Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-16
A FEAST OF MUSIC.
The Mozart Clubs Wonderfully Fin
ished Rendition Of the
GRAND ORATORIO OF ELIJAH
At Old City Hall Before Large and Appre-
ciative Audience.
CHORUS WORK NEVER EQUALED HERE.
MendeIssOhn's Greatest and Almost Last Work Per.
fectly Interpreted


burg-for number of years, at least-was
reached last night in the Mozart Clubs pro-
duction of Mendelssohn's sublime oratorio
of "Elijah." The representative audience
that tested the capacity of Old City Hall
heard the only complete oratorio perform
ance given here for several seasons
past-an oratorio performance which
as regards the orchestral work, has never
been surpassed here, and, as regards the
chorus work, never equaled. More distin
guished soloists have occasionally been
heard here in similar performances; but the
soloists are relatively of less Importance in
this, the highest department of music, than
is the chorus, which here reigns supreme.
About the oratorio itself, nothing need
now be added to the rather complete de-
scriptive analysis compiled for Sundays
DISPATCH. This much may be pro6tably
repeated: ut is shorter and more dramatic
than Handeps messiah" less theological than
Spohr's "Last Judgment" and less didactic
and monotonous than the wondrous
Passion Music" of Bach. Thus, while the
subject matter Of the "Elijah" is fun OF the
most stirring incidents its artistic form is sui.
fciently brief to rivet the attention of even an
uncultivated audience from the first recitatiVe
down to the last chorus. 1t is one of
MENDELssoHN's LAST WORKS,
considered by many his greatest; was written
for the Birmingham (England) Festival of
1916, only year or so before the rich and
lovely life of its composer was ended-at Leip-
zig, in his S9th year: It was produced in Amer
lea by the Handel & Haydn Society, of Boston,
in l64S; and its later, if not only. complete
presentations in Pittsburg have been by the
Gounod Club in 1877 and by the Musical Union
about a half dozen years later.
The Mozart Clubs singing of the "Elijah'
was unquestionably the finest achievement of
its Ii years career, surprising even the last
Messiah" performance. When 1t is considered
that this oratorio contains very nearly If not
quite as much chorus work as the seven
Nay Festival programmes contain and
that less than score of the clubs members
It in February, and that no full rehearsal with
the orchestra had been had, one is better able
to estimate the efficiency of this selected body
Of singers AMI the value of the discipline they
have SO long been under.
To detail the very few mechanical blemishes
in the choral work last night would be hyper
critical; not one of them was such as to inter-
fere seriously even for moment, with the
To detail the praiseworthy points would extend
this review far beyond its allotted space. In
general, the chorus displayed rare purity,
ional precision of attack and steadi-
ness in rhythm; a delicacy. Of
shading that surpassed anything the club has
yet done. Over and above all this was a spirit
and feeling, a dignity and dramatic forceful-
ness that raised the chorus singing into the
higher realms of interpretattve art and partic-
ularly redounded to the credit of Mr. J. T. Nc.
Collum, who conducted last evenings concert
as well as the rehsarsals.
NOTHING BUT PRAISE.
The superb playing of the Boston Symphony
haA Of t0 n wi
superlative excellence of the chorus singing.
What could not the Mozart Club do, if regu-
larIy associated with such . bandl Moth
ing but the highest praise can be bestowed
upon the peerless orchestra for the manner in
which it rendered a score far from easy under
a strange conductor and with strange singers,
and having had none but the merest excuse for
a rehearsal late yesterday afternoon. From
first to last the strings were delightful; Mr..
Giese, violoncello, Mr.. Moli, flute, and Mr..
obligato passages. ass
Of the soloists Mrs. Georg Henschel must
be accredited first rank. Her-Toice, while not
pathetic in quality and under such admirable
control as to produce dynamic effects superior
to those OF many larger organ. But
1t was by the higher qualities of head and
heart that Mrs. Henschel most won her audi
ence and did justice to the composer. A noble,
chaste. musicianly style, conjolned with poetic
feeling and dramatic fervor marked this charm
ing little woman as one Of the most thorough
artists before the public
A swEET-voICED PROPHET.
DR.. Carl Martin had the bulk of the solo
work to do, singing the bass part of Elijah.
His voice is a noble one, resonant and power
full, yet smooth and agreeable in quail
ity A slight boarseness hampered him
somewhat last night, and may have
been the canse that deprived
his singing of that masterful dignity, that
prophetlike inspiration that characterize the
Interpretation of Elijah by q Whitney or a
Henschel. Still DR.. Martins work was right
along the best traditional lines of oratorio
singing, and had individual moments of much
power.
Miss Adelaide Foresman, of New York, was,
like Miss Henschel. a new aspirant for Pitts
burg popularity. Her voice proved to be
contralto of much sweetness and carrying
quality; and her style, while not finished to
the very last degree, was refined and pure.
She will be heard again with pleas
sure Mr.. Paul Zimmerman and Mrs. Mathilde
Henkler upheld their high social reputation,
which are too well known to require further
comment in these columns.
To-night's concert promises some very bril-
liant and interesting works by the Boston SYM
phony Orchestra, under MIR. Wilhelm Gericke
This last appearance in Pittsburg), with Mr..
and Mrs. George Henschel and Mr.: G. M. LoeR-
Ter as soloists. @. W. s.