Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-05

The strong solo list for these concerts is led
by Mr.. and Mrs. George Henschel, OF Ionoon,
public. Mr- Henscheiis many-sided talents as
singer. composer and conductor (he LED the Bos-
ton Symphony Orchestra through its frst three
seasons) have secured him an exceptlonslplace
among the worlds musicians. Mrs. HenscheFs 8
singing is full of charming artistic individual
ity that the schools cannot impart DR.. Carl
Martin is one OF the foremost oratorlo
singers in the country, and Miss Adelaide Fores-
man, also of New York, comes highly recon-
mended. Mr.. Paul Zimmerman, our own lead
ing tenor, needs no further comment in this
column. Neither does the tried and trusty
Mozart Club itself, which Director McCollum
has brought through a decade of training up to
degree of choral efficiency impossible to be
attained otherwise
The fact that one evening is to be devoted to
complete performance of one of the greatest
of oratorios, Mendelssohn's Elijah" adds
another strong point to the Mozarts claims.
An educational feature of value is the plan of
sending out gratis some ], 800 analytical pro-
grammes from the able pen Of Mr.. George d.
Wilson, of Boston. The programme for the
second concert, in which only the Symphony
Orchestra and its own soloists participate, is as
follows:
overture-''Benyenuto Oellini, "..."......B Berlioz
Ann Mrs. Gecrg Hensc6ei. '1''-'
Scherzo, from Midsummer Nights Dreamh
Concert for violin CtTo inovementsj Moszkowsd
MIR. Tmothee Adamowski.
Variations, from Rustic Wedding. Goldmark
Scherzo Capriccioso. .Dvorak
Motan's Farewell and Fire Charm, from ,.Die
Wotaz: Mr. Georg Giior' Henshei. .''' -'-
No one can deny that this programme will
furnish an eminently pleasing evenings enter
tainment. But it surely does not come up to
the standard which this orchestra can and
should maintain. Especially in city like ours,
where the opportunity of hearing first-class
orchestra, is so rare, such an orchestra when 1t
comes, should not content itself with merely
pleasing the palate; it must satisfy hunger as
well Entrees and deserts are all very well in
their way; but bread and meat come first
And-notice this-bread and meat are not
uppalatable, if well cooked and properly
Rrved.
Neither are substantial representative musi-
works distasteful, when presented under
That is to say: musical literature offers
ide range of works Of truly representative
laracter-immortal examples Of the best art
Jrms-which, if rendered wen and in fitting
urroundings will most certainly please as well
S benefit, tempt the palate, as well as satisfy
aiso for the larger public, for the great major
|, ity OF those who go to concerts at all.
The Boston symphony Orchestra can and
should include in its Pittsburg programme one
fwork of symphonic rank, displacing for that
purpose one OF more of the three interior num-
bers given above On their former visit here
the Symphony announced had to be abandoned
at the last moment because the parts were
missing; there is now plenty of time to reverse
che operation and insert the symphony.
Y
Ing for Pittsburg apply with yet greater force
to the programmes for the May Festival, which
were yesterday given in detail by THE DIS
PATCH. The larger scale of the whole enter
prise, asking public support on the promise or
giving great music with a great performing
force, make both the opportunity and the outy
so much the clearer. The central idea of
Festival is TO give performances that are be-
yond the ordinary resources of the town. If
when the extraordinary resources are got to-
gether, their strength is frittered away upon
that which can be done without such resources,
the extra effort has been, so far, vain and pur-
poseless. Great choral and orchestral works
must constitute the backbone and mainstay of
the true festival; lesser compositions frag-
mente and solo performances are attainable at
any time, comparatively speaking.
Viewed in this, the true light, the programmes
Just announced are disappointing. The choral
selections made and rehearsed while not suf-
iicient for an ideal festival, are doubtless all
that could be undertaken by a raw chorus in a
short seasons work. Still that chorus could
and should have prepared the whole, instead of
two-thirds of The Creation;" one complete
oratorio is little enough for the festival dear
knows. But now they have cut the second
part and propose to give only one-third of their
only oratorio, even after the chorus has re-
hearsed the two parts. This is simply inexcus-
able.
with necessarily slim choral list especial
pains should have been taken to make strong
the orchestral department, the next in i'm
portance in festival scheme. Yet except the !
the choral list, too,l there is not a single COM
plete work of symphonic rank in the seven con-
certs. Even the overtures chosen are the more |
common and popular" ones The rest of the |
orchestral numbers contain several fragments |
of great works and not few spicy pieces of |
merely temporary Interest. But there is COM |
paratively little substantial food in the whole
orchestral programme.
Wagner, it is true, is fully represented. With |
a matinee and an evening devoted exclusively |
to him, and some OF the best places on every |
he az ION
Wagnerian should be well pleased. The read |
ers of this column need not be told of the |
writer's fondness for Wagner's music; but |
there may be disproportionste attention given |
to him as 60 any other composer.
OF course the space taken from chorus and /
orchestra has been handed over to the soloists:
for selections calculated to display their in
dividual prowess with but secondary reference
to novelty or artistic proportion.
The net result seems TO be series of seven
gigantic, miscellaneous popular concerts with
occasional glimpses of the true festival stand.
ard-as in the Beethoven night, the Wagner
night and Saint-Saens' cantata 'sThe DELUXE -
Beyond a doubt every one of the performances
will be exceedingly enjoyable, and from the
popular standpoint that the management
great audiences and send them away well
Is that all that Festival" should accom-.
plishf
Mr. JOSEPH n. CUTTINGS, under whose
auspices the famous New York Philharmonic
Club is to play at Old City Hall tomorrow
evening. deserves hearty cpmmendation for his
offer to admit all musical students or uunils to
any seats in the house at half the regular rrice
al note from the teacher will enable any punfi
to buy for q quarter one Of the 800 or SO seats |
offered the public at half a dollar TIM nian |
has long been pursued in European mnsicaI |
centers, and its Introduction here shoula meet
with hearty reception.
Miss Belle johnson, of Chicago, has bAen se !
cured at the eleventh hour. and Will sing an
aria from Goldmarx's Queen of Shebau al
some point in the following interesting pro-
gramme:
Intrata- N octurne, |
Composed for and dedicated TO n. Y. Phil, Club |
solo. Adagios l......Golter1nan
Mr.. Emil Schenck,
Vocal Solo, Thou Art Mine All. Bradskv |
Miss Elizabeth Norcross.
Violin Solo, Fairy Dance. Bazzini
Mr.. Richard Arnold.
sextet Rhapsodie No. .6..................... Liszt
New York PHILHARMONIC Club.
Quartet variations ID minor. Schubert
Two Fiolins, viola and violoncello.
tYate eOiO.'.''.....-f'' Allegro, 1ershack
y Mr.. Eugene Weiner.
Sextet .'......-' Cuban Dance, ...R Holman
New York Philharmonic Club.