New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-19
TTE CINCINNATI FESTIVAL.
FIRST DAY.
zee CHARACTER OF THE FEsIlNALS-O"On
MOZART-HANDEL.

,., .r,vr ooRREepoNDRNT OF TIE TRBUEE.l
C,yc,NNArI May 1s-Whatever effect the dis
ords in the College of Music may have had upon tne
fortunes of the school. they seem to have had none
mon the Musical Festival. This institution
wholly distinct from the college. and 1t opens to-oay
in the midst of popular enthusiasm quite aS greaU
astbat of 1878. The houses shops and public
r;ldinos are decked as usual with flags and stream
era. The streets are full. The hotels are crowded.
Thara ia general air Of hustle and
oxc,temant. and the success of the present
celebration promises to be more brilliant tnan
that of any previous year. 1t certainly ought
to be, No American musical 1estlVai mas
ever been held with such ssupendous
programme, such noble forces ana sucn
comn,ete preparatiou. The chOrus-six hundred
stronpis no larger than that of two years ago. but
II has been more carefully selected 1t has had the
ADVANCE of much more personal direction from
Theodore Thomas than its predecessors couiu
obtain. 1t is of superior quality. and
IN b;ob training The orchestra is by far the finest
and largest band ever collected in America for the
performance of any serious work. 1t is said IN the
official programme books to consist OF about lou
nieces. but in reality it counts over lou
men and still greater number of instruments Ine
first yiolins amount to twenty'six AS all the play
ers-iOO from New-York and the rest from Cinon
natl have been long under Thomass commanu'
Won NAV imagine how magnificent Is their Vone' NJ"
perfoct their attack and how fine thelr e1presS'o
AT the appointed hour of half-past z thiS evening
Tho audience were in their places every seat IN inc
go. bo,l bein0 occup,ed and hundreds of persons
standing Promptly on the minute Theodore Ihom"S
mounted the stand. If there had been any
1onbt about the popular feeling toward
him in Cincinnati, it must have Oeen
dispelled by the demonstration "h'cH
Greeted him. There was clappinG ana cheor-
ing and shouting; and when he had acknowledged
the compliment with usual cOmposure ana decorum'
he gave the signal, and the Festival of 1880 began
with Mr.. George Z. Writings organ prelude TO the
Bach Cantata, " Enc Feste Burg"
The Cincinnati Musical Festivals have not
only shown q steady progress IN artlstic
imnortance but each of the series has had
distinct character of its own, hard to define per-
hans but nevertheless unmistakable. The hrst,
An 1873 was experimental and the programmes
embraced large proportion of incomplete selec-
4ions Ichtness and variety being regarded then as
of nrime consequence. At the second In 1870.
the "Triumphal Hymn" of Brahms, the "Magnlhcat
Of Bach. and the "Choral Symphony" OF Beeth-
oven were balanced by works of highly melOdl-
Gus and brilliant STYLE such as the selections from
"Lohengrin" and the "Valkyre." the oratorio OF
"Elah." and LISTS "Prometheus." In 1878
when the great hall was dedicated, the whole les
tiya was properly set in specially bright and dgnl-
fed kew. The performance of Gluck's " Alcestis,
with which the first concert opened gave the tone
for the week. All the programmes were distin-
puished by nobility of sentiment united with the
utmost grace and richness of expression. This
wear ia devoted to still higher strains. The pre-
dominant influence is religious grandeur. Bach's
imposing cantata "Ene feste Burg" declares
the character of the festival at the very begin
ming and the elevated tone Is admirably sustained
until climax is reached in Beethovens " Mlsss
Solennis," which will probably mark the highest
point attained by any American festival. Only
once is the long transport of solemn exaltatlOn III
teuupted. That is on the evening set apart fol
the performance of the prize Cantata. But MI
Bucks work. although highly dramatic is conceived
in religious spirit which accords with the
preyailing sentiment of the week and
the grand heroic phrases of the "G0tterdamme-
rupgo selection which follows 1t will seem by nc
means out of place. Here we shall have the effect
of brilliant contrast without disturbing the gen
eral harmony of the scheme; and then for the last
night the " Missa Solennis will come again will
grander Accomplishments than before. Altogether
the plan of the festival is mastery. and each sepa
rate programme is a work of art
The selections tonight were as follows:
Cantata "Eine feso Burg. s. Bacl
Miss Annie b. Norton, Miss A. l. Cary: sigpor
Campanini, Mr.. hi. W. Whitney Chorus Or
chestta Organ
Symphony in major c'Jupiter .Mozar
o'r1 Miss Az Cary. Mr. Fred Harvey, Mr. NJ. W.
whitney. Chorus, Orchestra, Organ.
The cantata composed for the second centenary
of the Reformation, is one of the strongest Of
Bach's shorter works. and one Of the most remark
able for the ingenuity and variety Of its interna
structure and the richness of its cOunterpoint. Bu
1t has all the effect of grand simplicity. for the com
plexity of the style is forgotten in the unity of tn
idea. The famous choral. known as Luther
HYMN, was often used by Bach. and in this cantat
he gives it what may be called Its standard form
1t il not merely introduced into the cantata, but
forms the entire substance of the work. L. tn
elaborate opening chorus the theme appears at frs
Gin disguise, a phrase constructed upon the oil
hymn being taken up by the voices in four-par
imitation and the melody proper entering after
while, with reeds and trumpets, in the orchestra
accompaniment. In the second number, sOpran
and bass duet the variations upon the original me
tive are still more intricate and brilliant Ii is nc
until the 9th number is reached that the hymn
sung in its authentic shape and then 1t Is carrie
by all the chorus in unison, with long interruption
between the phrases, and tremendously 1Ori
orchestral accompaniment, which fills the gaps an
surrounds the voices with the richest figure wOrl
Finally the hymn asserts itself over the varIOu
motives which have been developed from it, tn
orchestra ceases, and the chorus, c0ntraDuntall
harmonized, gives the majestic air alone.
This cantato. like most of Bachs other works, hi
come down to us in a very incomplete state. III
common editions give the merest outline of an a
compartment We do not know exactly how BAG
filled up this frame. He supplied harmony hin
self on the organ but this was not all. The r
searches of the Bach Society Of Leipsic have led
the discovery of sundry orchestral parts-trumpe
for example. and instruments OF the hautbc
family-the existence of which was unknown unit
recently. There may have been moro which a
now irreyocably lost. Even with the latest r
visions. the execution of the published score rs
Ia- :. ........il,lA trhrna Of tim nnmhera hay