New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-02
MUSIC.
HANDEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA

nounced by The Tribune the doubling OF the wind
parts OF Mozars additional Accomplishments to Han
des messiah" at the annual Chilsunas-tlde perform
ance OF the oratoro in 1855. On the suggestion offered
to Mr. Dnmrosch at that time that If ho wished 10
turn TO purely Iandelian mode of performance he
might do so by discarding the additional accompanl-
ments written by Mozart and reinforcing the orchestra
which would remain by a choir OF oboes to play IN
unison with the von and choir OF bassoons to double
the BASES In the tutu parts the energetic young
ductor OF the OratorO and symphony societies. acted
last Saturday night. lie described the performance
as an experiment" and II Is to discuss the methods
adonted and the results attained that this article is
written.
Mr. Damrosch last saturday night had an orchestra
comoosed as follows Twelve first vions eleven sec
oud volIns six vICloncelos, six double-basses, four
first oboes four second oboes. four bassOOns. three
trumpets and tympani. In preparing the performance
Mr. Damrosch used the original score, and edition
which gives the original and Mozarts additions in
different tvpes lie cut out all OF Mozarts wind
narts and restored the original trumpetpa (simp-
fed in the Uallelujah." where Handel sends the first
,rumnet nm 10 in att and the drums In the two
Numbers in which they employed. lie introduced
the organ freely to fill out the harmones in the songs
where the excison Of Mozarts additions left the music
empty and also to strengthen the choral fortes. Mr..
sealy who played the organ, fulfilled his delicate task
with much taste and SKILL though his best effects in
lie was Desplsed'l were obtained by borrowing the
6guraon which Mozart gave to the wood Instruments
Az a rulc Mr. Damrosch had his rlpen play in unison
with the strings, though he was obliged 10 Simplify
the oboe parts occasionally In the air Why DO the
Nations on the whole, his treatment Of the instiu
ments was tasteful and comparatively effective.
1t is very late day TO discuss whether or not
Mozart and others right in adding 10 Handlers
orchestration. The question has two sides one con
tha sical student. who be "A puftSt III
he wishes and endure things which are offensive to
his ears out OF large Of devotion - the letter
OF the old law; the other concerns the public This
pubic need suffer nothing IN Its artistic conscience
If it finds that the genius Of Mozart or the learning
and skill of Franz have made Iandel's music more en-
iovabc than 1t would have been If left In the original
package" The discussions that have been called out
by the reorchestraon of old works have been too one
stdedly conducted Even In the Of The Messiah
they have ignored fact In which license might DC
found for the whole vast apparatus which sir Mcaci
Costa loaded upon the score In bis festival arrange
ment. We have the evidence of the score that fauei
was satisfied with the strings plus trunpe'e
In three numbers. puts tIumpets ard drums IN TWO
Others and plus that unknown but surely significant
ouantity. himself at the harpsichord organ. But
we also have evidence that he and those who Knew
him and came after him and carried on his work "eIV
willing always all the Instruments that caihe 10
hand In the orchestra brought together for the last
performance OF 1.-The Messiah which Handel was
advertised to conduct The died before the concert DAY
camel there two horns In an orchestra OF thry-
three instruments. What parts did these horns play
No one knows They could not be used like the
r,yieno Instruments At the first Handel commemorar
ton conducted by the Joah Bates who could tesufy
from personal observation how Handel had played his
own Accomplishments, there were six flutes, tweiVe
horns and six trOmbones In the orchestra ana ie"
wears later al repetition Of the celebration Wesmns-
xto t%s,ftnO ~ or
flutes the Haring Of nne trombones, the mellow song
of twelve horns and the abysma groans OF serpent
The Handel cult never reached higher plane than IL
occupied few decades after his DEATH yet we 90 no'
hear that the musicians and critics OF that DAY con-
dcmned this extraordinary apparatus as suovesVe OF
Uanders intentions In point OF fact 1t w1 ]usunod
in their eyes and might be justified IN ours by the
practice Of strengthening the strings Win sooes ana
bassoons. Handel was choral writer; no conceived
effects inmeasurnbly vaster than he wns ever PRIV
legged 10 hear because Of the small oholrs OF his day'
and I've employed his Instruments TO give weight 70 DIS
voices He was not an instrumental composer hhc
Each who had sense OF tonal color infinitely greater
and more varied than Handeps, and who therefore
employed his orchestra very differently. The style OF
Uandel's choral accompaniment is such that their
spirit is not hurt in the least by the employment OF
sonorous instrumental apparatus. AS for the accom-
paniments to the airs the need OF Hing ont their
harmones is confessed by the circumstance that
formerly that task confdd TO the conductor at the
harpschod or organ The old art Of accompanying from
figured bass is lost and the substitute offered by the
additional wind parts written by Mozart is surely to DO
preferred TO the productions Of the first best player
who happens to be on hand to-day. Mozait' without
narrlng Handel's music, has reconciled 1t with the
taste Of to-day and enriched 1t with new beauties
which II Is easy to believe Handel woud have ad-
,nlred and approved had he been privileged to hear
them.
Tor ha nuectinN the abstract. Ther6 Is
another and more vital side 10 the discussion. We
have grown accustomed TO the work as 1t has been
universally performed for 100 years More than THIS
we have come TO admire the genius Of Handel largely
stance, which must have been brought home to every
hearer last saturday night Beethoven on his death.
strike ike a thunderbot." he could. but what was
a crashing effect $50 years ago may seem tame ana
Of the art it was simple and ingenious who
does not smile at the story OF Haydn's surprise
ympnony Is INIT Gsne i oe chord ,f Sod
startled its hearers' SO last saturday night when ne
nnto ne Child is born" or the epthets Wonderful
Counsellor ~ etc. the thnnderbot that fell was ,ue
anticipation s how Disappointing the result Those
crashing chords sounded empty though the VOICES aa
weTe snss %or %tn w s % to
P isadc when he added the brass and drums How
nu'' yhw Do the Nations ~ and notwithstanding oil
been ss s by the P a hS. %sh wSs s
Darkness when those exquisite wood wind voices were
ienced and the vocal melody comPee to staS along
unison of strings TO keep 1t company. This air fnr
nshes favorte argument to me oS!eotors 70 a sS
Tnnantly mistaken It's sentiment, which is not one Of
gloom but Of comfort: The people that walked -. IN
SarIn..s have seen great light they that dwell 10 the
Land Of the shadow OF DEATH upon them hath the light
shined" . .,.h ,,or,,oa A.. ooo,ran,mont IN
h,. eng was characteristic OF everything In the per
tn,mance save In few instances. the most striking
~ Which we have already mentioned when tho organ
jst did n deed OF bcnevolcnce akin % that done by
Mozart. The tone color was monotonols and th On.
sainn NJ loud and soft wearisome. only once did
10 nrcis,on of matter contributed by Mozart seem IT,
US an Improvement The ioSnimg Of the %a nnn
ahn" Contributes factor which Is not small TO the
appsn character Of the music Which Is In o such
rh setting IS not Justified by the excelsior Of The
aaccsto chords but inconsistency is rendered little
] ...L.lll.r lALla u.larn M