New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-07

-, and strong contrast wi.h lis serious iN'"'
-. c,-, the necessary relief to The singers "''"
,,imulls 30 the audience
PARTL
r.r.e Srr.0houv -----------'-- 49,. I.abusi,.n
s,caa tA' i''' Nine. Ger.tcr
PART H.
TAo Fal o. ny, t -siuger wagner
S'i|. o.. symphony. delightfully."- PLAYED, eN-
- .,,,..f,,s m the orchestra "hion '-o
.It.,l no. ,hus far pat 70 t.' PROOF
- ..r,c and passion, we had her' .D' -
-. 5.r,,,cy of tone and accent ana '''
II, v.r;etv o. colornC and eNpr'SS'.'
SUM- ...s the sDccess Of the conductor IL i'"
- ,,,s a }ar-r band the fine ani el"S.'
g. Desired hy Lit vas even HoI' -.
tban ,yb,t he accomplished IN the
Tho female chorus in lie MaghiA'"' -
was superb. =, .-, * one Of those
c. ,i.ccs which suit Nine. Gersters style ana III
hU''' ,oTor Fails 10 make charming impress
I, consists substantially OF two Russian airs
1otb heaptIfnl and the second especially taxing
90 If a brilliant coorature passage. The pr'ha
5oopa WAS enthusiastically appauded and many
Zines recalled making her success not more oy 'he
fac,litv of her execution than her sympathetic It,
livery of the melodies
The selection from The Fall OF Troy consisted
g III. whole OF the second act Of the opera-an
oDorinr march and hymn brief orchestral num-
br accorlpanVing the combat Of wrestlers; COZ
o,5 n,.ce for Cgssdndrd and chorus, styled III the
T-.,rb score a pant0mime, because the vocal par's
are really only a commentary on the acuon when
- going on in dumb show; recltatNe Tor -E"f'7'
.. - .r3 chorus. an air for CGs8IRdrG; aud a
a. l,I, mon 9, second uarcn. The first and last
~ tbese numbers, and the octet with cnoraS are
~ .,ror,,ast and the first Is by far the
-,.s+ ,l..,-ipg II is quite novel IN ITS effect ana
.,;,. .,rne of t,ie composers most ingenious III
.,-u.,,+.i devices and most effective writing for
a., x,,re The SOLO parts. with the exception OF
tb,t II Cos.aadra Frau Maternal. are not
,r,c,irrnt II is the chorus and orchestra which
cory fine act and noby they both did
:; ia.4 night. Mrs. Oscood. Mis- Ninant
SIG. Campanni Mr.. Iocct SIC. Ga!aSSi' MI
Reo,,crtz and Mr. Whitney aided IA tile perform
ono, and there was a band of wind instruments Oh
the sage. admirably lei by Mr.. Dietrich. he
Fau of Troy is certainly interesting, but II seems
10 Us lacking in spontaneou7ness. Ihe
magnificent delivery Of the " MesterHnGer
chorus. "Wsch auf7 came atterward rs a
welcome reireshment, and the audience broke up
with shouting AID waving OF hats and han1her-
chiefs, aud a great cutlery for Thomas
So end a festival which have no hesitation in
nropounciuc the most remarkable IL our experience
both for the character Of The works undertaken
and the excellence Of the performance. We have
laid no stress in the course OF our remarks upon
the spe,ial difficulties overcome II The prosecution
OF this enterprise such the nevneSs OF the home
chorusr,, and the iu.possioihTy of reh.ar1ng them
with the visiting socleties-the various organlza-
tons never came together until they
met at the public periormances-nor have
we urged our readers to make any
allowances for the magnitude Of the forces
employed. OF for real or Supposed defects IN the
building. ~ recognize the principle that 10 con-
ductor has any business to undertake festival for
which be Is not prepared OF to attempt compost
ton which his forces are unable to interpret. We
judge the concerts then by tie highest possible
fest and We say that we have never heard anything
IN approach them in general excellence and some of
them w do not believe have ever been surpassed
in the world. We cannot imagine
finer performance Of the Israel
in Egypt" or Of the Jupiter and Schubert and
minor symphonies than We had last week. For The
Wagner concert there IL the best imaginable stand
ard of comparison. Wagner collected al orchestra
OF the best virtuos IL Germany. and spent nearly
two years rehear,ing for az ideal performance Of
this music and yet the New Interpretation was
better than that of Bayreuth. All tie work OF the
week was on the same high plane of
the quartet passages in the Beethoven Mass.
where the scandalous fasco OF Sig. Campaniui
spread mischief all around. Take away tins dis
.urbiur element and the execution of the Mass was
rs nearly sat styling as human weakness permits
But % know how good the chorus was and how
ably il was commanded. must bear in mind
some g. the conditions under which the Israel
was given. Three thousand people take up so
much room that parts of the chorus were
At dangerous distance from the
conductor and from tho orchestra.
and # they had gone astray il would have been
very ticult 10 hold them. Moreover 50 great was
the volume of tone that the orchestra can hardly
have fulfilled its usual function Of guiding TIE sing
ers. Resonant as 1t sounded TO the audience,
assured that 1t was sometimes entirely lnaudbe on
The chorus benches and instead Of leading tho choir
IL would have been lea by them If the conductor
had not So completely ruled both. At the Handel
festivals IN England II Is a common device 10 get
THIS difficulty by adding great deal of brass to
the orohes IA, and emphasizing the beat with bass
drum and y mbais. TINS is al essentially vulgar
trick Whic, destroys the tone Of the accom- ami
meut and greatly lessons the expressive power of
the chorus Thomas left the orchestra ito purity,
and trusted entirely 10 the good drill of his singers
aud hi- own power OF control The result justified
rs confidence. tie played upon those huge masses
exactly Is hc plays upon hls band at an ordinary
concert he retarded and accelerated the
time az pleasure; he obtained the finest
shades of expression. and the most
exact agreement In emphasis and reading;
and iLe consequence a delivery not less admir-
able for earncss and eioquence than for precision
md force. We have had no such chorus-sInging
before. II We may judge from the scenes IN the
soncert room and The remarks one hears IN private
Aoases aud public places. the festival has made
profound Impression upon the public, aud It's char
hcteris'ic merits are widely appreciated.