New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-10
COLUMBIAN MUSIC.
COMPOSITIONS OLD AND NEW WHlCH
GLORlFY THE DISCOVERER.

a SUBJECT
bratOn OF the Inauguration Of the first President "i
the United states of America April 1853. that had
Il cy's citizens OF German blrth inc
nfTaIr would have passed oil without a single as
tnctivcly musical feature. As 1t was the part 'HaI
music played scarcely impressive. Members OF
German singing societies to the number OF 2OOo gave
g. monster concert In Madison square Garden at when
fe only niece of music performed Which had patriotic
or NatiOpal note in II "Thc star spanglcd
Banner" the melody Of which came 20 Us from an oiu
English drinking The Columbian celebration
this week Will be in different case, buh LOT 'lh
fact New-Yorl is again indebted chiefly to Its olu'el'
of German nativity. ard to tie ndomitable persistence
Of a single American composer. TINS Is not ue
place for criticism. least OF all for sounding hO'c
which will be discordant with the general icelhG oil
rejoicing National gloril, aCn but 1t VIII 90 no
]arm to say that when review OF the festivities Is
taken 1t viii probably be found that the grau'ude
which will be felt toward the German contingent OF
New Yorl's Population WIFI be Jaired with feeling Of
humiliation that the native exhibition in an artistic
department better adapted than any other to give
expression 10 fcstal feelings mcagrc and I'M
satisfactory.
1t IS AN extremely significant fact in connection
with the anniversary of discovery OF the western
Continent that the period Of time which has eiapseo
since Columbus achievement compasSes the Whole
IisOry Of music art IN the sense In winch VIC
now understand that term. Had the local committee
wished it so il might ave been an easy thhS III II
series Of two or three concerts 10 nave given al IN
position OF the growth OF modern music from The mo
nncnt i'm which it broke out OF its chrySllS and be
came thing Of beauty and emotional po'entialty
down 10 to-day The era OF Columbus saw the birth
Of artistic polyphony in the Church music OF Joaquin
de Pres. The first century thereafter closed Win ue
elimination of that style in Plcstrina. The begin
ming OF the seventeenth century witnessed the protest
or The learned Florentine amateurs and antiquities
against scholastic polyphpny and the rise of the art
form which developed into the opera and in our day
into the lyric drama. The romantic ieenlg WHICH
dominates music to-day outside the pale OF arr
four centuries ago, though it inspired the songs ana
dances Of the folk in the days OF tolhnlDuS
To-day the instrumental composers and vrtuoSi are
ranked among the artists. -Four hundred years ago
thew were handicraftsmcn who had no standing III
law and whose in the face OF society ana the
Church like that Of the perpateuc |usgierS
Md mountcbanks. Like the slroIihg players
Beeears they were with one consent,
And Iogues by act Of Parliament
For their better protection they were banded TO-
cether in imitation of the tradesmcnS and mechanics
guilds. The church could make no use oil ther ART
and the artistic musician, 50 called, who was wholly
servant Of the church, looked down upon the vulgar
song and dance tunes with contempt. The ptriciAh
,nnnesinCer and tlouverc had passed away to leave
the cultivation Of the art Of secular soneto the mas
tersingers and pleban taadist. To-day Tn" lhs'fu-
mental form in which the loilts ana purest
musical proolamationS made and the vessels which
and feeling Developments from The old pifoe"h
dances.
In this marvellous work of development Italy France
and Germany whose children compose 50 large ne
tor in the sum OF American population, have emery
been instrumental single concert assigned to each
nationality would have suliced 10 make an eloquent
exposion OF the progress which has been made III
music since Columbia like 4 mist rose INTO towers
But 1t was not be- and it seems If The sho" splrt
of the Bureau OF Music OF the Worlds Columbian IN
position will prevent any such feature from emo
bling the great international meeting at Chicago next
wear Instead the Bureau of Music will bend lis ener-
les TO the preservation of the Theodore Thomas I'M
cago Orchestra speculation and marSiaimg oil great
crowds of singers to do familiar things As II misses
and noise all that is wanted at an affair designed
originally exhibit four centuries OF progress IN cN
,izaon and the elements which make FOR the ehhs''eh
ment and mprC vement Of humanity
But turning from thought of what might have been
TO a contemplation Of what Is, the circumstance Is !"
he recorded that four musical compositions are to be
performed New York This week which were called
bto existence by the Columbian QuadrO-cenenary Two
nre works OF large dimensions ami ambitious purpose
tantatas-the performance Of which VIII call lor IL
large musical apparatus. chorus. 0rchest" ana SOLO
voices BESIDES Il csc there will lie Official march
for military bands TO be played in the parades, and
religious piece to BE- sung at the Catholic celebration
I'm the Music HILL Tuesday evening. The author Of
the march Felix Jaeger OF the religious piece, I:uno
oscar Klein. or the larger works the most significant
frOm a
composed by Mr.. d. Melamet, Of baltimore. in com
petition for a prize offered by committee OF German
American citizens OF which Mr. William Seinway is
chairman. The other IS composition OF mixed char-
acter which the composer Mr.. snaS g. Pratt. Calls
an allegory 1t IS composed in dramatic vein. ana
enlists number OF persolaces besides mixed chorus
and orchestra. Under tie auspices OF the Committee
q, OneJIundrcd 1t viii be performed tie Music Hall
his evening. That it has place The programme
IS due wholly the zeal and energy OF Mr.. Pratt Tor
the original plans of the committee contemplated moth
ing Of the kind. Mr.. Pratt organized choir from
singers who live Tor thc greater part III hafl"N ahu
Stamford, Conn.
II is impossible TO tell how often Columbus has been
the subject of a musical celcbn'ion. As operate
figure he came into existence century ago, but
ne has not fortunate on the stage as his sue
cessOr Cortez. who may vet be seen and heard &c
caslonay in Germany. and Indeed paid Us brief visit
nj the Metropolitan Opera House four years ago There
have been no less than eight Columbus operas, all OF
them Italian f. III Colon by Carnacer, lol1)
hut the great Christopher has not survived as an
operatic hero and the c0nqucrOr OF Mexico Is the only
naturalized American with which the contemporary
world has a stage acquaintance The operate death
list Is as follows: "Coombo7 by Fabric. 1888; 60
lombo, by Morlacchi, 1928: "CoOmbo,' By the
brothers Ricc composers Of dainty "Crispno Ia
Comare, 1880: Colombo by SangiOrgi. 174O; GO
Jomhos by Gianbinl. 1s4G: "CoOmbo." by BoueSSnl.
ls47 (pcrformcd in Havanna: Colombo" by Barbci,
1s48 Years after Columbus had disappeared from the
nperaic stage he suddenly developed into maIvcllousy
pop,ar concert room figure. Less picturesque In
dress-sult than In the gorgeous oggery Of spanish
cavalier he seems 10 have developed musical style
better adaped the taste OF the people Of today.
Yet II would seem the fact that the majority Of
these concert compositions date within the last half
dozen years that the later popularity is not wholly
ASSOCIATED from the anniversary celebrations Dudley
Buck wrote cantata entitled, The Voyage OF co.
umbus,p In the spring of 1856 1t was performed 10y
the Apollo Club OF Brooklyn in May Of Vhat year and
again in February. 1887. 1t has also been heard in
New-Yorl and Leipsc and Nay be said to have a
nj In OF mons singing