New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-05
4 COycERT or FAUST" MUSIC.

,-ha concert OF the German Liederkranz WHICH,
took place in the societys hall last night was oe
voted TO music inspired by Goethe's Faust IL
was n beautiful idea thus to celebrate the H'e"o'y
OF the great poet. and spirit OF most aihaoie GU.
,huslasm prevailed among singers and listeners all
,,.,ir,, finding lts climax when excerpt from
the opera Faust composed by the society . cum
ductor Heinrich Zoei,ner, had performance ~ 10
s,fe To say that other literary work mas eAerte"
such a fascination upon musicians as roe'he HAS
terplece II Is impossible to name all the composers
who have undertaken to give either rs words OF
IA. feelings which II has awakened musical invests
,,ra The names OF Prince Anton Radzwill Lind
pa,ntner Rel,z. Gregoire ADAM Lassen. Spohr'
Schumarn Beethoven. Schubert. wagner L'szt'
Her,loz Gomn0d. Boito and Ioeliner occur as "or-
thv OF mention. Singularly enough, those wh"
stand in the foremost rank among these men. ike
Reethoyen Schubert AMI Wagner. confined tnen-
ssves either 10 setting the incidental songs OF the
drama or 10 writing instrumental compositions. IN
vhic, they sought TO give expression 10 i's emo
t,onal contents. Wagner wrote an overture Lisze
a symphony; Schumann set seFefai Vi wv
sc.,es If which the epilogue belongs to
Lis sublimest inspirations; Prince Radzi"''l
talented amateur. wrote between-acts music Tor the
drama and SGT its lyrics; Spohr. Gounod Boito ana
Zoelln.r wrote operas: BeTlioZ. whose Work mas
won greater popularity than that OF any other COM
poser save Gounod. composed monsrei 'nihs'
which for want OF a better title he called ORA
I.ogpnl.' SpOhr = opera mas ilAiie SohhSSN'oh
with Goethe's poem; GounOds treats only the love
s,orv OF it's first part and that as everybody
knows in Frenchy and sentimental manner; boito
tried to compass the whole idea OF Goethe, aho
drew some of his material from the mystical Sec
ond part Of the great philosophical drama Out sue
cealed only in creating series or scenes fuiI OK
nower and beauty but deficient In dramatic ana
oroarI, unity Mr. Zoensr's opera Is unique among
tho dramotic versions in that Il makes use OF the
text OF the original. greatly condensed as matter
of course since much OF II does not iehu i'se'i !"
musical compositions and 20 have used IL all woua
have extended the work to impracucaple ul"eh-
.ons II was composed between 1882 and 1870 ana
had It's first performance at the Royal Opera or
Munich in 1851. so far as we know. none OF 'ls
music had a public performance IN America oeior7
last night when Lillian Blauvelt and Max lreu-
mann sang the Garden Scene
The programme of last nights concert was as
follows: "Elne Faust Overture" Wagner Song
q, the Angels cRosen. ihr blendenden." from Part
III for women's voices mixed chorus and orehes-
ira Llszt, composed for the celebration Oh mo
hundredth anniversary Of the poets birth IN
Wemar. in 1912; bass air from sponrs opera' pro;
duced in ISIS. sung by Emil Fischer, me lever
Song from Gounod's opera, sung by MISS pau,
velt soiya Regina for male chorus ana s snS
IietzcD. by schubert the organ aceompan1inmenss
Of the ons for Of solder and sa
dents and Ride to fiell' from Beriiozs Dam.
nation de Faust" the unsoral chorus in the last
Scene OF Mr.. hoellners opera; scene In the Cathe-
dra between the Evil Spirit and Gretchen. from
Schumanns music to. Faust" and the number
beginning, "Cerettet list das edie Gled' C'lne
noble spirit now is free and saved from eyl
schemng," in Bayard Tayiors translation the solo
parts sung by Miss Dlauvelt, Miss Breaker; Miss
Drifting, Miss Balck Mrs Schmidt, Miss Schne:
der, Mr.. Graf and Mr. Fischer In the Cathedra!
Scene the solos were sung by Mrs. Erdtmann ana
Emil Fischer. "
With the exception of the compositions by l.is1t,
SchuberI and XOellner, all the music was familiar
The Schubert number haa business IN the
scheme. though a note in the book OF words pre-
pared for the concert attempted justihcation
of its Inclusion the ground that Goethe IN
several instances gave expression 10 thoughts cosey
related to those OF the old Latin hymn. In MT.
lines.
Sag wer hat gegeben.
Dieses I.eber?
Nlemals wird es uns genommen.
Dies Willkommen."
which are not found In the drama, but were written
by Goethe for Prince Radzlwli, evidently TO enable
him 10 write duet In which the lovers might sing
simultaneously. Mr.. Zoeiners music Is MODERN
In spirit, decidedly imprisoned In parts. rlch In
color, though not so unconstrained In expression az
might have been wished. Its most spontaneous part
seemed TO us to be the brief monoiogue OF Gretchen
after the departure of Faust, beginning ''Du leber
Colt. was 50 elm Manu. Nicht allies, allies denken
kann' In which the simple almost rude. nature or
Goethe's heroine OF which there IL scarcely a trace
In the familiar French OPERA has most delightful.
naive and truthful expression Miss Blauvet Mr..
Treumann and Mr. Fischer were In admirable voice.
and sang their solos cxcelently. The orchestra was
enthusiastically applauded after the performance Of
his duet.