New-York tribune., 1884-02-04

taken that NIL performances be as worthy Of Gonnods
name nnd the subject handled as that OF the Bfookyh
Philharmonic Society Saturday night Only such per
forlnance bring out the tenderness ana deVooh VII"
which the work permeated, and only such perform
anoe can present rather too obvious methods OF the
composer in their full beauty.
Thc Redemption French production; that n'ls'hol
forgotten though music Is pouary talked hoou'
as cosmopolitan few composers have emancpated thein
selves nom the traditions and Of their naona
schools. Berlioz did; Goupod has not. "The keaehiP
tion is an evolution from old artform' ana i'7
ADVANTAGES over its germ lies in the IN
creased power OF expression acquired py "'
media. These media the Old-tlme choi''
with its potency undminished plus the moderh ui'n
attic orchestra u is not necessary TO 60 III lensn ~
the evidences that Gounod rests his whole structure upon
the Passion Music of Bach, which was ID turn an e'u
htriop FROM the Ca,il,s PassiOns Don1" nosTt JeS"
CHRISTI Of the medieval Church, when haa taken 30
strong hold upon the hearts of the people tAh' bnn
dared not do otherwise thar retain in the German ne
formed Church We find the same elements IN Gounods
.,a.en,tor ,, that we do in tie Music of the Pas
sion according TO st. Matthew" by Bach
an but the dry recitaiive IN Wmch
the narrative is treated With Gounod all naITaon Is "c
eompancd and its style is like the character rec'S
tive or dialogue in Bach. Otherwise we have the tOe-
as they used To be cailed,-the short choruses
cthe priests, the teerng popui"co' '
sanhedrimj; the "rehective clement a.
Mr. Dwight CALI IT, composed of arosOs aud concerted
pieces; ana finally the chorales These are now,
ever characeristcaly Protestant, and as M uonhou
obviously intended his work so far as 1t had any theoo5
ical bias at all to be Roman Catholic Passion ne onset
the choraos with an element drawn directly rom the
liturgy OF the Romish Church This element l. rpre-
septed bv Grecarian tunes like that of "Nezia Regis
prodeunt which lies the voices above the instrumental
march Calvary; the parody and melody OF tne
stabat mater in the scene of Mary at the 1oot
OF The cross and the Rerpachcs, which are so moving
,l4vt- aann N
cross Friday Here for fear OF renchng on inc
Church probahly NJ. Gounod, though using
portiou OF the text OF the Relroaches, mas
let pass the opportunity to employ tna'
impressive autphona effect which IN the chuTch IS
heightened by the alternate use OF Greek ana Latn. ms
words plainly paraphrasc ~ tue H''us'o' 'PN''
Ineus quid frci tbi"
M G,urod has of course extended the scope
NJ III, work beyond the boundaries oI
the cid Passions; ne includes the Resurrection
Ascension and tho Pentecostal baptism OF the ApoSe''
But this extension is merely textua II ADDS nothing ''
the music except length II Germany aud amoh5 euu
cated music ans OF German training this likeness oe
,,oor "T7e Redemption" and Bach's passion Is Il
fataI circumstance Coneedng Gounod tie advantages
which the growth Of the orchestra has given hlm hee
IS vet nothing In all his worthy o. comparison Wh
any one of dozen Of Bachs pieces either III absolute
musical beauty In dramatic power Yet II is dhcu'
70 see what other plan might have been adopted
prh;nsteiu il Il true impressed with the dramatic
character % the Bbca, material and provoked to pro
test against contradiction between TINS character ana
The stiffness Of the musical and poeca forms OF the ora
too invented the sacred opera and treated the loss OF
Eden the stories OF the Tower Of Babel, OF the Macco
bees and sulamith in his manner, hut no musician
has vel had the temety suggest dramatic treatment
of the story OF Christ. HchDel Thought OF Tragedy
but dared not write it, much a. the suYcct
tC his innG glnatlOn. wagner dofFu i'l bou
NOD could not 10 nn ar al Christians, the story si
fbe iuefihle mystery. lie COud only approach II
with the orstorio form. and Only sinye 10
music. With his voices he remained IN t5e church,
though he made what the Germans Will SCI DOWN AZ Su
error il coG1nng himself strictly 10 hcmolAolioas VII.
inc. POlypiiOur Is the peculiar property cI lHe
church. and all the severIrles OF composition are
uuro. late within its walls. Bui GomOd knew MS weak
rr-e and rcfaued-Wisev. think, set az the C0s OF
and lr made essays IN OtlLcauI Win Httir chtt
The effective part Of has orchestral writing au 10 MS
tender aud sweet. The whole scene OF tn ualch 10 Nd
vary is mistake The 0evlcc Is worn thfst baie. ana
the commonplace Turkish music Is not ataEtQ lcf Di "
GOuuGds that u represents lLt Dl.lii o
tl,e t. force dragging Jesus execution III" WORK h.
rot uuOysly admirable IN its spiIit at lines 6u II
is not serpece and not worthy OF tue his OF living
Tire rerfornances in Brooklyn Friday afternoon and
Saturday night highly cTeitabc 10 hc BioOsy fA
harmonic society. They were the -no'hts at ne Won
had here, and there was CAy one llillS 10 IcEtc''
WIS the absence Of an Organ. GjunOd ASKS us hid'
ana thc eject reed instrument -ls utedIof l was
= give email cOuvcntcle all ~ times 10 lt Na@ "thti-
yse "a Vraud performances Miss Gertrude FranAdu ara
lr. Hdrtdcgcn shared the soprano Solos
NE lovely voice Of the latter We EnOw Miss III lhlh
tanned. tier voice pure and true and sweet iexcrpt
when forced to lie higher register anQ her manner BID
re htforward and effective. The men elt Ieofe
Werrcnlat. BToOkYns tsyal1te tenor Wax htlhrcAhhu
l1;uz RcmmertZ approved artists, who gave paihsiilA
ng and admirable a!ncs 20 their respective parts me
Academy was crowded on both occasions