New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-30
THE TIE DEUM Of BERLIOZ.
A NOTABLE PERFORMANCE BY THE HAN.
DEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY.

fBY TELEoRAPH To JxrBuNR1
Bosros. Jan 20.-The performance of Berlioz's Tie
DeSm" BY the Handel and Haydn Society In tho Music
Hall this evening, excited interest on the part
Of music al amateurs IN Boston. II looked upon
virtually the first performance Of tho work 10
America, since tho attempt Of tho Apollo Club OF
Chicago last November to master 1t confessedly
Unsuccessful This be said without dlspaI age
ment to tho Western society, for the Shortcomings
likely DO found In all performance until the 10
Ueum" Is made part of the scheme of a monster esti-
val, arc chiefly those sprnging from tho practical
mposslbty of Aeeting all Of composers demands
touching interpreting forces disposition
II Boston, with Its splendid body Of nstrumentasts
and It's fine hall, could not meet these demands 10
nkey that Chicago, far richer In singers than In
orchestral musicians, could do So
Tho singing of the work by the Handel and Haydn
can not be enthusiastically commended Many OF
tho stupendous difficulties staggered tho chorus mora
than was to have been expected more serious
drawback hearty enjoyment. however, was the TACT
that there little freshness and beauty OF tono
in tho voices. The tenors were stale, not 10 say
misty and the women's voices particularly the con-
tralto, well balanced and agreeable o the ear IN
passages Of suave righteousness and simple progress
slOns Of harmony In other Work OF the eccenirio
French the prescriptions as to the numoer
and distribution of the seem so essential TO the
effect contem plated In the To Deum' In the hrs'
place. the work IS conceived throu ghout annphonahy
not only between the chors. but also as between
the orchestra and organ There Is poeticl prepriey
In such a treatment of the famous old hymn,
as will appear when the pretty legend. whose
acceptance by the Roman Church Is evinced by tho
title, "Hymn Of Saints Ambrose and Augustine
Is called to mind According to this legend the
hymn was simultaneously inspired In the minds OF the
saints at the conclusion Of the baptism of Ar> slime
BY Ambrose In Milan. A. d. 3S7. II Wa sung by tho
two ADDITIONALLY after verse. on the conclusion
of the rite
Berlioz was partial to antphonal effects, and II the
performers had separated by sufficient distance
to- night, there Is doubt that the general effect
would have been made better, Notwithstanding that
the band was fl and there was an Ill proportion
between it and tho singers. Where Bcrlioz wanted
134 Instruments. there about 50 when he want
ed double chorus Of 2e0 voices. there were 400 and
where he most emphatcaly needed several hundred
boys, there only forty. The effect counted on
In tho of this third chorus was, OF course enIey
lost Tho march, In which the composer fancied
Napoleons banners brought forward to the altar Tor
alton. sounded peculiarly pompous thanks to
the admirable symphony orchestra, though denied
some of its effects by the omission OF Instruments
among which twelve harps might be inStanced Inc
work Of the harplst was merely dumb show. mo
" To Ergo Qu9sumus" was the most successful num-
Der In The performance, partly because William IL
Fessenden sang the tenor solo beautifully, partly De-
cause the women had tho burden OF the choral WORK.
and perhaps more than all. because the tenors OF tho
chorus had next to nothing to do with IT, Ii,
The two most striking numbers of the compositions
are Inc Tibi Omnes Angeli' and colossal Judex
Creders, and of the two the impression made by tho
first Is tho most delightful II Is, In fact, conn osI-
on OF surpas sing loyeness while the theatrical tono
and urev aence of merely bizarre effects the colossal
fnae to which BerlioZ awarded the palm over all ms
creations, make estimate Of 1t largely dePen"ehe
individual taste
The concert the e65th Of the society, ana was
opened with Professor Painss Nativity The Gam
bridge composer. by the way has put aside nus oPs
for the time being, and Is puttlng the hnishihs
% a
chestra which is to be sung at the Cincinnati festival
in May. The text is the poem by Mr woodruff,
entitled Our Country recently published Ia ." The
Atlantic, Mr. Paine will call 1t Song OF Promise