New-York tribune., 1884-02-21
II USIC.
THE NEW-YORK CHORUs sOCIETY.

THE NEW-YORK CHORUS SOCIETY.
Brahms's master work, The German Reluiem,'
which was heard here first English version at
concert of the OratoriO Society several years ago,
aud in the original German at concert OF tho
Liederkranz afterward, was given last night
in Steinway Hall at the second con-
cert of the New-YOrk Chorus Society IL pre-
ceded on the programme Mendelssohn's music to A
Midsummer Nights Dream" and yielded to it
the palm of popular favor, partly because of the
greater excellence of the latter performance but
more because Of the SIMPLER grace and more obvious
charm of the MendelssOhn music
There could not be, however, any compare
son of musical value between the
pieces because, Of their vastly diiter-
ing characters. 1t was a noticeable fact bc-
cause an unusual one in the concerts of this admir-
ed society that the performance of the Brahns
work failed to arouse any enthusiasm or even q
warm interest. The fault did not lie wholly With
the music, for notwithstanding the sombreneSs or
the subject which il handles and the SERIOUSNESS OF
its purpose there Is such wealth OF tonal color,
in the Requiem" and such spiritual exaltatioa
permeating it that it ought to have made pro-
found impression. The performance was, however,
not inspiritng tho difficulties in the score being III
many cases beyond the capabilities of the society.
The work was opened with great effectiveness tha
quantity and quality of the tone emitted by tAe
choir being equally admirable; but with the adj
vent of he baritone solo in the third part the sing
ing became less satisfac Ory. In half dozen IN
stances the singers almost succumbed to the
stumbling-bloc placed before them by the
composer and there great loss III
volume of tone, purity of miohauor;;
and promptness OF attack especially IN 1De i"S''
passages soid that it
certainly takes rank with the Des' L., orarter
7 ous that have been written WITHIN w III /, -
&c . century it does ho' - -. anJ for tina
Va - o.;,,;uol in spirit and IN h"''0' w -.
WY of its instrumental por'ou "0 '''' "4l -
Thing in ITS departnitt""' wms!c IL was tho
except Schu,'rosed by Brahms that reauy Just"lo9
first wOih ',rnt predict Ons OF Sciiuuidhh auu
the eXtraNas'eve that creative m nds can ohiy ~
those nv n,ooorthv occasions aud worthy suplTVls w
naot with pleasure upon tho lao. ','"o ,,, ~ nj hig
reieet i Aronposcr's tribute TO the memory Vi h''
mother . e.Lo ,,strumental score were gwen
Ioneut no exposltion, but the 500 petloin"Nr NJ
n'.r, 81" no petter than those ot tno and Miss
pinnsr.z was heavy ana uuveL '', ',,sic did not
Ames though much SURF, suto,n1 VI nnyer required by
f''a ths breath and sustained PI"II PIa tonk mart
have tue - d,vision IN which she loVh Pdit,
the music Va ,hnra was much that was l aul po ,h
e.;ng only little applause ~ l"iO" ',,',I The
~ iions no; of the work, ana II vas nlayed that
/ divisions ,he Mendessohn music wus P'us Po INN
ScheIZ0 Oh lho enthusiastic That iary roiup'
! the audiehco s'V rven so bewitehinBly ~ III W.,
n0WeNo, nscians that II was ueianu." t .r,, ma
lnolh'r rbe solos In this poition oi .no pa Mrs A,
% liiie' snng by Mrs. Minnie T.. !, ;sa WAS spoken
| Uartdegan of whom MI hooi h.raio IN Rrooklyns
| ihan tbey sang tho salne nuslc li