New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-29
or,n STYLE VOCAL MUSIC.

m. -. ,ov.r. NJ unaeeompanied church music Of tha
kind brought 10 its perfection IN the sxtoen1h oe@
tnry-sa capela,s music as IL Is techmcsty ~rMea'
or music Ia Palestrnas-ast nights concert OK ths
oratorio Society peculiarly dehshtni sn1i.
Tho number of these lovers s not great, bus TINS ~
the fault Of our chormasers both In and out OF tho
church. Ncw.York has . number Of small choirs
which ought TO devote their energies TO music OF ,s
character with secular madrfgas for variety, ous IN
stead they fritter away most OF their ume On hsne
waisted cantatas which they sing with pisnofor ana
organ doing duty for the ORCHESTRA II nor no otner
reason, than for pointing out nooier mission 70 .nse
choirs by bringing forward a solemn mass oy ha"s.e
Grell (which was publicly heard for tho nrst ume IN
America at the rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon, mr.
walter J. Damrosch Is entitled TO tho THANKS OF an
seriousmindcd amateurs Whether music OK THIS cnsr
acter Is heard at Us best at secular concert IN
theatre is question which might be discussed u 10
were commoner IN our churchss but, inasmrch a. 10
cannot be heard there tsave IA measure at St. Fran
els xavier's, where tho Caecilian movement Is fol
lowed and Il We are correctly Informed at the Church
OF the Paullst Fathers, IL Is well TO put aside ths
critical spirit and be grateful for the opportunity pro-
yided by the oratorio Society and its conductor.
The mass in question is written tn the
pure old style for sixteen parts, solo voices
alternating with the chorus for the sake OF
sgocts of contrast. The programme tried to
make this fact little impressive by announcing
that the mass was for sixteen solo voices and four
four-part choruses,s which may lead somo who did
not hear IL into the erroneous Impression that It was
composed for thirytwo voices. Its composer wss for
some time director of tie singakadcmie In Berlin. and
seems To have been possessed of some OF the spirit OF
Fasch the accompanist Of Frederick the Great, who
founded that famous choir. II was long believed thA
the slngakademc owed its existence TO desire on the
mart of Fasch 10 hear mass In sixteen parts OF his ovs
composition sung but this tradition was dispebed
BY Zalters critical investigations. Certain Il ia however,
that rAsch wrote such mass 70 show that German
humorist could do as much as the Italian Bepcvon
had done 40 years before. Faschs mas was orsn
sung BY the choir and Grclps Is also In Its rcpeno'
having been sung the last time only few wecm 80
II IS beautifn composition, Thoroughly cnuraS !.
tone suaye IN Its melodies and consistent In ~ U.S.
OF simple harnopes. which did duty nor she o'u
puntists. or the theatrical devices used by the
composers Of a later date 10 give impressfycnes 70
their masses thcre Is no trace. and even sacn W.
genuous dramatic effects change IRON ioud 70 SOL.
on yyos ct mortuoss frequent fcrcefui mpeuuois
Of anons IN tho phrase euius rcsni non crit NM
are employed spar4ngiy In short II wonaenuiS
successful essay in 1ed OF conposm'on 'ons -
deserted by the musicians OF Germany
In ,ts nerfornanee Mr.. Dsnrosoh and hts choir nss
h hsr ~ sour ouartets Of solo singers composed 81
ars Theodore Toedt Miss Adolph Hartdegen Mis- Anas
r. Kelly Miss Hortense pierce. sopranos hrs Vss'
nyes. Mrs. sarah Baron Andersons Miss helfesson
ma Miss Y. Boyer. confrsltos Theodore Tpefh WIZ
tam rsnuison. W III Reeer and Charles Clara senoH,
AND DIR. Carl Martin. Alfred Hallam, j. @ Dempsey am
Charles Hawley, bass The work Of these sngcss =
wen as the chorus was Surprisingly god ~ nIsCS
alsn from tho oresn) sscnl bssnning g ena ..s
Spprsciah,s detection. IN fbct ne Sasns ~ s.1
wen wen that It may s&isly b sss dovn = as NV