The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-26

eral interest is aroused and local pride
helps to bring people who are not musical,
as we'll as those who are, to the support of
the enterprise. And by bringing every
body out 1t acts as n popular educator and
awakens the love of music in people who
might otherwise never be reached. Ii is q
great thing to bring together 8 number of
artists able to handle q great masterpiece
. thing that, under ordinary circumstances.
nothing but the festival can accomplish.
and even then there are more difficulties In
the way than you imagine"
DO You rave to contend much with the
disposition to judge the festivals q success
or failure by financial resultsf' was asked.
"Ah!"r replied the great director quickly.
there Is Just where you people of the
press might do humanity q great service in
teaching the American people the difference
between an art standard and q money
standard. 1t is the desperation of the
average business man to cast mp results in
everything on a basis of dollars and cents.
Does 1t pay expensesf Now what in the
world has that got to do with a great work
OF art-of musical arti Does q great
picture payf Does q noble pile of
be asked with just as much reason
as whether a great musical event paysi OF
course they pay. and usually the more
they pay in pleasure. in education. in salts
v Al II opEOdOtDk tM0 lONO III Il
the less they pay in money. When you
pay your money for one of these concerts
you are not buying a dollars worth of
music; you are contributing that much To
the expense fund for the general good.
You may get q hundred dollars worth; you
may get very little. according to your love
and taste for music. Then another point
we have to contend with is the demand for
quantity. So many people think the best
music to be had 10 the most music. with
little OF no regard to the quality of it. A
thousand or more college students together
can make q great deal of noise. but they
do Tot usually produce much music.'
After a while the conversation drlfted TO
critics. of whom, as q class. Mr.. Thomas has
An opinion. Artists usually rave opinions
on this subject. Ask a painter to define the
art critic. and he will tell you that the man
who makes q failure in art usually trades
off his brushes for q pen, and proceeds to
tell artists how to paint. 1t is an ancient
belief among musicians that the man who
makes q failure in music usually becomes
either a critic or q piano.tuner Musical
criticism" said MI. Thomas, il zone
of those things that is past finding out. Ii
o man who knew nothing about law was
to go into one of the courts and begin tell
ing what be did not know. they would put
him out. If some fellow who knew moth
ing about medicine went about trying to
tell physicians how to treat the sick, he
would not be tolerated. Now, why Is it
that everybody can have his whack at
ulu6lCI i dekcQ ONO Oi blS66 IolfOW8 OnC6
why he did not criticise my shOee-he
knew how to make them just as well as he
did how to make music. and he was not q
shoemaker. either"
The Rehearsal.
Last nights rehearsal, with all tho Der
formers present and Prof. Carl Barus di-
recting the orchestra. gave promise of an
artistic musical success for the festival.
The usual preliminary adjusting of the
chorus to the acoustics of the hall was not
noticeable, and the introduction to the
"Stabat Mater" was given with an assur-
ance that added to its merits. Mr.. Emil
Fischer. Miss Juch, Nine. Clara Poole and
Mr.. Lavin were the solists in attendance.
Mics Juch. with her accustomed gracious
ness. managed to sing partly to the chorus.
and that suggests that Indianapolis ought
to appreciate the sacrifice q chorus
R Rssr e the ms sofols ts t. s'iH the 0S Ss.s ado d.
vantage. The fact that Miss Juch
and Nine. Poole have been together so often
in operate troupes. and have so often sung
Requiem and Hymn of Praise" gives
each a confidence In and a thorough knowl-
edge of the others manner of singing. Tie
sopranos of the chorus were especially
strong. clear and full, and sustained their
Independence over the great umbe of
BASES and tenors. 1t Is to DE hoped. though,
that these singers will rise and be seated
simultaneously. There was n lack of pre-
cision in this particular that somewhat
marred their general effectiveness.
For those who care for the heroics
in music, the numbers four and six
of Verdi's Requiem" will be likely to
satisfy the cravings of the most extreme.
The soft Italian s~yallables suit perfectly
the music of the ''Stabat Mater" and the
Requiem" and it gave pleasure again to
hear the round, concise English words in
the Hymn of Praise" The ~soloists en-
gagged for the festival all speak English
perfectly. which is q very gratifying thing
to look forward to in the Lobgesang. The
several hundreds of people holding season
tickets availed themselves of their privi-
lege to hear this rehearsal, and gave evil
dence of their satisfaction with q number
of the choruses. The ~soloists were in per-
feet voice. and as they took their seats.
were given welcoming applause from the
chorus. The singing was exceedingly good.
and with the stimulus that q great audi
ence will give, there ls reason to believe
the festival this year will rank with any
given this month in other cities.