New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-26
DvORAKS MASS FOR THE DEAD.

The Church Choral Society at its second service IN
st. Georges Church, Stuyvesant Square last night
placed to its credit the first American performance OF
the REQUIEM composed by Antonin DvoTak for the
Birmingham festival last year. The society, uhder
the direction OF Mr. r. H. Warren. had efficient helpers
In a solo quartet composed OF Miss De we're, MISS
winant Mr. Ricketson and Mr. Fischer and an oyches-
ira O, sixty-fve men, most Of them members OF Mr..
seids organization The performance of the mass was
preceded by short choral service, and in place of the
professional hymn the orchestra played "aghers
aKaisermarch,s during which the singers, men and
women ID surpces took their places. The erect Of
the march under the circumstances was particularly
crapdose Luthers chorale Elm Feste Burg ist Unser
Gottp which is worked up In 1t. coming out with tell
Ing breadth Of effect.
When Dvoraks mass published by Novcllo.
Ever d Co. last November a review Of 1t appeared
In this journal The Judgment then expressed was
exceedingly favorable. 1t frequently happens that
music sounds better than it looks the printed page
II also happens occasionally that it looks better than
Il sounds. II It not that such a statement In THIS
case might receive too sweeping and uncompronising
o construction We would be inclined to make It,
The mass Is a remarkably daring attempt by the
Bohemian cOmpOser-almost too daring. II Is the
only sacred composition which we can recall at this
moment In which the device of using single phrase
as the basis OF each movement Is consistently carried
out. GounOd attempted II in measure In his Mors
ct Vita, but with much less persistence than Dverak
His fundamental phrase, too, was very different In
chancter DvOrsk constructs his work succession
Of tones which can scarcely be dignfed with the
name Of melody. II moves within the compass Of
three semitones only. Being a composer OF Infinite
ingenuity, particularly In the handling Of instr-
mental colors Dvo1ak achieves remarkable results from
his varied harmonic, rhythmical and instrumental
treatment Of the phrase but with an his Ingenuity
and learning he Is unable TO vary its emotional con-
tents sufficiently, and the result Is that his music
becomes monotonOus before the mass Is half finished
and when he longer irrtate curiosity 1t grows
weartsome
RMS, too sounds more sweeping than 1t is intended
10 be. Ii should be coupled with expression OF
hearty admiration for the dramatic effects attained
when the composer makes Of the phrases In various
Aythmical forms accompanying figure. In
this respect his loftiest and sustained Night is In
the " Dies irae," where he makes a great effort to
picture the the damned with MS instrumental
forces. Unfortunately this portion Of his composition
more than any other is weighted with reflection
TINT one the OF spontaneous utteance.
Compared with the stupendOus effect achieved by
Mozart with much simpler means, even by Verdi
with his theatrical Device the movement must be set
down as weak. 1t has a charaing middle portion,
however, In the tenor solo the words " Liber
gcripus proferetus" etc. In the use OF contrasts OF
voice COLOR and the Invention of melOdts used contra
puntally as the musicians say, the work shows
Dvorak In brilliant light and Is one OF the most
interesting compositions Tor tie musical student th1
has been heard for years. 1870
Much credit belongs TO Mr. Warren aud his society
Tor bringing Wa s"cf e wSFs w Was highly
credsble too, though marred at times by indecislon
and want Of seniority n ne b. cs M M sss w ySo
sang beautifully and displayed lovely voice Mr..
Fischer tribe hoarse' put noo , mania 10 Gc
sDjo onsrtnt Miss De Nerc and Miss Winant must
also be remembered gratefully.