New-York tribune., 1891-09-23
THE WORCESTER FESTIVAL
BRUCH,s sARMINIUs' GIVEN AT THE FIRST
PERFORMANCE.
AN ADVANCE IN THE CHARACTER OF TIN
TmRrY-roURTH ANNUAL PROGRAMME
THE MANAGEMENT EMERGING
FROM ITS CONSERVATISM.
r.v rYt paR.pR tn TIE TnIRurnr
tBY TELEGRAPH TO TEE TRIBUNE r


Worcester Mass, Sept. 22-The first formal conssst
OF the thirty-fourth ANIMAL festival OF the woesss
County Musical Association given here this even,
ing Il had tecn preceded by q day Of prcpars6sy
rehearsals on Monday and amoYphous sort d
entertainment, called an "Org9n, Harp and Song
Recitals this afternoon. Looked at as part Of As
festival scheme the artistic value Of this entertain,
mont was. to say the least, enignstieal The onczl
announcement Indicated that the managcments A.
tltude toward IL was what the Germans call aep
motheriy.s II was not dignined with the deagnatsa
of festival concert perhaps 1t was respect for ns
real nature Of choral festival that led the manage
mcnt to refuse IT the title.
The management has expressed change OF heout 4
late II the programme of this festival Is criterion
II has put aside some OF those relics OF old singing
convention days which used to discourage visitors who
came to Worcester in the hope Of seeing the nobs
festival apparatus put to uses which would advance
the taste and widen the knowledge OF tie community
The recital was merely bit OF the old stag OF which
the furnace had not been cleared IL served Two pur
poses dear TO the Board OF Government IL displayed
the ORGAN I'm the Mechanics Hall, and tradition 10
qures that this organ sban be heard as solo nst.
ment. not merely as a support for the chorus. THIS
tradition is amable. 1t also added eight names b the
list of solo performers. This purpose has all along
been supposed TO have value in the advertising depart
ments Some day the fact that this value Is wholly
fictitious viii be recognized, and quality as opposed
to quantity will then come into Its own In antleips
ton OF the speedy arrival OF that day, The critically
inclined who forced 10 the conclusion that both
Of the specified aims Of the recital were III served
this afternoon afford TO be gracious ard hold thor
peace touching the details OF the entertainment Tie
nerforrners were G. W. Morgan and Miss Maud Morgan
OF New York; E. NJ. Heindel and Paul Fox, nauust;
Laura NJ Burnham, Kathinka Pailsen-Whle, Ada
May Benzing and Herbert johnson, singers. Faudsis
and singers came from Boston.
have said that the festival management seems to
have experienced change Of heart This had 10 coma
as a matter Of course. Nobody, am sure, Is hap
pier over 1t than the manages themselves though only
short three years ago they inclined to look upon
the unhappy critics who advocated change OF policy
as pestiferous set, anxious to make propaganda ior
Wagner at any cost. OF course Wagner had nothing
to do with the case. Any one Of those whose crit
csms thus revously misunderstood In spirit and
misrepresented in matter would have probably said
that wagner's music is quite often out of place as
is IN place at choral festival What was needed was
more worth in the instrumental portion of the festival
less antiquity, monoony and commonplace IN the chord
and more dignity tbs work of the solo singers IL was
simply grevous, from artistic poiLt OF view, that
sentimental ballads should be paired with the music Of
Beethoven and Handel The association was thirty
wears old and had not yet discarded its swaddnng
clothes 1t had outved the convention period, but 10
effect was perpetuating convention methods 1t had
grown prosperous In a region proud of the musical
talent native there yet IL lfuScd 10 encourage young
composers. It's patrons had long been old enough to
eat of hearty pahuum but the association Insisted on
feeding them the pap Of babes. All sorts OF social aud
religious whms and sentimentaltes were humored.
but no one seemed to inquire whether anything
was doing to advance art Yet the association pFac-
ucalIy was the sole trustee OF music In this 'ocuoa
of the Sssat Commonwealth OF Massachusetts
The official programme this year Is fairly 2eppered
with aserisks indicating first performances In Wogces
ter. These some Of the works WHICH are u@s
characterized as novel, here echumanns sympnohy
in D-minor Gregs music 10 Peer Gynt,' the familiar
air for soprano from SaT1son and Dalah, an excerpt
from "Segfied," the prize song from DIE Aeisses
singer arranged for violin solo, the ballad from I'M
Flyinc Dutchmann Rutdnsteins pianofore concerto N
D-minor, and HandePs g. Israel in Egypt" There aTs
other works which could not have expected 10 hear
here and several new compositions. Of them say
nothing; the list quoted suifces TO indlcate no"
strangely Indifferent the Board OF Government ana MF'
zerrann have been 10 modern taste. There were
doubtless good and sufficient reasons for conservatism
but in this instance conservatism that had gone
IN seed new breeze Is blowing through the valley
of dry bones and have yet to learn that any one mere
fears that the draft threatens Ill to the consuuuoh
the association. Financially the festival Is an as
surcd success, and artistically, it promises 10 %
full of interest for the present ana PROMISE
for the future. II not the Nunc Dlmitus'
least the DOAOlORy, HnSnJ UV ihVoNNN
reverence an appropriate expression Oh leenns Va
the part of the friends OF music.
The work sung tonight was Bruch's dramsuo c1
tata dt is called an oTtorio In the book despite |"
secular subject and text Arminius." 1t has 0e0n
performed twice before at the Worcester fesuVSA NV
each time little better than tonight. 50 far ss ue
general effect is concerned. It's most satisfactory
feature was the singing Of Signor Campanlni SAo
threw himself into his work with great energy anu :
whole sOulcd devotion which was denghuoi! a.
spirting. He created great enthusiasm ana au
scrvedly. The music is splendidy enecuve lni lt,h ~
color and the kind of dramatic forcefulness Nmvn
MendelsSohn knew 50 well how to blend with meoe.o
dow in the vocal parts Its most dncuit emo 80.
were dscreety omitted, but no one cared Tor NAV
The very trying part for solo contralto was sns ~
Miss Lena Little, who struggled hone',g ~ drsmatie
fire and vocal gifts Of Materna dSto9 dhe 9'ne1 most
cipal was Mr.. Heinrich Meyer, OF Boston; .asm.s
agreeable singer but lacking in the drams,e s'9ure
also demanded by this part " "
"BOYS AND GIRLS AT THE NEW PARK.