New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-30
TUE END OF THE FESTIVAL.
,,,ryxNATI HEARS DvORAK'S REQUIEM
MASS.
.,,r orrEN CITYs DETERIORATION IN MUSICAL
CULTURE AND THE DECADENCE
OF THE FESTIVALS.
rpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUHE1


Ipr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE1
c,,c,nnati. May 20.-The tenth May music festival
... 10 close with miscellaneous concert yesterday
e..~roon and a choral concert last night. At the
,'..., the chief work Dvorak's Requiem Mass.
...h Was performed for the first time in America
:. concert of the Church Choral Association in New
g., when as here, Miss De We're sang the solo
-no part Her associates were Nine. Ritter
o.r,,. Mr. Lloyd and Mr.. Holmes the latter Of
cncaso 1t was admirable quartet, fully capable
=, coping with the many difficulties of the work.
:. ,ouh be gratifying to say the same thing OF the
nsr but the truth forbids. The chorus singing was
.".s.d,nely defective the work evidently having not
IN sufficiently studied. For this Circumstance, If
.ourse the uncertainty which prevailed until last
s,.mber as TO whether or not the festival would be
a,sn this year was largely TO blame on the whole,
-. achievements Of the newly organized choir were
H,ehy cleditabe, though save in the Requiem" the
vsfk was not exacting.
Perhaps the finest result Of the meeting will be the
,Stusion Of the ctys choristers, and it has many
.ood voices and excellent readers, with interest
IN the festivals. Together with the financial outcome
~ the festival. this might go far toward rehabatng
,he institution, which has been in an exceedingly
sdtcal condition for several years.
Ills a fact which must be mentioned In explanation
Al the decadence OF the Cincinnati festivals
H.nne the last ten years that 1t has only kept pace
oueen CITY, There is everywhere apparent a ten
Seucy toward frfvollty which is in marked contrast
With The enthusiasm and reverence with which the
Masterpieces OF choral music were listened to when
thc festivals were younger. Now it is evident from
the attendance, as well as the talk of the public,
that the miscellaneous concerts are the most heartily
enoyed and that the social features ranked above
The strictly artistic in attractiveness There are not
few among the old patrons and supporters of the
festival who hankering after. an "opera festival
and II an entertainment like the recent Patti hippo
1rome In the Madison Square Garden could be given
here it would not lack social support
The financial success of the festival was put be-
yond question by the superb audience Of Friday
night. The receipts will be about $4,000. the eX-
penditures about 100000. To accomplish this result
a vast amount Of work has been done by the di-
roctors especially by W. n. Hobart, the president.
largely through personal solicitation, subscriptions
were received to an amount which left only $4,000
TO be acquired by the sale of single seats and general
admissions. The plan is one that Is based OH local
pnde and commercial ambition. not on art love.
Perhaps it is the more permanent for artistic short
comipgs do not affect the final outcome: but there
sre signs OF possible regeneration in the institu-
tion and II may he that the festivals will again be
come what once they were in the art life of America
and what the average Cncinnatlan affects to believe
they now. H. l. NJ