Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-28
A DAY OF MUSIC.
A Large Audience Listens TO the Cantuta at
Carnegie Hall, Though Strauss is Play
ing EIsewhere-Lovers of Harmony

1
Carnegie Hall, Though Strauss is Play.
| ing EIsewhere-Lovers of Harmon,
! Delighted.
THE Allegheny Musical Association gave iti
| third and last concert of the season a.
Carnegie Hall last, evening in the presence OF
fine audience numbering nearly. if not quite
l,5OO persons. 1t was pleasant to SEE
such turnout at this concert especially
in view of the fact that pretty nearly S.5Ol
people attended the much-advertised Strauss
concerts in the afternoon and evening. Some
lGQOO souls at important concerts in one single
| day; and this is Pittsburg the nations work
| shop. where art is generally supposed to nave
butt feeble foothold. Furthermore. this big day
| comes at the fag end of a season marked by an
extraordinary succession of important concerts.
Does anyone want stronger proof OF our town.
artistic awakening.
1t was very long programme that Conductor
Lanerty and his energetic co-workers prepared
last night. The cantata alone occupied Two
| full hours lacking but five minutes. and the
miscellaneous solo programme at the close
lasted until 10:45 o'clock. Yet scarcely any
body left before the last note was sung-a fact
that speaks well for the quality OF the per-
formance, and incidentally points the expedi-
ency of placing the famous foreigners AFTER
rather than before. the choral work.
TIE cantata was Dudley Bucks Legend of
Don Munio." Op. 50, with text adapted
from Washington Irving's Spanish Papers. 1t
was given in one of Mr.. Writings first May
festivals at Library Hall eight or ten years ago.
and is still suffi ciently fresh IN the public's
memory to need no detailed description. AS
the singing of the chorus progressed,
one soon noticed that the tenors
had received a material accession
in numbers and strength since the last concert.
They, with the overwhelming sopranos, quite
threw the bass and contralto division into the
shade At least, as far as power of tone is con-
cerned; for it cannot be said that the tenors
sang with greater accuracy or purity than the
other parts. Rather the reverse is true.
For the most part, there is small fault to be
found with the mechanical portion of the
choral work. The tame and insipid strains of
the IN oorish" women, singing 'In Praise of
Love, the balky reluctance of Don Nun,o's
1erky delivery OF the profanely italicized "Bat-
tie Hyrnn'-these are all the points worth adj
verse criticism.
On the other hand the chorus is to be spe-
c1ally credited for the admirable shading of
the Ave Maria'' and of the unaccompanied
"Jesu, Dulcis Memoria," and for the strength,
sol1d1ty and spirit of most of the other choral
numbers, notably the brilliant concluding
measures OF each part of the cantata. A
separate word of praise was earned by the
men in the hunting chorus at the beginning
and in the very soft staccoto whispers in which
they commented upon Abadlps "Entreaty."
A TOGETHER, Conductor Lafferty is to be
warmly congratulated upon the results of
his drill with comparatively new chorus in a
long and difficult work. His conducting at the
concert. however, was lacking in that com.
plete mastery of the situation that is so i'm
portant; his beat was not firm and decided, es-
specially in the solo numbers where-there
being no orchestra-it was simply farcical to
beat time at all. Mr.. John A. Bell had the
trying and laborious task of playing
on the organ the entire accompaniment-writ-
ten for orchestra. While it would have been
better to make less constant use of the pedal
Especially coupled) and OF the four foot stops.
stereotyped swell combination in solo accom-
paDiments would have been a relief, these
minor deficiencies should have but little weight
as compared to the accuracy and effectiveness
of the long and difficult score. The over
ture was excellently done and had its
effect; the bolero for orchestra Is decidedly un-
organistic, however. and might well have been
omitted. Mr.. Bells playing of the piano ac-
compartments in the closing miscellany was
eminently discreet and tasteful.
$50
pITTsBURG has not often heard a more salts
flying quartette of soloists than Mr. and
Mrs. Theodore j. Toedt Miss Gertrude Ed
mands and Mr.. Myron W. Whitney. Nor has
any other city, for that matter. The best Of it
was that these eminent singers did
not shirk the duets. quartette and
TO save up for their respective solo numbers.
The fine unaccompanied quartette, at is the
Lot of Friends to Part" had evidently been re-
hearsed most faithfully (nlirdbiLe dictu) and it
was sung with balance of tone, a unanimity
of style and a perfection of finish that is most
rarely heard from four singers, each of whom |
has some right to think his or her own indi- |
yidual taste quite good enough to go by |
without rehearsal. The game rare sympathy |
between the singers was observable In
by Mrs. Toedt and Mr.. Whitney-and was
yet more marked, il possible, IN the beauti-
full duet from Stainer's Daughter of JaIrus," |
with which Mr. and Mrs. Toedt closed the
M RS. ToEDT's voice-like her figure-has |
filed out and developed in the half dozen |
years since the writer used to drop in at the |
New York Dutch Church to hear Miss Ella |
Earle sing. Itis particularly round. clear and |
ucjous tone and is handled with much art and |
feeling. Her opportunities in tho cantata were |
well realized and, later. in Alban Forsters arch,
bright song. II Love Thee" she quite capti-
vated everyone winning a hearty encore. to
which she responded with pretty German
ballad by Max Spicker.
Miss Gertrude EdInands. another newcomer,
displayed contralto of much richness,
perfectly even IN all registers. In the cantata
she was usually associated with othars-sus-
tanning her part in thoroughly artistic man.
ner-and it was not until she sang the song
from La Gioconda" that she had first rate
chance TO shine alone. This familiar selection
she delivered in a most impressive style, full of
feeling and with no trace of atfectation.
MIR. Toedt has several times proved to Pitts
burg audiences what pure and flexible tenor
he possesses; SO IL is hardly necessary to tell
those who heard him last night that the
marked huskiness of his higher tones was the
result of cold, not permanent condition.
unfortunate circumstance. h0WnVnr |
lid not-as is the case with many
singers - blunt Mr.. Toedt's artistic
or lessen his endeavors
70 make the utmost out of the beGuJ reStes of
lis voice. So successful was he in this that he
received an exceptional amount of applause on
zach appearance. Mr.. Toedt is one OF the most
polished singers before the American public; it
vas positive delight to listen to his reposeful
,antata, as also of the pretty song by Victor
Herbert.
MIR. WHITNEY has not been heard for some
I'A years in better trim than last night. A
light roughness, at first observable In his
ugged, sterling bass, soon wore OFF, leaving it
cry nearly equal in quality to its best days.
lis very important role as Don Munio was
most carefully and effectively sustained
throughout. Afterward in Schumann's 1.-TWO
Irenadiers" " he sang with greater amount of
re and feeling that he used to exhibit 1t was
glowing performance well worth the storm of
pplause that could not be quelled by bowling,
mt compelled the veteran to respond with "A
farmers Home is the Sea-" another exceed
ngIy strong bit of singing.
The sister city is to be heartily felicirated
pom the record made thus far by her first per-
lament choral organization. c. w. S.
STRAUSS LEAVES TODAY.
In pIoved IN Two Great Audience. at Me.