New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-09
THE BUFFALO MUSIC FESTIVAL.
OPENED WITH THE "DAMNATIoN OF FAUST
DEFECTS DUE TO LACK OF REHEARSAL-ThE
GROWTH or THE ENTERPRISE.
;BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

| began In the new Music Hall this evening under cir
| cumsances which the local managers OF the enter
prise consider favorable to success AS ILLUSTRATIVE
Of the festival idea, as understood In some Other
places In the country there will DO something IacA-
ing I'm the meeting Tonlght's concert seemed IKE
hastily improvlsed affair and there is nothing IN To-
morrow's schemes which will impress visitors familiar
with great festivals with the idea that the true aim
Of choral festivals Is to be promoted to any cOnsder
| able extent. Mr. Thomas, who Is the conductor, ar
rived this morning with his band, after giving con-
cert last night In Syracuse single JOINT feheafSal
of chorus and orchestra all that was possible, and
| though the festival chorus sang Berlioz's Damnaton
| of Faust (Which the work performed this even
! ngl last October, the rehearsal was not suil-
Client 20 insure performance of such superior merit
as to Justify tho peasurable excitement usually con-
| nectcd with musical festival But there IS pos
sIhilsty of q New-Yorker expecting little too
much when he gets away from home
| The local point Of view is more
| generous one and in the playing Of Mr. Thomas's
band Of Virtuos and the singing Of such artists as
| Madame Lehman, Mr.. Alvary and Mr. Fischer, there
IS real treat communities that have to endure a
| music famine during the months when New-York has
surfeit of highclass entertainments and operas; and
It is this point of view that NewYork reviewer is
| bound TO consider From this point Of view to-
| nights concert had much In 1t that was delightful
Tho solo singers call for no comment. The Tribunes
readers know what they capable OF doing ard all
did their noblest tonight, though Mr. Fischer, spen
did singer that he is showed tho embarrassment re-
| sutng from his first effort TO sing English.
The music OF Berliozs eratic work has been heard
in Buffalo three times, which fact IS cited a reason
why the fine big hall not entirely filled this even
| ing The audience numbered about 1900 For the
| two concerts tomorrow the sales have been much
larger and is estimated that tho receipts VIII reach
S11 900, and this Will cover all the expenses.
| The chorus, which Is not a permanent body but Is
| md
by Joseph MlschSa, a local musician of honest pur-
poses, is about $50 strong Numerically the singers
| are fairly distributed, but In effect the wOmens
| voices are much more powerful than the mems and
| arc superior in every way. In this tho Buffalo
chorus does not differ from the general of Ameri
can singing societies. Yet visitors were justified In
expecting precision and tuncfulness, at least, from
the tcnors aud BASES tonight, and In this they were
| disappointed Tho men Injected a good deal OF ca
cophony into the beautiful Easter hymn Of the first
part, and failed to reach a moderate degree of
efficiency In the difficult but taking double chorus of
| soldiers and students The soprano and contralto
choruses were more asserve and sang in tune. The
| quality OF tone produced trife strdent how
| ever, and why they sang the suave sylph music SO
| angularly was mystery But Buffalo is happy in
| the possession Of its chorus.
Tho genesis OF the Buffalo festivals is much like
that of the Cincinnati affairs, and the story Is ex-
ceedingly significant In the history of musical develop
| ment in the United States The festivals came be-
| cause there hall adapted to their habitation.
The hall was built five years ago the Northern
American German Saengerbund held one of its festi-
| walls in Buffalo and needed homo. Buffalo has
| large German element in its population, and this
element is thrifty and enterprising. Ordinarily the
German festivals held In large temporary wooden
| structures in which Gambrnus and Apollo are wor-
shipped with impartial reverence. Cincinnati built
one Of these wooden halls for saengerfest in 1870,
and after the building had been preserved from de-
structon by the merchants of the city, WHO wanted
for exposition uses its presence and the purpose for
| which it had been erected suggested the feasibility
of an American music festival patterned In general
after the German idea. That In the days Of Mr..
Thomass itinerancy, and fortunately for Cincinnati
aud the art of music, he was chosen conductor of
| tho first festivals in 1873 Thomas did
| not believe in this dual worship. The
affairs OF Gambrnus torn down and Apollo was
hroned as the only god, with Thomas prophet. Gin
| cinnati had seen the FIRST of tho German festivals
given In this country back in 1s49 and exactly thirty
| wears later under the influence which went out from
the May festivals under Thomas, It saw saengerfest In
which women participated and in which music was cul-
vated for its own sake and not an accompaniment
to a colossal Spree
| A new dignity was added when the saengerbund
| came to Buffalo, 1883. 1t found here German
literary society," which had been founded forty years
before and this society took advantage of the occasion
| TO erect a fine brick music hail. to be used after the
festival as permanent home for itself and couple OF
allied German singing societies The hall was built,
and when the German festival over 1t remained TO
inspire a numbc- OF musc-lOving and locally patriotic
citizens with the idea that music festivals OF hgh
class might be called regularly into being here, as well
| nc I'm Cincinnati Thus originated the first fes-
| tval In 1854. In 1885 the hall was des-
| troyed by fire, and with It the library
| OF the German Young Mems society Ihis
organization set to work to replace It, The festival
people helped public subscription was raised ABOUT
| $4,000 in cash collected, and in October the new
| hall a splendid pile In Maln-st., which cost about
| $500 was opened with festival conducted by
| Walter Damrosch. The difference between the sub
| scrpton and the cost is being raised on mortgage
bonds and local patriotism Is relied upon In placing
| the bonds. The German Society has home, the Guy
| has hall admirably adapted for concerts, cohVen-
| tions, mass-meetings and entertainments ol H'Sh'-
tudo thence tlrcess factor In the work OF popular
| education and refnement and the impulse has gone
| ont which VIII doubtless make the festivals a perma-
nent institution Tho hall Itself is splendid monu-
ment to the public spirit of Bulfaos citizens ana mas
solldty and beauty which II Is to be hoped VIII soon
become typlcal of the musical culture OF the city.
So far as the present festival is concerned IL can
NOT honestly be said that the hall Is In this sense
| tvp,cal The true festival idea rests on energetic
| and Intelligent cultivation of choral music,
| where hundreds sing aud sing we'll IN
| that community the genteness and refinement
| Of feeling and appreciation arc TO DO
found which speak OF musical culture The chorus
tonight did not do credit to the hall, to the festi
ysl's name | should be sorry to accept it as standing
for the musical taste and ability of Buffalo Strangely
anomalous, in the light Of the history OF tho hall, Is
tho fact the Germans not active In the choir ii
they were the peculiarly American shoncomhs III inc
tenor voice might have becn measurably avoided and
the bass vould have had greater sorority There seems
TO be Fundamental difficulty In the constitution OF the
eIeent effort to develop and unite the resources OF
the community. An admirable step In this direction
has been taken lately In the organization OF local
| orchestra This has now about forty members, ln-
| Guiding ono or two enthusiastic amateurs John
| Iund who was chorus master ut the Metropolitan
Opera House, tho first season Of German opera, Is