New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-19
MI SIC-TUE DR1 Va.
MAssENETs "MARY MAGDALENI


TO Mr. II. X. ROmryn and the Lcnox Hi
Vocal Society which Is under his direction. in.
deb,ed for q first performance Of Mass-nets Mary
Magdaen." The work, which At tho ONSET wish %
say is ar extremely Interesting If nO' great COM
position WAS given mt Chirke'ino Hal iast Saturday
evening at n concert the Oceeds OF which To to
the Boys Free Ecsdng Room Fund The renoS Hill
Vocal Society ia small choir mot more than seventy
five voices and takes but a modest Part in the musical
activities OF the metropolis Like the majority OF our
choral bodies its wOmens voices are much superior IN
quality and training the voices Of the men, on the
casion under discussion OF The work OF the woens
choir was thoroughly adnirsb' The instrumental
parts played by an orchestra selected from the
band that has played at the Metropolitan cpora House
Ill winter with Carlos Hassclhrink ~ leader Of tho
volins. Though the whole volume OF sound w1 ample
FOR Chckering Hail. the string parts were not strong
enough give the test effect 10 Masseners music and,
nnless We mistaken. changes in tho which
loss of character mode to AVOID the essitY OF
engaging a sufficiently numerous band to admit Of the
disribntion OF parts contemplated by the composer.
The parts in the hands OF Mis- Martinez Mi's
Te Clair Mr.. Harvey and Mr.. PTehn OF whom tho latter
alone seemed 20 have clear idea the dram attic feeling
with which a considerable portion Of the music IL nlleL
Mr. Prem sang with excellent intelligence; 1t + pity
that correct and tasteful singer should AFFECT the
rfbrao as does The performance not -niritei
one and did disclose more than coo'ess sketch Of
NJ Masssnets music. Mr. Romeyn tmld N lis
choice tempt and evidently found that his forces hal
sufficiently trying task to present tho simple body "
the composition Tae spirit which shodd have animated
It was conspcnousy absent in the later portions " the
work We have doubt that really meritorion, PER
fofm.nce would have Disclosed m ny beauties N Mase
nets music which were hidden last Saturday night
For the purposes OF this production Mr. ROmeyD made
an English of the work; 1t Is literal trans ,lon
without literary rret@nscns. ana served l's purpose
reasonably well, though marred by many false accents
I,I,,. - - Grim igulf eff l..
recently Published in Engl,nl Mr. Romoyn calls Mary
Masalen an orstorlo NJ Massenet's desigI alton of
is dr1e sdcr6 and have the authority OF tie French
critic, VI. Arthur POngin. for sayi al the composer
purposey avoided the term orstor1o Said NJ Pougn 10
reviewing first performance OF the work at the Paris
Odeou in 1873 when Nine. Pauline War lot sang the
part Of Wary Magdoten):~ NJ Msssnet had not adopted
and did not desire adOt this cca-iOn tie broad
noble. and ponp0us style OF oratoro FAINTER ana a
poet he eli ieavoed in this novel and tender work 70
give prominence reyerie and Ian isc pc; further ne
has introduced o. genuinely human passon
"A somewhat earthly ten .erness, which would nave
oneued the door adverse criticism II II could DO sup
posed that he wished to 70 low upon the traces ~
Handel Bach and Mendelasohn. To sum up. the work
was beautiful susve, iupregnated with perfume OK
youth aud poetry and WIN ms grnndi"'e al Times.
tl.nce to RuDnstens s,crcd Operas-the Character VI
its music is conditioned upon scenery aud action wach,
l. not preS~n ted gust n; least ne imagined Work Is
divided into fouI The first shows the Aagdben
l Al
Judas ana tie fhdrtsecs profess her re-
peutauce aud conferred 10y Tile master. The second
| f. devoted 10 a OF incidents connected "ltl
fHrisrs visit 10 house of Hdry The third scene Is
devoted 10 GOlg0tha aud Hdrys sorrOS. tue fourth 70
tine eutonbmcut and Irrect on, tue whole Work mi
ng close 10 Easter hymn OF the Christians, thftSt
et rfrdnt ressusc! These incidents gwen musical
uyrsti ure IN fifteen numbers. only sual Traction OF
| which can he said to De either commonplace " unh-
ting though e.cnes the di-nned Diane on
| which We expect sIch "a trs2 dy move Tue hfse
scene 1. unulaiully chdrminS-a delicious Ja-tOlh
movement snrchargrd with Eastern color ana - 'uc-
ce,-,ul bit OF scenic clileaton IN music "a W" can
cal, 10 mind. The orchestra handled here ana ~ mo
scene IN ua1s hOus- (Which also has local color ior
it, nr,t chaiacterlsc) with the utuus Refinement OF
| modern skill aud the melodies have most suavr and
| refreshing nd,rst Marys ar, on my sisters: 90
ms so, us, fr oin des lr"to de IL fr" : I'LL
han, The ,st sustained air Oi The wO o. TIE Tyre Win
which the present predominant school OF French COM
posrrs h a. made We are not certain mat
Worthy performance would not have lessencd The l,ap-
min, Ine effect or musical description OF the cruel
fyion which obviously aius ne I'm the highest degree
dramatic but il theatrical not To say spec.
tacular to be worthy of it, theme and irs accents OF
sorrow are OF the sentimental order above when no
French composer OF religions music seems able 10 lt
himself IN truth this is criticism which plies 10 ths
whole work-lt mas too much uIdlgniied sehtmrntay.
A more supendOus tragedy than the death ol ChllsI
from AMI point or view i lneon-
celyable. Mere sentimen allss should let IL alone