New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-27
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
THE AMPHION SOCIETY OF BROOKLY,

THE AMPHION SOCIETY OF BROOKLYN
The Ampbon Musical Society of BroOklyn, Ia q
male chorus which organized last year and
gave its third concert last night. 1t must rs fifty
voices and to Judge by the number and character
of the people who gathered in the Academy of Music
to hear the concert and the magnitude Of the scale
on which the affair was carried out. 1t must
have generous and enthusiastic pat
rOnage of paying members. The stage
was handsomely decorated with growing palms
and other plants; singers and ushers and large
proportion of the audience, we're in evening dress.
Admission was secured only on invitation. The
social feature of the concert thus shown to DO
an important one but the engagement of forty IN
strumental musicians the selection of Max Bruch's
Scenes from Frithiofs Saga as the chief num-
Der of the programme, and the securing Of capable
solo talent gave it real artistic merit.
The cantata was given its nrst performance here in
English at this concert and was nearly unknown 10
local conccrt-goers. A. its title indicates. It 10 set
ting of selections from Bishop Tegners famous
poem. The scenes chosen by the composer are the
return of FrithiQf from his voyage TO the FARGO
Islands, where he compelled tribute from tho Jarl
for the brothers of Ingeborg; the bridal procession
at the marriage of hgebOrg to Hing Ring the burn
ing of the temple of Bladder by FrithiQf
TO ayenge the wrong done him; tho Danish
ment of IrithiQf; and, finally, the song 81 himself
and his crew. after they adopted the life OF tho
Vikinga. These are some of the most dramatic and
thrilling of the episodes IN Tegncrs poem. bu' they
do not round out a story. and it is not PLAIN why
Herr Bruch should have chosen them and no other
for musical composition They begin the action of
the legead in the middle and leave it suspended.
The music is beautiful III parts, especially the
orchestration, but it gives evidence throughout
that Bruch's best grasp is on tho
lyric. rather than the dramatic element of tho
poem. Asa whole however, the music bTc1thes
the deep feeling of melancholy which is ST. charac-
tcrstic OF Morse music and Morse poetry and makes
one fancy that its inspiration was found IN the
shadow of the frowning hcadlauds of Scandinavia,
ana the roar of the dark waters mt their feet.
Mr. C. Mortimer Wiskc, the director IT the So
cietV and his singers merit CONGRATULATIONS Tor $40
smrit correctness and beauty with which they IN
trrpretcd the work Tho orchestra was necessarily
so large that the usual numerical relation between
singers and inStrumentallSs was disturbed. nut not
with III effect Almost the only exhibition o. weak
ness was in the first tenor voices when ianed 10
maintain balance with the other parts. Mr.. Ivan
r Norawski sang the part of Friti0t, and Miss
Ghrs,inc Dessert that OF iDgebOrg-hoth acccptably
in T,st Of tho procraInmo consisted OF In" Artl-
Ierist's Oath" by Adam; ChOPins Polonalse. Op.
o5i nlavcd by NJ De Motto Wood '0ck with orcEes-
trol arcompanimcntl; scTenade, " Dearest. Awake"
hv Sforch the dact. " Ii Pall0r funrSto,' from
~ ucia" Miss Dessert and Alr MorawskiG and
" He's the Man by Ioellncr.