Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-19
THE CONCERT SEASON
Formally and Auspiciously Opened
by the Mozart Club.
THE PROGRAMME WAS JUDICIOUS
And in Its Interpretation the Organiza-
tion Won Fresh Laurels.
GOOD wOEK OF CHORUS AND s0LOIsTs

opened the Mozart Clubs fifteenth season
most auspiciously. Pittsburg's loyalty to
her foremost musical organization was well
shown in the size and quality of the audi
ence and in its abundant tokens Of apprecia-
tion throughout the evening"
The programme lasted just long enough,
and included judiciously chosen variety
of styles The chaste virile beauty of
Cherubini's "Anacreon" overture was we'll
relieved by the romantic loveliness of
Faning's chorus "Daybreak. After the
e1citingly brilliant close OF the familiar
scene and air from "Der Freischuetz,"
everyone was ready to sit back and enjoy
the balmy sweetness of Orlando's "Santa
Motto" And Bach's great Reformation
cantata, "Ein'feste Burg" transformed the
latter half of the evening into high festi-
val OF musical classicism and religious
fervor.
Since the Boston Symphony and May
FESTIVAL orchestras have played it for us in
recent years, one need not say much to-day
about the noble work in which Cherubini
paid homage to the old Greek odist who
sang of love and wine % centuries ago.
1t Will not be forgotten that this and
other overtures by Cherubini are rec
ognIzed models in that form of composition
and to this day maintain vantage ground
In the concert room tina. could not possibly
be claimed by tn. orchestral works of any
other Italian-born composer of his time.
Fanlng's chorus, although charming in botE
text and music, is we'll remembered from
former concerts of the Mozart Club, and
the "Freischuetz" excerpt would be called
familiar to the verge of triteness were it
not SO full OF beauty and inspiration,
A Coincidence That Was Odd.
1t was an odd coincidence that the very
modern orchestral moroccan by Orlando
should call to mind any work Of the CLASH
cal giant whose name followed on the pro-
gramme. The general treatment and GER
tain harmonic suspensions strikingly sug-
gested the well-known "Ave Maria" to
which Gounod harnessed Bach's first pre-
lude, which, by the way, tends to show how
far Gounod's clever parody is from the |
spirit of its original. Mr.. Orlando's piece |
was very pretty, but scarcely of enough i'm |
portance to stand alone in such a pro- |
gramme. 1t should have had q companion |
in brackets.
johann Sebastian Bach had to wait about |
15O years for fair first hearing in Pitts
burg. None of the larger works of the
here before last night Now that he has |
found favor in the eyes of the music conf
mittee to the extent of a halt-evening can
tata (and we really owe that to the Worlds |
Fair chorus scheme which the Mozart Club |
is to help carry out) the immortal Passion
Music may possibly be chosen for us some |
day. Let us hope it will.
An Old Familiar Hymn.
With Luther's well-known Reformation
hymn to prepare the way, the cantata
founded on 1t makes happy medium
through which to introduce the old Thomas
Cantor to a new audience. Everyone knows
the hymn, which is sung throughout the
world to-day with certain slight changes
from Luther's original version that were
impressed upon it by Bach in this very can.
tata. 1t is the eighth and last number OF the
CAP tata that gives us the famous chorale in
its present form, though the harmony is
simpli6ed in the current church
hymn books. In the fifth number the same
air is sung bv the chorus in unison as the |
CACTUS frnlus to the elaborate counterpoint
of the. orchestra. One variation of it is
given in the second number to the solo
soprano. while the bass executes a very
elaborate counter subject. Another varia-
tion of the air forms the theme of
the tremendous fugue in the first
number. Two recitatives and arIosos for
bass and tenor, respectively, a pleading
aria for soprano and strikingly beautiful
duet for tenor and contralto complete the |
cantata. The text, by Saloma Frauck, in
cludes several stanzas of Luther's hymn
and it is not at all to the credit of the
publishers that they employed certain |
reverend gentleman (Mr. Troutbeck) to
translate into what has been irreverentlv
dubbed "Troutbeckese" the words that
ILL koI 80 |
nervous English. 1t would have been bet
ter to print Carlyle's version on the pro-
yramme, even if the Troutbeck stuff had to
be sung.
Turning now to the manner in which
this varied and attractive programme was
it may be said at once that in
'ome respects the Mozart Club quite outdid
ITSELF
A Capable Body of Players.
Especially in the Two orchestral numbers
was this the case. The club has never be-
lore been able to muster such capable body
If local players. There were only IS of
hem and, of course, some desir-
ible instruments were lacking. But
he force was sufficient for most
IF the effects sought and the playing was,
IN the whole, most marked Improvement
IN past seasons. Although the accompania-
|
woeful muddle, and there were
many other passages in the accom-
,animents that could have been |
and more refined, the purely or
.hestral numbers were made highly effect
We. A superb climax was attained In the
apid movement of the overture and those
trident unlsons for the strings were given. {
Nth great spirit and clearness The Or
ando piece vas given in an exceedingly ,
ouave, effective Interpretation, which
moved the audience to demand its repeti-
ion.
The chorus earned the utmost praise for
he delicate shading and highly expressive
manner that it brought to the perform
nee of the Faning chorus.
This was distinct triumph
or body OF singers that has
ad to endure much criticism on this one
,oint of shading. The precision of attack,
he sonorous, well-balanced tone and the
Enthusiastic spirit that have always charac-
erized the efforts of this chorus were
II there last night. A somewhat
tropger effect might have been made in the