New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-27
,rIIs7c AND THE DRAMA.
,,,o coCIErY-YALLEGRO.

4 r-,hsrs and enthusiastic in 'e c.., Aha
& q ..ure. by the chorus OF tne oratorio 60, D.
,shsatra OF the Symphony Society anu mas. Ond
ia Miss whinDery, Miss wmant' MI io'u' ""N
4 ~. Henschel. ne, -. al, ot |
4 !, Isssps secuiar compositions is quite unknown
3 - ynSaad except for the " Messiah" which
!. 100 almost always given at Chrlstmas-"ue'
~ .av be- said that our puDho
s..nv unfamiliar with Handles music, ana
ss.;.y with the secular part of 1t, for the per-
8 sr-..rces of these works Of his have been Few.
"a s.va occurred only at long intervals. Acis ana
$500. y was sung few weeks ago at CblcSerng
S.n ~ \ Harlem society, and the lode on St.
r..,.ss,s Day, formed part of the programme
= recent Brooklyn Philharmonic concert;
"a sor these exceptions we cannon reoaii
- late performances OF any OF flanders VOTES
! ~, than the Messiah" Accordingly LAi'e,
80 was great surprise to the larger part
e ~ nnblic which listened to the two perform
=. - tba ()rstorio Society on Friday afternoon.
Snd Iast evening, and in some wise reVeia'on'
m. Handel whom we had here was wholly di1-
1870 he;na from the Handel whom 1T had
( srovn onlv through his religious works. 1t was
/. eenius. sometimes bright gay and playful
sssiu tender and melancholy. al the strongly con-
lrsssd sentiment of Millions poem inspired hm'
hut always something new and unfamiliar. Inc
bc-m was the same-somewhat Anticipated
And formal, and employing always tne
s.m;,;ar eadepces, but the spirit was an alto
ether different one Of course, this was all natural
snonsh. but still it seemed strange to ma
me genius who Ia won't to move us 80
neeply by the majesty ana oighi'y
81 his religious sentiment. unbending Ike any
other nertal and becoming as bright and mirthfni
and eherful az the lightest of 1t was this which
L 20 fhA
not its least but the beauty OF the
music Tent the greatest one. Milton's words,
hs they are arranged In the cantata afford series
bf striking contrasts aud give admirable oppor-
unity for strong oppositions of grave to gay, OF
which Handel has been quick to avail him.
helf. The opening recitative, Hence. loathed
MELANCHOLY" quickly followed by the other,
.Hepce. vain deludng Joys,D strike the keynote
!. pf the whole of the first two parts The third
mart. added by Charles Jennens, in praise OF
+ Moderation, lacks the strong and dramauc
soloring of the other trio and Is the least interest
hg of the three though there is no falling OIL In the
beauty of the music. The character OF the work 49,
IN the "HAllegro" parts. bright. spirited and Wig
orous and in III Pensieroso" of tender and pen
i've sweetness "n Moderate" is graver and more
rebate, yet very tame.
Handel has given By far the greater part OF the
work TO the solo voices, and has made the part of
The choirs comparatively unimportant, that 49, as
,ompared with what he has gwen 1t to
10 in his sacred oratorios. For there are
no such choruses as the "Hallelujah" or the
treat "Amepn in the Messiah" or the ire
heudous double choruses in " Israel in Egypt"
beyeral af them, such as 80 Haste thee, Eymph" and
Come and Trip Ip are merely echoes OF solos
which precede them. and others OF them
IRE short So that there are only three
" four of any magnitude. what there
vas for it to do however the chorus did excellently
IN the whole. The work was not highly finished
indeed, it is not apt to excel in this drectiOn-and
there was some uncertainty in the attack but 1t
with spirit and vigor. and with plenty of swing.
and some of the piano passages were capitaly done
Df the solo singers so much good cannot
be said None of them, save Mr..
Henschsl. seemed at all at home in HandePs
musio. or familiar with his style 1t
REQUIRES almost an especial musical education to
ing Handel properly and it was quite evident that
with most of them this was entirely lacking. They
seemed like people masquerading in borrowed
and ilLftting clothes After Mr.. Henschel,
who gave a splendid rendering Of the bass air,
Mirth. admit me of thy crew." and who sang the
recitative. % Mountains, on whose barren
breast with manliness and vigor. and
with fine dramatic force. Miss Whin-
merry and Mr. Toedt were the best, though
they we're long way behind him. Mr.. Toedts
pleasant voice and good method lent them
selves readily to the Handelian style. and
Z he sang the aria, :" Haste thee, Nymph."
with force and spirit, and in the lovely
Eciliana. Let me wander not unseen" he dis
played excellent taste. Miss Whinnery sang care
fully and with expression, and Miss Winant
who has not much to do, sang bel
music nicely enough. But Mrs. Rosewald wa
in Harry Ia D0f
her method-if she can be said to have one-is bad
she sang shockngly out of tune, and she had no
caught the spirit of the music. 1t was not HandeP
kauit If so many of the soprano arias were in
affective.
The accompaniments used last night were thos'
added by Robert Franz Handeps orchestra was
small one and the work he left it was scored only
Tor strings, oboes and bassoons with the flut'
In one number and the trumpet in two Others
khe horns in one more. and the organ Several O
the numbers have only figured bass. Franz ha
filled up the score, adding clarionets. horns
trumpets and kettle-drums, after tn
Fashion in which sIr. Thomas made tn
additional accompaniments to the elm feste burg
cantata described recently in The TRIBUNE I'll
has done his work with the utmost care and IN tn
70 alter the character Of the music has made possbl
% perform It with the modern orchestra There is n
orchestral prelude to the work. Handel being in tn
habit OF prefacing it with one or anothe
81 Lis own instrumental compositions. ID
Damrosch introduced it last night by movement
from one of Beethovens gu articles, the propriety
which was not obvious. IL would seem as thong
there must be plenty Of HandePs own must
available for the purpose, and 1t Is hard to agre
with the programme, which characterized it as
- feicitous ideao Tho orchestra played smoothly
and word Of praise must be accorded to MI. WE
hers aute obgato In the soprano aria. Sweet birt
That shun'st the noise Of folly"
STAGE DECORUM.
The London AfkesGrm 10 in distress because Nj
Booth. in presenting Othello" has omitted the dir