New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-06
else, and then III eopc with -PhiladeIphis
Record
MUSICAL MENTION And COMMENT


Worcester "The American Musician believes that
Tho Tnbunes reports Justify It in dcnouncing all such
festivals AZ "Dussnccs7 and seys
Musical festivals on the Worcester plan arc barren Of
serious lasting results - ~ @1Fahcem,H OK arr
They belong 10 tho arr which that distinguished Amer
can Snowman p r. Barnum invented ana insngurafcd
I'm this country VIZ tho art OF humbngging The public
Inv making It believe that noorcty synonymous with
fame and that quantity rather than ausjlty Is the rs
mSncs svas are wiped out Of existence the sooner
will there be substantial PROCESS made toward mo
more general diffusion Of musical culture throughout
the villages and hamets OF the land
In one aspect Of the there is question as 10
the correctness Of this position II certainly Is not
conducive to good art for city with the population
and genuine musical culture possessed By worcester
to neglect music all the year in order to crowd week
with It in September But tho most beneficial form
Of musical cultivation IS choral, and II popular inter
Iest and enthusiasm can be excited By festival to
degree that Will make choral performances possible
in communities that are able TO support them under
ordinary circumstances then a festival Is good
thing or course the opportunity created by SUCH
festival ought not to be frittcred away In the pc1Otm-
ance Of music which can be heard at any time nor IN
tickling the antiquated taste OF few In authority VINO
have never got beyond the stage Of appreciation and
| understanding represented by the old New-England
convention.
To come from general propositions TO specific, IL 10
gratifying note the evidences that the structures
passed upon the last Worcester festival promise 10
bear good fruit 1t happy circumstances that
saving "The Boston Herald all the metropolitan
newspapers represented at Worcester were agreed in
condcmnng the policy OF the director and governors
which was exempfed in the last festival scheme
and In pointing out the path on which the festivals
should enter Mr.. G. II. Wilson. In Tho Evening
Traveller of Boston, said
The critics whose opinion on the policy OF the board
of management of the Worcester festival Is one OF n+
SENT In many cases stern protest against the sus-
gsh current OF affairs. base all their criticism upon
| q Ht,.fu fhQf
no longer be provincial They point out that tho
management are either out Of sympathy with or igno-
this are instead Of leaders Of the public Dus
timd ploddeIs I'm paths fast becoming moss-groWn
Tho that most of the good music heard In year
In Worcester crowded into week. should be to tho
festival committee nducemcnt 10 dare more for no
art If there Is competition the work OF leading The
public TO an acquaintance with tho modern men, with
Dvorak. Cowen, Gade, List, Mackenzie. Paine Rubin
unknown as to their choral compositions, Is attended
with less risk, If these gentlemen look only TO the
financial side
Mr. Edward I. Stevenson OF this city, writing In
4" The Worcester spy said:
Now the acme of every music festival must I'M
quafedly be the expeditions development OF ifue
form two functions In the first place. # must pre-
sent to the community musical compositions that arc
Standards I'm all departments available ior ~ purpose.
instrumental, orchestral vocal. In the second
Place It must be expected TO set Nd reliable crfterfons
OF performance, in the of solo artists. chorus or
orchestra. If It fails I'm these fundamental raisons
derc with certain degree Of excuse now and then, It
FREQUENT and wilfui It IS an artistic sin. Better
might festival never be born. The influences such
power eXcrts on large scale good or bad. sound
or pcrnicous. II the influences DO negative only.
then such institutions attitude toward It's public Is
fatty dishonest.
Mr. Howard Malcolm Tcknor says in The Boston
Globe"
The public Is ready for the best and the managers
must soon be accounted as blind TO the signs of tho
sary. even desirable. that the concerts and es-
pecay those of the afternoon should be kept keyed M
IN highest there
reason why even the most miscellaneous should DO
relaxed the level Of the better kind Of lyceum bu
reau entertainments. has been practically the
more than once this season IN The compilation Of pro-
gramme which average performers night easily rem
der under average conditions.
To these utterly dlsinteresed uttcranccs by men Of
reputation for knowledge and artistic probity Tho
Worcester spy edorially replies that the public OF
Worcester cannot be elevated at I'm q single
lift they must be led up gradually by easy stages
Yet the last festival the hfryirst annual meet
ing of the Worcester County Musical Association But
evidence has been adduced that the sentiment Of the
Worcester public not voiced by Secretary Mum
roe when he said that the influence of the critics
from Boston and' New-York was perncious.' In
last Wednesdays " Evening Gazette" there appeared
a communication signed b. ID. A. lin which tho
of b. d. Allen one of the festival directors,
Is easily recognized in which, overlooking palpabe
injustice to the Cincinnati festivals there much
wisdom. In this communication appeared the fol-
lowing excellent suggestion:
cannot speak Tor my associates on the Board
of Government, but II 1 am asked, how do you pro-
ruSdon uf eet the demands mowu pol III egIeriencor
during the past week. would answer, under cor
rection OF those of greater knowledge and eXkerence
First by curtalment OF the number OF concerts with
more time allowed for full rehcarsas secondly, by
due regard the legacy of great works requested by
the best the present has offer rcceptiveress to all
that may be gained from sincere and truthful criticism,
and eQuanimy when confronted by that which tends
to dlsintegrate rather than build up The rest We
may hope to learn as experience Increases
Here is confession that the world moves, which
TslI ID, Ia
heed.
The history of music I'm Cincinnati, which was hur-
rlcdly sketched in articles In The Tribune, intro
ductory to the festival of last May has been compiled
and presented in a commercially sprightly and enter
tanning style by Frank T. TunsOn of that city.
The title of his brochure is Presto! From The
Singing school to the May Musical Festival This
smacks of the newspaper headline and is one of sew
eral indications to be found in tho book that tho
writer not fully conscious of the dignity of his
undertaking. Yet evidence of the phenomenally
rapid growth of musical culture in the Ohio Valley, his
book deserves 10 be read and no one will find the
recital dull The intention with which, according 10
his Introductory remarks, Mr. Tunison set out,
namely: To credit the authority with the information
givcnY does not seem have been adhered TO In the
case of the writings which supplied him with the
bulk Of his knowledge concerning some oil the carrier
movements In Cincinnati.
Apropos Of the Cincinnati festivals It is to bs
recoucd that the directors have determined TO give
tho ninth Ia 1o00 under tie direction OF Theodore
Thomas, that the choir has been rcorganzed, and the
following works chosen for performance VIZ Beriiozs
lie Dcum,' Dvoraks " Stabat Mater aud Nciuls
Requiem
Harper & Brothers have issued No. of their
Franklin Square song Collection, containing two
hundred admired songs and hymns. The selection OF
this OF music shows catbOlcity of taste the
part of Mr. j. j. McCaskey, who manages To hit all
tastes. lie should, however avoid doing violence to
classical selections by mutiiang them he ala The
" haeiu an Chorus" by Handel I'm this number, or
lobbing them of their most marked Characteristic, as
in the TRANSPORTATION Of the graceful dialogue duet.
" La CT darem,' from Don COy GnniT into "A quartet
illustrated by the appearance OF symphony,
or rather suite, by sgambaii, entitled 9" sinfoniA
Epitalamlo.'
WHY, HE Is THE MAN IT Is DONE FOR!
From The New Brunswick IN. j. FREEDMAN
In some sections of the country the Republican
STATE Commlttees are forced 70 Ship campaign trrs