New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-23
MUSIC.
TIE ORATORIO SOCIETY.

There is a good deal of sameness in the lc-
gcuds concerning the female saints in the Calendar or
the Catholic Church. Nearly all OF them turn on tho
divine fortitude Of lovely maidens in preserving their
purity and refusing to be aught but brides OF heaven
There is therefore, perhaps, nothing more than an in
tcrcstng coincidence in the fact that c?nata based on
the story of ST. Ursula should receive its frat perform
ance In America the day which the C1thohc CAuFch
celebrates as the feast Of ST. Cecilia. 1t, however
serves to recall the legendary stories to memory ahI 10
acceutuate the parallel incidents in them According to
the accepted legends ST. Ursula the daughter OF Doom
atus King OF Cornwall like ST. Cecilia was betrothedD by
her parents to aworthyyoung man, first hcathen after
ward Christian: like st. Cecilia she had an angelic VS.
tation and warning to become no earthly bide ana Ne
t. Cecilia she suffered martyrdom
In the hands OF Mr. Il. l.. Francl!on' VINO
wrote the book for Mr.. Frederic II. Governs
cautata. the legend has undergone few
minor changes which have their Justification, We sup
bose I'm one version another OF the stories OF tie Greek
ana Rjm' saints. For instance, H"loicfhes' inc
heather prince mo sought the sanity maiden III mar
rage +, In this version Conan, Christian prince o. b-
auy In f. general outlines however the story Is III
harmony with the legend Of the great slaughter Of viz
gin, Al Cologne by the Huns, which has caused so much
braiu-cudgcmg among the secular lnqulrers anh mo
Catholic photographers. The Christian princess Wishing
to cousccrse herself to Gods service, asks respite OF
venr before answering. in order that she may obtain
MY -,,,.,,e o.. che a. "rE"''tea - 'e an
,wcr she tells her father and his court how one day,
while walking in the gmdcn, an angel had appeared to
her aud promised her heavenly crown and heavenly
spouse bidding her" says oar iihctu' TO that ead
mike a pilgrimage to Rome i'm # ga @, -oi faith, and OF
hc- READINGS, submit herself, u all things, TO Gods
will" Father and reluctantly consent and Ursula
sets san WITH company OF mlidcn~ uhc legend says
OOOl FOR tie Continent. Rome Is safely reached ana
fine blessing Of the HOLY Father obtained On the home
way voyage down the Rhine the princess aud her chiste
thousand, stop to worship at Cologne The Huns who
are devastating the country. reach Cologne at tIc same
tic "a. Conan who impatient to greet his bride had set
t t l,,,f her ON ,hc road. The meet N the church
r al. tic horde sstNases burst into II and put tho
plgrN 10 the sword. All but Ursula, Tor le liului'h
rncfan smi,cn by her charms, wishes her To become
the partner OF his power. Sbe.eadEsty REFUSES ch"os-
ing death with lover and maicns thus, by her Ialth
and obedience in seemingly small things. winning tho
,,l, d; rtyl!ou ana becoming the bride OF hea>eH
m exchange for earthly love and earthly glory Before
leaving the story will do no harm To ireshrn tie mem
ory of readers OF mrdiev history with the statement
That the historical basis or this much garnsled story IL
an uuqucstl1nOd slaughter % company OF christian
iJIcus al Cologne BY the Huns during an INVASION Dy
Attila I'm al II has been ngeulOu,y guessed that the
eleven thousand OF the church history Is wrong
reading of the old calendar, which may have recordcd
nartyrdom OF Ursula ct Cndoci0Hid y, but have re-
cciycd an Interpretation reading tfS"!a 81 mace"
BiUiid y
tn, pociical form into which Mr.. Fraucillou has
,op,lcl ti stor, il not that invites serious ct-
ci Indeed il 1t were To DC attempted the associations
OF the concert would tend To provoke rather severe treat
ent OF the 1t was on II Cteilas day ana tho
ol,, written in its celebration by Chauccr Dryden ana
Pope would not out OF memory besides the caitaa was
mated in the performance with one which has poem
that /, in all things mOdc-Gocthcs First Walpurgis
Night" Cmatas, unlike operas or the antlqdaed pat
term require good poetry; wanting all spectacle ana
notion and devoted in the first instance To expressions OF
feeling in faucicd situations, they exact that the verbal
vehicle shall he worthy the musical The highest
merit tuat Mr. Francions poem has Is that enabled
Air inven easily To build his musical structure on
luuud Iin that has ingenuity but Is nevertheless
of the mos, obvious kind The story fails naturally lho
three sccucs-the first at tie court OF DionatE' TIC
second the voyage, the tlrd TIE slaughter IN the eeh
al Cologne; aud 50 it has been treated. IhS DIVISION
determines the choice OF Style there must be lyrical
,,us Tor Tie wooiug and the relation OF the vision de-
sclptyc Music for the sailing thcsc both poet ana lnu-
,iciau were LappesO and dramatic ana Characteristic
music for the Wild Huns. The task, therefore, when BIZ
Frupclou set for Mir. CUwcu not an easy one Inc
COMPOSER performed 1t mdiielcnty we'll TIE moSI
interesting features al the score seemed 20 he the or
rhestr part This Is not strange IN view OF the success
which lIr Cowcn won in his scandinavian SYMPHONY
I, ,u combining instruments and in inv cnting eheciNo
l.urc, for item the composer was much more IhS'u'oS
than in the treatment tie voice parts lie mas cd'"
the lessons OF modern INSTRUMENTATION anu mas pIon'''
,, l, Them BE has also accepted some o; the FRUIT
tlcost "a consistent use Of Characteristic phrase as
Gounol IN Faust" and Verdi in Aida" The treat
ment which lac gives music of the vision OF UrS"a
has MAINLY back OF intellectual purpose rs wei "Sa
un,,l one Another device of great efficiency IN pct
pring terror and supplcaton Col which tIo
hri,ntest example that comes TO orr mind Is III
ne last act Of FaIst'l Mr.. CoTen also
uses in his slaughter scene. IL Is that OF 40
| veIonnga supreme emphasis by rctcmting melody
INT each time in "A higher key Unfortunately 81
Cowcn makes OF this legitimate effect III What
he set down the weakest portion ol tc Woih a"" "
was shown last night 1t goes for practically foIhS. at
Mr. Cowen Is not dramatic composer nc n's ss ~
TEMPTED in the song of the Huns 10 present S"sseS
niece of music but without notable success =,
| Effectiveness as IL has Is almost wholly OWLS
some fecities of orchestral cOoring. lie mas ia
for dramatic contrasts by combining this song Will
cantce OF the virgins but the effect Is that Oh vs
compo,ton instead OF what was intended IL senS
labor IN all the bars just the ensemble ~ tho mara
division does where, however no had moi OILY a,yjth
trctale but also interesting material ;,nrs
10 work lie has pretty theme In chorus Oh M
with AN instrumental accompaniment tlat N ria
lis suggestions rather than In ITS deincailon., a,t
whole OF this part is dainuy eonccyed ana Cur, CARLY con-
with mastery skill To the sailors theme Is az. first
sorted chorus pf the people, closely allied 10 al
melody In spirit and matter after II follows ,o aud
| the departing virgins, which Ia but eoninonp'"NS