New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-20
MITSIC IN CINCINNATI.
r or THE NAY FESTIVAL.

Thursday afternoon. made grea. -. Tho
NJ II does everywhere. In seVerai pa, ..-,rc-
arrangement differed from our own III, 80
.;oo and FIRST scene of Rhine-Gold" ana 'l,o SCI a
49,. 49, tom "siegfried" omitted "nu
w. otbor snec;mens of the Nibelung ,rnvss
-. 80 rrsceded bv the " HudigungS ha,o ,,+;
~ ,r.Ipde 70 "Lohengrn," and ~ ~
e., -. of r,eces from the "Mel-'eiS-
=, which Mr. Candidus with Nalthe' ,1r;obtad
"a Mr. Henschel with Pogners auoi'' ~ heir
ms nv their close sympathy Win ,ie tIscbel also
INTELLIGENT effective delivery M aud did
- wotan,s Fare well in 'Ihe N"AH ,,terna
:. .,ooh better than Slgnor Uai"S'' ~ prun-
oin showed herself the one lno0'f re ,o;ssed
,s,, ,i,o the house as by Storm IL 80
hlde' car orchestral effects for wh'n
81 ~, yorL nerCormarce VIII long be reneuDoi
80 iufer;or,tv was neutrality-suspicious. only-n eno
80 IS Tho hand. The deep poetry ana spiehui" a.
20 .ho;r NJ wing were faithfully repeated anu '
losoortainlv gained much from the reduce a.
.La1ou In the evening we had wonderIui per -.
once of Schubert's Ninth SYMPHONY anu 80
ond notably cheerful concert closed "i'n wv -,
g.. - S.bnmann's Faust" The scenes WIN"
tba counoser illustrates here are TAKEN h'1i ~,
Tnlorue of the second part OF GoetheS ooVi ",
vision of the Anchori es, the Olest spirits VI -.
The circling chOirs of angels, the reoeeIou p-n
-. md the final chorus Mysticus. How wen
Sch entered
A. world has long known. Whatever may NC
-. 80 tho other portions of the work, IN TINS
sision At least the genius of the composer appears
:: &c HIGHEST and most poetical Development
While the character of the music Is mys'ical AM ''
4echu1cal difficulties are by no means sight ~ "
elegant and so clear IN form, It's melOuioS "i0 .,
contivating and so fluent, its rhythms are 50 "o.i
marked. that, like some OF MendelSsonns
nusic il almost seems 10 sis ''
The solos. which not so often SET airs as SUI
.,assooes interwoyen with the chOruses, were en-
trpsted to Mrs Osgood. Mr.. Toedt, MI hehscIei'
Az Whitney and Mr.. Sullivan and one or TWO olhe'
CinoiDna1i singers. And Of their work, as well as
+bot of the chorus and orchestra can say what L
have said of nearly every performance tins week
tbat II was finished and sympathetic. Aier the
raat things of the previous days this elevated out
;n;ritablv graceful music refreshing COLI
+Iast. .4 &c
Al the matinee to-day there was charming set OF
.elactions from "Euryanthe the overture 'io
famous tenor and soprano solos and the me scela
for baritone Candidus. Mrs. Osgood ana mems mel
we're all admirable In these numbers ana IL was
rare treat to hear such music interpreted by artists
orchestra and conductor VINO all uhueIS'oo" ~ W."
what they doing.
Tbo close Of the festival this evening drew an i'm
,oanse crowd and the announcement made by
Theodore Thomas in the course of little speech oI
thanks and congratulations 10 the chorus that an
other celebration would be held in 1854 and that
Mr. Arthur Mees his excellent chorus leader had
been reengaged, enthusiastically appiauoeu'
The first part Of the programme ncluied the prize
composition a setting of the 46th Psalm, by MI.
w W. Gilehrist, of Philadelphia. With the rest OF
the selections New-YOrk Is so far acquainted
that | need not speak OF then. MI
Gicbrist has written his psalm for
Of soprapo solo which hardly appears as an indie
pendent aria. and yet has a wel-marked theme and
individuality The plan of his work is good, and
so Is the general construction, the whole showing
clear purpose and skill IN weaving many varied de-
tails into consistent texture Mr. Gilchrst has in
ventive faculty also, and The melody with which
the solo voice first enters Is charming and fresh
His defects are those which time and practice will
correct The choral parts excessively difficult,
and not really vocal, so that some OF
the effects. which seemed plain enough
on the printed page, proved to be IN
sttanable in the performance. The orchestral COL
ornp is nonotonous aud lacking in delicacy and it
!; in large part owing to his defective handling of
the instruments that he has only hardly obtained
the grand crescendo effect which be evidently in
tended But whatever the difficulties Of the work
they did not appal the chorus. he entire psalm was
sung with fine spirit and vigOr, and when the com
poser was led upon the stage the members OF the
chorus were the most enthusiastic in applauding
him. Mrs Osgood gave the solo with great purity
of voice and beauty of exp ression.
II has been a better festival than any of its Gin
oinnati predecessors-more remarkable IN the ma
fure of the works presented and more symmetri-
cally beautiful in the manner OF their execution.
As look back now over the incidents of the week
am more than ever impressed with the rare quail
ity of completeness which distinguishes this series
OF concerts series in which the highest things were
undertaken and all received an adequate nay AN ex-
quiste treatment. In respect, namely, the rgid
restriction of the solos to artists specially qualified
for the particular work hand, the festival here
surpassed our own. No singer here ventured TO in
suit the audience by refusing to study or 10 attend
Iehearsas and going upon the stage hopelessy ig-
norant of his part as Campanini did in New-York.
Nobody fortunately, fell ill. And if some mistakeE
were made now and then by the minor personages,
they did no serious damage, and passed. for the
most part. without notice. If such festivals as
those ofNew-York and Cincinnati were given in Eng
land or Germany, the country would be ahame
with surprise and enthusiasm. In America many
thousands flock to hear them, and few hundreds
appreciate them, but the public really has very
little idea how great they or how far they trans
cend what is accomplished elsewhere.
As for some newspapers-well, would
save my peace of mind. Let us not
speak of them. They better here than at home.
II rude temper and abysmal incapacty there are
critics in New-York who lead the world.
The conspicuous triumphs of this festival were
the Mozart Requiem and the Passion music, Upon
these the memory will long rest with serene con-
tent In these we know that we had a great inter-
probation of Of the greatest of works-thorough
satisfying, excellent alike in the splendor and
finish of the details and perfection Of the ensemble
These performances, moreover, glowed with an in
ward warmth and all sensitive listeners must have
thrilled in sympathy with the earnestness and deep