New-York tribune., 1885-01-05
MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS.
eOLOMONs SONG IN MUsIC-THE LEGEND
OF ST, ELIZABETH.


have re-established their branch establishment in
this city. have recently published two choral works
which the enterprise of Mr.. Thomas will make
known to our public before the close of the present
aeason. They are A. c. Mackenzies g Rose Of
Sharon and LISTS "Legend of st. Elizabeth"
The former will be performed at the second con-
cert of the Chorus Society, for which Mr. thomas
purchased the right of the first representation In
this country, on February A. the second is contem-
Mated in the scheme of the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Society to wch,'w are told, is due the publication
of the English version of the work now before u.s. III
is also set down for performance at the next bennl
festival at Cincinnati. Both of these compositions
are dramatic oratorios: the style of their poetry
and music is determined by scenery and action,
which, however. left TO the imagination OF
the hearers.
Mr. Mackenze's work was written for the Nor
wch Festival held last October. at which it was per-
formed under the direction of the composer, MISS
Nevada singing the principal solo part readihs
of the vocal score dscoses many beauties which
will hardly fail to appeal to the tastes OF anna
tour as well as professional musicians az the forth
coming performances in this city. An estimate OF
the merits of the music will have to wait on that
performance for 1t would be manifestly unfair to
the composer to attempt criticism from mere
pcrusa of the pianoforte arrangement, the more
Ii.
composers who are imbucd with the modern roman
tic spirit in music and who rely, to great extent
upon Instrumental effects concerning which the
vocal score leaves us entirely in the dark Mr. Mac
kenzie within the last two or three years has
stepped into the front rank of British composers
and, judging by what SIC see IN this work and nave
heard heretofore, he seems to us to give rlcher
promise for the future of English music than any OF
his compeers Critics have said that being "A
ScOtchman his contributions can not be cited as evil
dence of the growth of musical productivity In
England; but thisis but captous reasoning since all
the announcement which he has received has come
from England, and he unquestionably represents
the vigorous spirit which within the last few years
has sprung up In that country and beaten down the
conservatism that for long period had cloggcd the
progress of music there. number of recent oc-
currences unto with Mr.. Mackenzies achievements
I'm iustfying us in the belief that new era Is
dawning formusic i'll England. The introduction -
German opera the success of the Richter concerts
the selection of Herr Richter as conductor OF the
next Birmingham Festival, the production of such
operas as Mr.. StanfOrd's "Savonaroa and Mr.
Mackenze's COLOMBIA " and such symphonies as Mr.
Cowens Scandinavian and "Welsh," can fairly
he set down as arguing change for the better The
old apathy, born of conservatism, is wearing OIL
new enthusiasm is coming in with the awakening
of new ideas and in the new day the activity of
snch native British composers Mr.. Mackenzie
will bc felt
In New-York Mr.. Mackenzie is known chiefly for
tho two orchestral works which were produced by
Mr. Thomas last winter-the Scotch rhapsody,
Burns" and the instrumental ballad, La Dame
sans Merci," based on Keats's poem. Without cx-
aggerating the Importance of these works we may
say that they showed him to be not only an adept
In the art of handling instruments but musician OF
a poetical temperament with lofty ideals and II
melodic gift of no mean order. Of his vocal works
we have till nov been kept i'll ignorance; they arc
two csntatas, @The Bride" and "Jason " and the
opera "Colomba," written in collaboration With DR.
Iueltsr Of The London Times which was produced at
Drury Lane in 1888 and achieved later the some
what UNIQUE distnctionof performance in German at
Hamburg The author of the libretto of The Rose
of Sharon" it might better be said the compiler.
since he has relied wholly on Biblical language, Is
Mr. Joseph Bennett. musical critic of The Daily
Iele,7dph of London, who Is now visiting IN TINS
country and expects to be on hand to hear the pcr-
formance on February 4. 1t is evident from the
title that The Song of Solomon is at the base OF the
work. The designation "a dramatic oratorio," and
the choice of subject combine to suggest a COM
pariso of the oratoro with previous Treatments Of
The same subject. OF these three occur 70 us per-
version of the story of Saamh The Sulanie is the
groundwork of GoIdmarks opera. Die K0nign
Won Saba " in which use is also made OF some OF the
exquisite poetry of the Song of Songs; little more
than year ago Rubinstein produced his "Sula
mth a Biblical Opera" in Hamburg, tho scenic ar
rangements being in the admirable hands OF Herr
Hook who is placing New-Yorkers under debt of
gratitude by his administration OF stage affairs at
the Metropolitan Opera House this season in April,
1882 Dr. Leopold Damrosch. in concert Of the
Oratorio Society of this tyebrousht OFT lyrical
- d. ID, hna Halt Cttlr
mth; cantata for Soil, Chorus and Orchestra" 1t
will thus be seen that Mr. Mackenzie was antic-
pated by both Godmark and Rubinstein in the exc
cution of the plan to apply the dramatic theory
cerning the Canticlcs, advocated by Ewald and
Rfnan in q musical work. There is wide differ
cncc between the modes of treatment adopted. but
this can be more prolitably discussed at later
period; here it may suffice to state that Godmarks
work is opera. pure and simple. MIR. Mackenzlcs, III
form at least, is oratorio, while Rubnstein's is
neither wholly the nor wholly the other but
something of each. like his slower OF Babel
though better fitted for theatrical representation.
With prologue and an epOgue. which would
better have been omitted Messrs Bennett and Mac
kenzie in Difference to the religious feeling of Eng
land or perhaps out of fear OF the Lord Chamberlain
have sought to maintain spiritual significance for
their wOrk-a significance which seems to as
utterly at variance with the exclusively erotic view
which they take of the canonical book from which
they derive their dramatic material This will be
evident we think. from brief outline of the con-
tents of the dramatic oratorio" Ii is laid out
four parts entitled respectively "Separation,'
Temptation" "VictOry" and Reunion" In the
first part we witness the meIrymakng of the vim
tagers of the village of Sulan tho rustic ovcmakng
of The Sulamite (soprano and The Beloved (tenor).
and the somewhat more decisive woong of Solomon
(baritone). who comes upon the scene with a caval
cade of princes and mobiles. and after praising the
beauty of the simple maiden with Oriental hyper
bole comparing her among other things. to his