Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15
THE MUSIC WORLD.
What Compositions Plttsburg People
Need and Will Patronize.
CONCERTS OF THE MOZART CLUB.
A Choice Programme for the 17Sth Recep-
tion of the Art Society.
THE BARS AND SPACES EVERYWHERE

I The Mozart Clubs festival concert with
the Boston Symphony Orchestra have
proven their right to rank among the most
artistic and delightful musical events Pitts.
burg has had-as may be seen in detail in
the reviews of Friday and Saturday and
elsewhere in this issue. Much fine music
has been interpreted by splendid force of
performers and in a manner to be remem-
bered with liveliest pleasure.
1t is a pity that the Mozart Club comes
out with a deficit, estimated to be some.
cause is the same that has long hampered
the growth of music in our city, namely, the
lack of an adequate music hall. Old City
Hall cannot hold enough people at 50 a seat.
outside of the space occupied by the large
| body of associate members whose annual
| subscription amounts to only 81 a seat,
| to pay the expenses of any of the
concerts given by the club with this orches-
| ira This year it was hoped to come out
| ahead by adding an extra concert, outside
| of the regular subscription series, so as to
have larger proportion of full-priced seats
to be sold. The plan would probably have
| succeeded if the club had only designated
one of the concerts with varied programme
| and greater soloists to be outside the sub
scription series. AS it was, each associate
| member was generously left to choose for
himself and most of them chose the first
two concerts as offering the artists and
works they were most curious to hear.
The "Elijah" performance was of course
less attractive to all who have heard the
oratorio repeatedly, and not so long ago by
almost identically the same performers. 1t
was a mistake to select that work for this
occasion, even if Mr.. Henschel had con-
sented to sing the title role, as he was ex-
pected to do so when the choice was made.
With the dozens of great choral works from
Bach's Passion Music (not to mention Pal
aestrina) down to Dvorak's new Requiem
that have never been heard here, it is un-
profitable to permit a few works to monop-
olize the best opportunities for performance.
Repetitions of standard oratorio rank
ing high up among the greatest, are, how
ever, vastly more desirable than repetit1ons
of some other things. Berlioz, Goldmark,
Wagner, Weber, Saint-Saens and Tschai-
kowsky were the composers represented in
MI. Niklsch's orchestral menu, as originally
made up. And nearly every one of the
pieces had taken up space on one or more of
the precious few fine orchestral programmes
given here in the past two or three years.
Not one of them holds anything like the
rank among orchestral works that "Eli jah"
does among oratorios.
Pittsburg must insist hereafter on having
programmes designed to meet her peculiar
position. She is the late guest at the great
music banquet; the others have long finished
discussing the earlier and more nutritious
courses and are most interested in the game,
the salad or the dessert that are still before
them. Should Pittsburg be served with
quantities of Goldmark salad, before they
have opened for her the she'll of the Bach
oyster, before she has slipped the clear, fine
soup of Haydn or Mozart, or has more than
nibbled at the rich, full Beethoven
roast? s.. -.
Ridiculous metaphor aside, this city
needs to hear great many standard giving
works, those that have delighted and ad-