New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-29
MUSIO1HB DRAMA
BERLIOZS "TE DEUM."

BERLlOZS "TE DEUM"
A musical event OF uncommon interest H announcpQ
to take place this ovening In Boston. Tho Handse
and Haydn Society will perform Berlozs 10 Deuma
for three choruses, with obgato and orchestra
1t IS not likely that the work (which belongs to the
class concerning which Berllox accepted tho French
critics. designation architectural muso"). will b
gven I'm strict accordance with tho poscrs pro
scrptons, but tho magnitude Of tho choir OF the Han
del and Haydn Society, tho excellence which, II 10
only fair to assume, will mark the production and the
fact that IL will b tho first performance of tho worn
in an Eastern city Of tho United States, mbno b
give peculiar interest and significance to tho Occur-
romeo Portions of tho ITO Deum' are admittedly
among tho most imposing Of Beriios's compositions.
Tho Judex credery' ho himself set down his Greak
est creation" and in letter his son no wrote n
tho Same piece: @The finale Is without doubt ovoa
grander than tho Tuba mirum' Of my 'Roquem.'' In
his Memoirs" Berlioz defends himself against Henes
estimate which is often quoted in which he iikons
tho composer t0 q colossal nightingale gigantic
lark; creature Of tho antedeluvan word.' and says
Of bis music that It has generally something prmi
tive prmevL shout IT, and suggested thoughts Of
vest msmmoths or other extinct anlmsls Of fabulous
empires filed with fabulous sins, etc." Berlos
lstos that HsIno expressed his regret for these words
In letter written from bis deathbed because no had
heard that the "Evsnoo du Christi was = . perfeoa
bouquet of sweet flowers Of melody, masterpiece u
simplicity He then sddsi
aThs pieces that led Heine astray arc exceptions
becsuse they require exceptional methods In tbs
Requiem for example, employ four distinct brass
ecSa tSs ms C nS cso In the
Deum,' the organ at ono end OF the church answers
s sh6 and two co III: O'
taking part from time to time in vast sacred concert
But Is more especially the form Of the pieces the
vsnsen~ss OK some Of the progressions that give
q fmmenStty
:, that either one entirely misses shs drit OF t
The To Deumn was composed about 1s&9. II va
designed originally as q portion OF some sort OF
dramatic epic cpca drama in honor OF Napoleon 70
be called "The Return Of tho First Consul from hss
italian Campaign" The rslics Of this scheme In Tho
work instrumental march, pour Ia prosen alton
des drapeaux" which concludes the TIE Deum." and
the magnitude of the forces employed and their dis
position Berlioz imagined Napoleon. returned from
Italy with bis trophies. entering the Cathedral %
Notre Dame and being received with grand ontburse
Of sound from all portions Of the church An orches-
ira Of 1874 and two choirs of 100 singers
each to scnd up their voices from platform IT.
ono end Of the church. and grand TO reply with
its deep diapasons from the other end. Midway on
separate platform was to be third chorus Of 500
children, which, representing tho congregation was 70
Join in the music at intervals 1t IS plain enough to
the music student that though Beroz has nothing to
say about Bachs Passions in his writings he bor-
rowed tho idea of the triple division Of his chorus,
and especially OF the manner in which the chorus OF
children is utilized. from the German master ThoSN
who heard the stupeDdOus effect created by the
responsive double chorus with two orchestras which
opens the st. Matthew Passion especially when the
third chorus enters with the cantus frmus OF the
chorae Will recognize the effect which Bsroz dreamed
Of when he planned his "Te Deum.' Like several
other gigantic schemes of Berl0s, the epc-drama was
never carried out on its first lines, though the Te
Deumr and the march were completed. From los
to 1855 It lay in the composers desk In the a'ter
year, April 80, It had its first performance ana tho
only that the composer ever lived 10 near OF ="
hear Of Under his direction 1t was given at tho
Church OF St. Eustache Paris, In celebration OF tho
opening of the Paais de PIndustre, which took place
next day. Mr. William +. Apthorp, In the book Oh
translatlons from Berloz's Writings published Dy
Henry Holt & Co. in 1870. says that the first per-
Torrance took place in the Church OF ST. EuStacho
OH April 30 1854 at the Thanksgiving Service Tor
the safety Of the Emperors life after the attempt a.
his assassination the 2sth7 This is obviously an
error Tho intmatlon that the work got ready
for performance In two days ought to have aroused
Mr.. Apthorp's suspicious.
After this first performance the ste Deum'' Ike 80
many OF Berllozs larger compositions, was forgotten.
or at least neglected until November, 1888, when IL
was brought forward in Bordeaux. on April 15.
1885, It was performed for the first time in England az
one Of the Crystal Palace Concerts, after the Bor-
deaux "reviva' had Occasioned performances In VOL
mar and Vienna Last November the Apollo Ciuo
Of Chicago gave IL for the first time In this country
Justice could scarcely be expected to be done to
work OF Berllozs In an estimate based on study OK
the voc with pianoforte accompaniment merely.
All that are willing to say is that the composition
is divided into numbers besides the march already
spoken OF, that while Beroz always profes'ed 10
despse fugue he nevertheless opens this work with
double fgue that solo voice, tenor, Is introduced IN
only one number, the Te ergo quaesumus' that as In
the Requiem Berlioz treats the text In the most
arbitrary way, posing tho verses at Will to suis
his musical purposes For the rest we prefer to lot
DR. Hueffer speak In his review Of the " Tie Deum"
In "The Tines after the London performance, DE-.
IIuefrer said:
"Its effect the Judex crederisb Is Indeed all bue
oyerpowering. From Q long drawn unison sequence
for the BASES of the first choir, the movement works
up to climax which In poiypnohous Doitness y.
structure and sonorOus beauty Is unique In the entire
range of music AS q matter OF design. however, We
are inclined to place the second movement, TIN
Omnes,' even higher than this. Here the composer
really monumental, Or as no preferred 10 express w.
architectural style The mere messing Oh SOUND ~
multiplying its opponents ad lbitum IL en- easy mat
ter But the art with which the sonorous effect OF tho
thrcee repeated Sanctus sanctus' In full harmony IS
hero prepared by the unison passages Tor the various
voices shows artistic design of the highest kind IL
may be alleged that here Berioz Is grand rathee
than daer; that his music speaks OF the eAte exc,
slleniOr If religion ratosr than OF the devotona oS-
sence which find in Bach or OF the human path0s
underlying Beethoven's sacred compositions. To
UPON It with view to deprecla tng the French COM
posers conception to lay down laws and limitations
which genius declines to acknowledge
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC NOTES
r-..u.. c~r..or rrhosa In thiz