical interest OF the work is great.
Up to the time when Mendessohu brought out his
1T. Paul." SpOhTs Last Judgment" was looked
upon almost universally the strongest OratOro writ
ten since Haydns Creation" One wonders a little
now at hearing what praises heaped upon 1t forty
or fifty years ngO II cannot be called strong work in
any sense. spOhr not the man TO write a strong
work IN any form, lesst Of all in so large
a one as the OratOriO His was, perhaps, the
n.ildest genus that ever sought expression In
music The most easily graceful and tender melody,
softly sensuOus chromatc harmony, delicate, but
often cOynG in It's sweetness, were the elements IN