New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-19
NUSIG.
BROOKLYN PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

BROOKLYN PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
II is never wise or fair to estimate the ability
OF body OF chorlsors by the work done at public
hearsals I'm the afternoon and IL is for this that
THE TRIBUNE has refrained from criticsing these
performances which are so welcome to nonresident
music lovers. Only small proportion OF
tho men singers ablo to cake part tho result Is
not only Unbalanced performance, but q feeling or
uncertainty aud oppression, which ordinarily keeps all
vitality OF the singing. The fact that the perform
ancos Of " The Messiah By the OratorO
Society OF ew.York and the Philharmonic So
cicty OF Brooklyn fall together this year
compels deviation from THE TRIBUSE's custom. but
readers Of this review should not predicate 1t an
opinion OF what concert Brooklyn apt to be
Ike tonight Fully four hfths OF the singers in the
Philharmonic choir yesterday women tho grea I
lack as usual being of tenors. most strenuous
eNertiOns OF the thirty men In this department
OF the chorus coupled with Mr.. Thomas's device of
placing six of his viola players back OF the drums and
brass they mi ht be alongside OF the singers and
swell the body Of sound gwen out by them. could not
save the singing from the fault Of OF balance
Tho out IN full force. at least $50 strong
while the and together numbered
hundred
Mr.. Thomas plainly had made a special effort to
lift the performance out OF the ordinary flo had
brought together less than hundred instruments
asts supplying the absent organ by additional band
OF wood wind. corncts and tubas which he
used clmaxcs OF the great choruses and strength
ening strings also for the accompanInens OF the
choral portions. Ito also had
platform constructed something like
the German plan that the choir divided into two
equal portions by the band, which EXTENDED gfrOm
front to the extreme back The
were raised above the Observation-Disclosures. but the latter
were Distributed that all portions Uf tho choir
celved support from the instruments
them. The effect was good save for
the weaknesses mentioned. the volume
sound homogeneous and IN the great ouOursts the
sorority thrilling. The Mozart accomplishments
used with the bass parts dOubed In places for the
IromhOucs and tuhas.
In these things Mr.. Thomas was more successful
than In his choice Of solo singers rho soprano
solos the first part divided be-
Walker The latter sang the beautiful aud strikingly
dramatic reclAtiyes which contain the recital OF
The birth OF Christ ana the air Come unto Him. while
Madame Fursch-Madl cssaycd the hOrid Rejoice
Greatly" Mother performance be
mendel though OF the two Miss Walkers gave the
greater satisfaction. Madame Furch-MatPs vocal
manner is not at 81. all adapted. to
| Rejoice Greatly" and her reading OF It
was from the accepted reading that 1t fell
upon tho audience with the weight OF n dsap-
pontment. 50 far pos Sible abe removed this
feeling by much better rendering of the later music.
but tho expectations with which the public 20
Messiah" performance not realized either by her
or by Mr. sylvia, whose singing, good from points
of view, and dramatically fOrceful in the
air Thou shalt break Them" WAS yet not at
all in with the feelings OF people to whom
The Messiah" is an Oftt0ld well-kuown. muchloved
tale The representatives. OF the low solo voices Miss
Euy Winant aud Mr. whitney, knew better how 10
appeal to this feeling