New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-06
THE FESTAL MUSIC.

THE FESTAL MUSIC.
The term festival except so far as II applies to
the occasion Of the meeting Will have to be LETT out
OF mind in the reviews Of the week OF music before u.s.
In cities like New-York and Boston, Music FESTIVALS
must be something wholly different than In cities
and towns where a dearth of musical organizations
oholrs and bands makes it impossible to graty the
desire of music lovers to hear works in the larger
forms whose interpretation demands extraordinary
forces The permanent organizations Of Newrf York,
every season meet nearly all popular wants OF TINS
character and satisfy every taste, and here Festivals
properly speaking, can only be meetings Which oner
that which is beyond the scope Of the ordinary con-
cers, either In the character OF the compostOnS OF
the interpreting forces. 1t is meet that so signhcaht
an occasion the dedication Of a temple OF music
to It's uses should be celebrated and that the musical
features Of the celebration should breathe festival
spirit In this view the music Of the first concert
was we'll chosen. Choral music is the offspring oil inc
Church, and though 1t is no longer mon0pohzed Dy
ecclesiastical institutions once 1t was, religion
si its foundation. 1t has often been observed that
our annual performances Of Handels Messiah nave
been developed into veritable religious functions, and
from those who so view them has always CONC
| the support Of our choral organizations. From a
purey artistic point OF vlow therefore, it was right
and proper that music which gave voice TO religious
sentiments should open and close the ceremonies.
Patriotism which in the classic age stood so close 10
religion that it could not be divorced from ", next
rut in its claims, which satisfied by the per
formance OF the national anthem Art, in the abstract
was represented by Becthovens third Leonore over
ture (which has come to be looked upon as marking
the high tide of absolute music OF its Glass; solemn
march by Tsehakowsky, (whose presence as the rep
resentative of school Of music belonging TO one Oh
the great nations OF the earth with whom the Untea
states has always been On terms OIL complete amVy
added greatly to the festive character OF the occaslo
and tile Te Deum" OF Berlioz which claimed Two
Gold interest because OF It's functional value and ar
tstic interest 1t would have hattered national pride
had some of the music performed been OF native pro
ductlon, but those who wish may tind appfopla"
symbolism in the circumstance that france luriseu
the opening and closing hymns OF praise, England te
national anthem, Germany the festal overture ana
Russia the festa malch-for thus the greatest ones
I'm the worlds family Of nations were permitted 10
make their contributions 10 festival celebrated IN
a country whose population for the greater
part from those nations.
II IS easier thus to justify the choice Of the
music than to justify tho treatment which some Oh
that music received. We are far from putting the
value on Berllozs setting of the Ambroslan Hymn
that has been done by some historians and critics In
the past Its importance, however and its effective
ness as praise service entite 1t to performance In
the chief city the New World yet to enable us cor
recty to estimate that Importance and fully appre
cate that effectiveness another performance, carry
ont the obvious expressed wishes and purposes OF
the composer will be necessary. Beroz designed II
as portion Of an epical drama in honor Of Napoleon
BonaDarte which he called The Return Of the First
Consul from his Italian Campaign" The surviving
relies OF his vast scheme to be seen In the III
srumental march Pour la Presentation des Drapeau'
and the magnitude and disposition OF the iorceS
employed in the work He imagined Napoleon rc-
turned from Italy with the trophies Of his victories en-
Notro Dams nd
with grand outburst of sound from all portions OF the
cathedral An orchestra Of 1874 instruments and two
chors OF 100 singers each were 70 send up thelr
voices from platform at one end OF the cauieuraI'
and grand organ was TO echo the ubllaton from the
other end Midway between the anuphonal FORCES was
TO be placed third chorus of 600 children, VINO were
to jon in the music at intervals as representatives OF
the CONGREGATION. Like other gigantic schemes OF
neroz the epcal drama was carried out on It's
original lines though the /" Te Deum' was comp"ted
and the march designed to accompany the preSehtuoh
of Napoeons banners before the altar for c0nsecrauon
All the music Of the "Te Deum' shows plainly that IL
was conceived throughout antphOnay; Indeed, with
out the res ponsive effects much Of Its beauty IS lost
The antiphons not only between the three cholrs
but also between the instrumental forces. Five stu
pcndOus chords sounded alternately by the orchestra
and full organ usher in the first triple chorus lie
Deum laudamus after each crash OF the orchestra
there is pause Of expectancy or as IL TO permit
reach the Otner Gnu Oh DeiOro
the answer is heard from the organ Each of the two
cboirs OF adult voices which Be.oz consots with the
orchestra is threevocod while the third choir OF chill
drens voices is OF sopranos and contaltOs that sing
in unison. To bring out the effect intended, which
lies greatly in the quality of tone emitted by this third
choir it must not only be separated from the choral
mass but also be exceedingly numerous the proportion
stipulated by Berlloz being as three to one200 in
the two adult choruses 600 in the chldrons chorus.
There is also a significance which ought not TO be
overlooked IN the ratio Of singers and nstTmentass.
All these conditions being disregagded, as VOL as tho
separation Of the chors singers, orchestra and organ
benc ALI crowded stage) 1t is obvious that last
NIGHTS performance did not furnish crit ,riOn for
,udcinp of the effectiveness Of the composition.
II was the third time that the TIE DeumD had been
rerformod in America. The first was on December 1,
1887 in Chicago BY the Apollo Club; the second on
January 90 1sss, in Boston, by the Handel aud Haydn
socicty In no instance have the composers prescrip
t,oos been even approximately filed. Vocaly the
ApoIlo Club of Chicago nearest TO the right thing
with two adult ch0irs OF 100 each and boys choir Of
300 but the orchestra inadequate there being only
~ instruments instead OF 1874. Last night the band
might have been set down adequate had there been
harms enough TO meet Berlozs requirements. but there
was great disproportion between the adult choir
of saw 500 and the boys choir OF 100 In Boston the
do,be choir numbered 400. the chldrens col 40 and
the orchestra about 80. There was, however better
deposition OF the forces made possible by the more
generous proportions OF the Music Hall.
Portions OF the "Tc Deum' are admittedly among
the most imposing OF Derlioz's compositions. The
Judex crederis' he himself set down his greatest
creation In his Memoirs" he defends himself AGAINST
r-ntinued n ss..rih Page.