Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-18
Church nTuatc tn Pnrfs.
Correspondence PhiladelphIa Times

In Paris the choir master starts with cer- tain advantages, and, though within the last few years his powers have been much cur tailed by the ministerial changes in public instruction, still they are advantages not to be met with elsewhere. They are: Buildings almost faultless for sound, an immense num- Der of expert chorus singers, a race in which music is developed exceptionally early and 8 cultivated and appreciatiVe public. His great loss has been in the withdrawal of many of the colleges from the instruction of the priests and his consequent limitation in the choice of boys.
 No name is moro hOnored and loved by artists musicians and actors than that of 1sidor Justin Severin Baron Taylor, and with reason, for to him is due the foundations of those beneficial societies which have done so much to relieve the distresses of unfortunate followers of the art. On the 22d of Novem- Der, St. Cecilia's day, the association des art istes musicians gives it's annual mass, and this, par excellence, is the event of the year in religious music. The greatest singers vol unteer their services and the church of St. Eustache is filled from porch to apse with lovers of music. Many of the finest masses of the century have been written for this society, among them that most instinct with religious feeling, Gounod's 'tSt. Cecilia !" This year the day was given to Niedermeyer, and his Messe Solennelle is precisely what would be expected from the pen of the au-
  melodious saTant, showing the most absolute knowledge of his art, yet all the way through proving the inferiority of his genius. The very successes are the successes of man of the second class. The Kyrie is almost fault less in it's peculiar style, but it is neditative, contemplatiVe melancholy-of g melancholy which deigths in it's state, not melancholy which desires to rise above it-rather than contrite or sorrowful. The various little melodic effects, so distinctive of the author, abound in it and for this very reason, be- cause he is here most himself, it is the best number in the mass. In mass music men of the second class usually succeed in the Kyrie, Benedictus and Agnus and occasionally in the Sanctus, but invariably fail in the Credo and mostly in the Gloria. Niedermeyer is no ex- ceptiou. His Gloria begins with 8 brilliant little symphony, which is altogether operatic, but with the symphony the brilliancy ter inmates. The Creed has good beginning, a very effective fugue movement without ac- compartment, which was wonderfully well sung and two efforts at what Mozart charac- terized as the most effective thing in music the rest-which totally failed of the intended result In both Creed and Gloria are fine passages, but the general tone is pompous throughout the mass is beautiful, pure, how- ing appropriate, and the even current of this stream gives rare unity to the compost ton. The fugal movements in the voice parts are lacking in simplicity and core spondingly lacking in effect. The work second class.
 But if the music may be somewhat found fault with, not so the rendering. Five of the best choirs in Paris, with the greater part of the three great orchestras, Faure as the solo, ist and Altes as the conductor. What more could be desired? The great singer is now seldom heard in public, having wisely retired kba vuhiIn cfi1I iT hia and though the eoncert-room or oratorio limits his powers, people flock from far and wide to hear him and every note is hung upon as if it might be the last from the greatest bari tone the world has eyer known. The young Lassalle, it is true, surpasses him in voice, as he does all others; but as actor, musician, singer, artist, the world has known but one Faure. When Faure sang in opera there was no stick on the stage. He infused his life into the very supers and the electric thrill of his presence was felt throughout the house long before his voice was heard. An, well Faure in opera is memory of the past, but Faure in Niedermeyer's exquisite Pater Nos ter is something long to be remembered. The quality of tone of the French boys is hardly equal in solo singing to that of Eng fish, being somewhat thin and harsh, but the little fellow (apparently not more than 10 or 12 years old) to whom were entrusted the very difficult solo passages sang with an exe- cution, finish and "style'' have rarely heard excelled by women.
 In the chorus the treble tone was perfect, being absolutely true, and, owing to, the ex- treme youth of the singers, free from that disagreeable falsetto quality so often heard in our choirs. In England the average age of choir boys is 12 years. in America some- what more, whereas in France it is not over 10. Certainly saw no boy in the chorus on Wednesday over 12 years of age and many of them could hardly have been six. The bass part, as always in France, deserves especial mention for it's wonderful truth and richness. If any fault can be found with the perfor. nance it is that the orchestra was somewhat too strong, especially in the accompaniments to the quartets but this is not surprising, considering the difficulty of favorably placing 15O instruments in an ordinary church building.