Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-03
THE MOZART CLUB.

Opening Concert of the Thirteenth Season of
the Organization-An Audience to be
Proud Of-Other Features of Social In
terest.
The opening concert of the Mozart Clubs
thirteenth season came off very pleasantly at
Old City Hall last evening. 1t is good to no e
the size, quality and faithfulness of the Glen
tele which this leading local organization has
acquired through its dozen years of honest,
earnest work. 1t can now always depend upon
having at its regular concerts-as was the case
last night-an audience of 1000 and upward,
comprising really the best elements of the CON-
munity; and that in spite of counter attractions
or an overplus of other concerts near the same
date. This is as it should be-
Nicolars light merry and graceful overture
to the merry Wives of Windsor formed an
appropriate prelude for the cantata, Cowen's
Rose Maiden" to which the remainder of the
evening was devoted. The playing of the
overture was eminently pralseworthy from
every mechanical point of view; there was
welEbalanced body of tone, and the work was
AT all points clean, correct and full of life and
spirit. The orchestra that has got that far, Is
now ready for effective drill upon the finer
points of shading, phrasing and expression.
THE Rose Maiden" presents a pretty little
story about flower fairy who longs for love
and gets herself changed into a mere everyday
girl in order To obtain that doubtful boon. At
ter meeting with another girl to whom love had
brought pain through the desertion of her
lover she herself gets married and thinks her.
self very lucky. until death suddenly claims
her husband and she dies of grief, quite con-
vinced that love. whether early disappointed or
realized, brings more trouble than it is worth.
In the hands of Mr.. SchOpenhauer for in
stance, the story might have pointed grimly
philosophical moral. AS the libretto stands,
however, the story is simply an excuse for a
string Of pretty verses. from which everything
dramatic or philosophical is excluded as far as
well could be done.
Mr.. Frederic H. Cowen-a youth of Is, when,
IN loIU, he comDoSed this music as his opus s.
has been at even more pains than his librettist
to free the story from everything that might
crate on sensitive ears: the few opportunities
Tor dramatic contrasts and varied coloring he
has either passed over altogether or touched
very gingerly. The net result In a cantata fill
ing up an hour and a half with succession of
sweets that become glowing long before the
time is up. Some of them are very sweet in
deed; lovely lyrics that gave ample promise of
his matured skill in ballad writing. There
are few touches of color well
laid on; but precious few. The choral writing
is very simple, but shows here and there some
admirable effects in the moving and massing of
the voices. There is more real musicianship
IN the orchestratIon than in aught else; it is
interesting and often surprisingly skillful for
SO young hand. The string of very pretty
solos and duets is, however, beyond a doubt
what has kept the work alive for a score of
years.
The chorus turned out in full force last
night and all the singers seemed to be IN fine
fettle. Governs fluent measures were easy
prey to this spirited force. Too easy, indeed,
for about the only choral fault was ten
dency to sing straight away-from the shoulder,
SO TO speak-wlthou: enough attention to the
nice points of shading. In all other respects
the work of the chorus calls for high praise; in
purity and volume of tone it has never done
better. The orchestral score Of the cantata
was by no means so well treated; but it could
not expect anything but cold shoulder after
dallying so long on the way from England that
1t caused this concerts postponement and
could not be sufficiently rehearsed ITSELF Con-
ductor James P. McCollum and his PLAYERS did
all that could be expected under the circum-
stances.
Miss Grace Miller sang the soprano solo parts
with that rarely pure and sympathetic voice of
hers and gOodly amount of taste and senti-
ment. Miss Ella Semple, who took the con-
tralto part. made her first appearance as a SOLO
lst in the Mozart concerts and fully justified
her choice. She has sweet, rich, mezzo-so-
prano voice, without any contralto quality,
and she sang with ease and expression. Mr.
Joseph A. Vogel sang the tenor part with fine
art-too fine, in tonal power, to be heard at
first. though he warmed up toward the close.
MIR. Vogel has too good a voice to be held
under that way. Mr.. E H. Dermitt, suddenly
called on to take the bass part assigned to Mr.
ANDERSON, who could not be present, was in
excellent voice and deserves ali credit for his
manful effort at an impossible task.