The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-10
MwELOPOIAS. SING.
Second Concert of the Season at the
First Baptist Church Last Night.

Line young ladleS VINO compose the
Melopoia have their duty to perform to-
ward society as we'll. At this season OF
the year 1t is incumbent upon them to aD.
pear at a succession of teas, of dances, of
receptions following one another at the
rapid rate of pre-Lenten festivities. No
matter how naturally beautiful the voice
may be, no matter how earnestly the
singer may try to give her best work, or
how thoroughly she, may appreciate the
merits of the composition, physical
fatigue will counterbalance 1T all AID
speak for itself in every tone. 1t is from
no desire to depreclate the merits of the
| Melopoia that attention Is called TO the
fact that the work of the chorus last
| night at the First Baptist Church was
probably the poorest it ever presented,
nor is it in dispraise of MI. .Baier's leader
ship,-rather to maintain that the
socisty's merits should not be rated from
last nights showing, and to congratulate
the conductor upon bringing out as
much as he did under such adverse cir
cu~instances.
For the first time within the memory
of the writer there was a contin ual ten
dency to drop in pitch. a fault bad enough
with a ~soloist; but fatal in part singing.
In the first selection, Homer Bartlett's
Fountain" the audience evidently at
tributed 1t TO the nervousness incident to
the opening of a programme, but as the
numbers succeed one another, culmip-
ating in Reeds cantata. 1.-THE Birth of
the OPAL" it was buJ too evident that 1t
was something that would not so soon
wear away. This unfortunate compo-
sition is highly c~ontrapuntal in character,
and depends for its effectiveness upon
the careful marking of the themes as
they are developed in the four parts.
This it was u physical impossibility TO do.
Add to this the failure to sing true, and
the result will not be gratifying.
But there were glorious exceptions.
One was the Gounod "Christmas Hymn"
variously known by its original title of
Noel" and as SO, Sing to God Your
Hymns of Gladness." The organ accom-
panimen5 by Miss Bula Caswell, sending
its rich chords around and through the
vocal h~armonies, here clear and defined,
the contralto solo OF Miss Nora L.. Fors-
ter. aud the triumphant peal of Miss
Florence Turner's soprano, never more
bell-like, combined to electrify the audi
ence, who would not be satisfied with
two recalls. Dregert's Spanish Ser
enade" was also encored. it would be
hardsto tell why, unless for the refresh
ing little solo by Miss Margaret Throck-
morton, only four bars long. but showing
q true clear mezzo. The last number was
Come, Sisters. Come" by Mackenzie.
The burst of applause that crested Mr..
William II. Rteger, the TENOR, showed
that the hearers had not forgotten his
fine work last year on the same stage.
There are those who declare Mr.. Rieger
the greatest tenor around New York.
and surely what was sung last night
would go well In support of the state
menu. He opened with a singularly
~tuneful recitative and a dramatic aria by
Gomez, responding with iii | But Knew"
There is something In Mr.. Rieger's voice
which for want of q better term is called
s Sympathetic quality" and when the
almost feminine sweetness OF the re-
frain had ceased, there was applause
never more deserved. BY way of proving
his versatility he sang Tosti's "Morrir."
"a song of passionate sadness, Pane such a
tender"Abend Stanchen" by Max Spicker
as grew positively affecting at "Du Bist
Meiu Traum i'm Stille Nacht." A pretty
feature was the we'll known Swedish
song "a Wee Bird Sang In the Linden
Bough" for tenor, With hummlng accom-
pauiment.
The cellist, Signor Enrico Scognamillo
made his first appearance with two airs
of Peigolese, the first the one Joseffy's
transcription has made familiar to piano
players. His second number comprised
two movements from a Goltermann com
position. The selections are not such as
to give one an opportunity of deciding
upon his dramatic powers. but in the
matter of techn1Qe, aud in the produc-
ton of a full sound even tone, he is
beyond question eminent. Mrs. w.
HunJer Brown deserves especial credit for
her piano accompaniment for the last sell
lection as well as for her sustaining
power in the Noel" Mr.. Baier was
Quoted in his usual understanding and
conscientious manner.