New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-21
MUSIO-THE DIANA.
THE MAY FESTIVAL AT CINCINNATI.

THE MAY FESTIVAL AT CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI, May 20 (SpcciaD For the
assembled musicians and critics interest In the seventh
biennial May Musical Festival reached a eliminating
point on Wednesday evening" when the kyrie and
Gloria OF Bachs Mass In b Minor performed For
the majority OF TIE listeners today's two concerts
wore more interesting In tho afternoon misccllane-
GUS programme was presented, OF which the principal
numbers Brahms's part songs Tor wonchS VOICES
with horns and harp accompaniment, and the excerpts
from Becthovon's Egmont" music. which were given
three times In Now York aud Brooklyn during tho re-
cent musical season. The songs In the latter number
were sung by Miss Lehman. How she sang them New
York people know. In tho evening BerOzs !" Damna-
ton of Faust" was performed Mother OF the schemes
were I'm any respect novel to New YORK music Lowers
and they therefore call for little comment The quality
of he womens and work in tho chorus IS 90 much
superor to that Of tho mems that 1t was an exceedingly
happy idea to give the women an opportunity TO snow
their capabty unenbarrassed by their weaker breth
rem. The result was such as to justify the hosrtese
enthusiasm. To hear such lovely voices uhited III
per,ormance 80 exqusite in technical finish. and per-
meaed with intelligent appreciation OF the spirit OF tue
music poetic and expressive was CONF ensatoh lot
the Journey from New York, even In the case OF one
weared by the activities 6f an extraordinary season
Ike that Of 1Ss5-36. n tho people who are privileged
to hear the New-York Mendelssohn and the Brooklyn
Apollo Clubs sing Will imagine the qualities which marx
their performances transferred to the singing OF three
hundred and fifty young women they VIII get clearer
idea OF the excellence Of the female chorus OF the
Cincinnati festival than could BIO conveyed oy any
amount of description analysis 1t WAS musical per-
Torrance OF perfect beauty-somethng to make the
heart OF the connOsseur leap for JOY and TO entrance all
who heard 1t.
To return to the Bach Mass. 1t would be useless to dis
guiso the fact that there has been freer respiration on
the part Of tho festival patrons since was sung Inc
masterpieces OF the great Lepsc cantor have played
significant part In the festivals ever since 1872 The
nsttuon was put so high plane at the cusoe thas
1t became almost relis ous duty to maintain the bacn
Cultus until OF his monumental choral compost
lions remained unpeTfOrmed beginning was maze
in $50 with the beautiful Magnificent IN d. THIS was
followed In 1890 with the cantata Elm Feste Burg to
which Mr. Thomas wrote additional accohpaniments
In 1882 the Passion According TO ST. Matthew was
performed in truly grandiose manner Iheh there
remained only the great and the tribute 10 the
OF the greatest musician that ever lived "oud DO
comp lete Practically that tribute was paid on Wednes-
day night could not be disguised that III spite OF
the many admirable OF the performance there
was something perfunctory about the production AS well
IA the reception 1t beyond question that organi-
cation United states could have aDsoved ITSELF OF
this task with so much credit as the Cincinnati festival
chorus The performance OF the stuIendously d1lcult
iugues was the most convincing Of proofs that the
Motley OF tho Festival Association In maintaining the
choius nom festival TO festival, ald continuing tho
excellent inst uction OF the public schools In the
cbous classes organized nd supported by body
auxiliary TO the Festival ssocaton, is founded on
wisdom Yet few among the knowing would be rasn
enough to assert that singers ad near rs ieot SitT
that duty toward Bach imposed ny usica WehlSlh
is perform 40 not proPqe s 10 eif e Of f and aid
that IT natural under the circumstances The highest
music; and not alone to the connosscIr. While many
were complaining of musical dyspepsia AFTER tIe Pas
ton music in 1852, Others were indulglnS IN honest
rhap-odies the consciousness OF ofty beauty anu
dramatic power inspired by t!at marvellous music,
rr,,a theV
freshnts yi.or OF the spirit that vaized the forms
that are commonly looked upon as eie9' anu aIVsetsi
archaic. This class doubtless felt also TIE nea
the They cond scarcely remain deaf 10 the IN
finite variety OF musical effects offered by the eleven
numbers which were performed nor to the prominence
| which the orchestra has In the score The singular
benfy and richness OF the art in lite ~ tho
small plumber OF instruments employed and the charm
ing effects produced 10y the Use Of single INSTRUMENTS
oJIfgato were features which were presented win
peculiar forcerulness by this performance Yet the
problems which have long yexed the souls o. mnsciahs
TO believe for instance tat Bach ever intended IN tho
S Sasa 5S 81. CAME ro the o5S French dTn and
bas-o should have other support than the string
than " harmonic relationship. Here something :Tay
have been due to the dereuee between tue obsolete
and the modern Frencu horn used substitute II must
also he remembered that Bach ALWAYS had small forces
In view aud that thc numerical relations between In
strumcntasts and singers have teen completely ievcs
Bach Gcselle schat using the modern oboe instead OF
the obos aB0re and the French HON instead OF the
como III clccid bnt making Few II any other change>aid
not AT all attempting ~ II the German CUSTOM 20 III
ont chords that seem empty with organ notes lie
couldn't have done the latter # h had wanted to, or
tho Hall is necessarily silent because OF
| difference OF pith between 1t and the band.
! To partcuaIizr about the work of the chorus y
scarcely necessary The task attempted was stuienI
Dusty ic and only the knowing appreciated BOW
credable was the Work OF the chjr me sclhiHiiht
ovousness o the Gloria had marvellous rem lie ng
ana the promise OF an equally brilliant Interpretation OF
rho Cum SanctO Spiritu frustrated only by the
unaccoun ably rapid tempo by Mr. Thomas. As re-
gar Is nonaon--a most trying and vital factor only
praise can be SPOKEN solo parts in the hands
rf Miss Lehman. Miss Cranch, Mr.. Toedt and Mr..
btney Of whom parse Il due Tor disnned art
| istIc work. the first American performance or
tho mass. The audience this evening WAS much larger
than on Tuesday the financial prospects seem To be
materially big tening. H. H. IA