Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-22
A Festal Occasion.

7 WAS very fortunate in the time Of my visit
to Venice. The Sunday of my stay there
was the Festa of the Redentore. There was a
great plague here In those old unsanItary days
when plaques were common visitations And
when at last the plague ceased without
nant put their money together and built fine
church as a thankotferiDg for their preserva-
tion, and ever since upon a certain
day they have held a high festival
All night on Saturday the streets were full
of people walking up and down. On Sunday
morning there were multitudes at the island
called the Lido watching to see the sun rise
There was a bridge of boats built across the
Grand Canal connecting the commemorative
church with the Cathedral Of st. Mark. And
great procession out of the church and across
the WIDE square and over the bridge of boats.
1t was such sight as one sees In Gentle
Bellinfs pictures. There was the beautiful
church-the most beautiful church in Europe
with its uplifted domes and its recessed IA
cade cleaning with golden frescoes. and beside
it the palace of the doges with its pillared por-
tico. and near by the great solitary campanile
rising up tall and stately into the perfectly
blue sky, and great flags-the flags of Italy
were flying from the huge fagstatfs before the
church, and across the piazza moved this gor-
geous procession of ecclesiastics In splendid
vestments with singing men and singing boys,
and banners and candles. chanting litany..
On Sunday evening military band played ID
". ..
cellent. One hears good music on all sides over
here, even from the hand organs. The selec-
tions made no pretense of being sacred" 1t
was frankly an instrumental concert. After
ward there were fireworks from the Grand
Canal before the doges' palace, the most elabo-
rate and gorgeous pyrotechuics ever saw.
One falls naturally into superlatives in think
ing OF writing about Venice. No other express
sion seems quite adequate.
Lovely Music and Stately Ce -emoninl,
ON Monday; in st. Marks, l heard the most
lovely music of voice and orchestra and
organ. and saw the most glorious and stately
ceremonial which the Roman Church can offer
out of Rome. Giovanni Battiste Soldini, a
gentleman of Verona, dying good many years
ago, left large beguest to found home for
old women and old men, and having thus dis
charged his duty toward his neighbor. provided
for his own eternal welfare BY provision that
every year upon certain day or series of
days masses should be said for the repose
of his soul, adding that in case the masses
should ever be neglected or intermitted the
sum bequeathed for them should 60 to a cer-
tain musical association in Milan. The masses
have never yet failed of celebration, and the
Milanese musicians have never seen penny or
a centime of the 6,C00 annual francs. One of
the terms of the bequest was that new music
should be composed for the masses every year.
so that the singing of the Soldini masses is the
supreme musical event of the year in Venice.
The church was full of priests In magnificent
vestments; the great pillars of the nave were
draped in black velvet edged with gold; in the
middle of the church stood monumental bier.
1t was like cheerful funeral
The mass was sung with wonderful tenor eff.
fects and fine orchestral harmonies. The
stately ceremonies were performed with digni
ty and solemnity and a noticeable absence of
tawdry and tinsel. MIR. Howells in his "Vene-
tian Life" notes how the conductor of the mu-
sic at the Soldini masses pounds with his
baton on the stone rail before him.
He pounds as vigorously and as
distractingly as ever. Rat-tat-tat goes
the aggravating beating of the unmusical stick
till one wishes that it were stout rod cudgeling
the obtrusive conductor. But there is no other
discard. Outside at the gates of the choir
kneel the old men and the old women who
have good reason to bless Signor Soldlni's
memory. The old men wear blue coats and
caps. and the old women wear white aprons and
white linen capes over their heads, and each old
woman carries red plaid handkerchief and a
green fan. Inside the chancel. candles are
lighted and blown out, and incense rises in
fragrant clouds. St Marks is full of people,
coming and going, some with prayer books,
some with guide books.