New-York tribune., 1894-06-04
MUSICAL COMMENT.
CINCINNATI AND ITS FESTIVALS-THE L
CTTY'S CULTURE-SEIDL CONCERTS
NEWS NOTES.

DaD
nation because The Tribune's reviewer eXpresseu
the oninion that the choir not mp TO the
standard which he thought the Cincinnati leS'N"iS
of the past had set. Now the sober judgment Vi
the intelligent music lovers is asserting i'sei1 anu
n annenrs that after all The Tribune was rlght
and that there Is urgent need OF such O"''"s'
In methods will insure capable cnoir ioi 1 Lr,'
raxt festival Writing in The Cincinnati IT'D
une" Mr.. f. F. Tunison. for many years pro
fessional reviewer Of musical performances io' '''
Cincinnati newspapers. and himself cAu'cn
singer of prominence. says; ,
The writer has nothing to urge against the cholr
as body. and the same, viii be found aTuf ncy 0i
those critics who felt impeiled 10 SPEAK wnSe
that what they should have done would nave pee, neen
ADOPT the position sRHnd N hare hIs ad siege
the system followed by the MAY Festva' Hssoys a
On IN drawing Of rs fSTGss be found
in the choir IT Is as shng Of as Tehesrsas hes
sminations Of applicants are Instituted and con-
tnued for from two TO three weeks r.o1s NAM s
1nese sses " social diversion telling themselves with
charming frankness that they can n crop o OUT AZ
Vany more are moved by sincere interest IN
the work They have high aims ana pnrsue, me ,e
this class which suffer from The adverse criticisms ms
called down upon their devo'ed MeaS cited M above
bnt 70 proceed The seekers after entertainment
drop out OF line, with the hegn1lng M ,hG O se
and they remain until the close Of the wntsr ter 6i9
Sns Ssrs gear ers4 nas fGaf While the have
Sought other fields. The second season OF ,,ore Ir
ssistng' more seeking after social relaxation more
withdrawing with the entrance OF the honceY i.le
more more. and the festival but three months away
The old guard have TO sing over the muse nor lTr
ths hundredth time in fact. until many OF mem
sa sing Il without book for the benefit Of The
latest additions cnnafs ana 1ns "perrnsnent festival
choir This may be an expedent statement ou'
II Is untrue all the same , 80 =,
at no V.
% ,he association does not give heed TO the advice
that follows II It's choir will continue In the future
70 he what II has been in the last few fesuVals-
n choral society no better than half dozen IN the
United States and not so good as two OF 'hree
that might be mentioned. Four years ago the
crimes Star newspaper urged return TO the
original plan of forming the chorus-by union or
the singing societies OF the city and the towns
hard by-couped with careful supervision OF 'he
elements which these societies might oner Tor 'he
biennial affair. The advice was not Needed but
the soundncss Of the criticism Of the chorus was
of9cal,v admitted six months after the president OF
the association had denounced ii as malicious by
reorganization on the lines laid down In lsso wheh
the choir was made a permanent BODY 10 'he 'o'"'
disruption Of the city's regular choral acuViueS
1.-THE Times-Star continued It's discriminating ils-
cussion during the recent festival ana last
Wednesday read lecture full of sound sense TO
those who had been disgruntled by the remarks
OF the venturesome critics. ending thus
The man who finds weak places in the chorus IS
were a haniiet OF 10000 Instead OF 100000 inhabit-
ants. But it is the man who tries TO obscure 'he n
truth who his best to try TO retard the stea1y
growth of music by binding thai part Of ne pup
IL there are weak points in the methods OF orsan.
izine the chorus they should be dlscusse1 olehlF
and A. I Ts al anG T1 IL is not iet US find the
structural weakness and build accordingly for the
sense Of local pride which seeks TO cover faults
under undeserved praise serve but TO retard pTos
ment OF the musical art
That is the note OF true local patriotism although
sounded by a man born and educated in the East
with his powers of observation strengthened by
years spent in Europe-Mr. Robert I. Carter. To
have a horizon wider than the hills which encircle
the Queen City ought not to unft man to discuss
the musical affairs of Cincinnati 1t is not neces'
sarily proof of ill-wil 10 the festivals that The
Tribune has sent stan correspondent 10 every
one Of them since 1873.
There is a great deal Of true artistic culture IN
Cincinnati, and has been for generations 1t was
sincere and intelligent love for the art which pro
yided the leaven that produced the fermentation or
which the festivals the lovely product IL gave
distinction to the citys society In the days when IL
ranked Chicago and ST. Louis in population ana
wealth. When element which had contributed
nothing 20 the ctys excellent possessions gre"
tired of its strong and healthful conservatism.
however and introduced the registering and reck-
less methods Of the farther West. the real gentle
ness and refinement of the city were pushed INTO
the background In business the new methods
soon wrought their own cure. but along with them
there set In a tide of political degeneracy which Is
stin running so powerfully that IN the opinion o.
many observers there Is virtue in Tammany Han
compared with the ring that rules Cincinnati The
effect Of these things, socially can be seen IN the
attitude which the portion of the public that puts
itself aggressively in evidence assumes whenever
festival is given. Its expression is frequently reck
insincere.
like to say the truth that might make for the ad-
the truth must be suppressed lest it injure the
reputation Of the city and the business Of the festi
val As a result, the only utterances which are
wholly candid and forcefuI are those which come
noranee and vulgar taste After everything has
been pronounced glorious for week there is
light and frivolous Under fhese circumstances, il
festival Is that it Is an occasion Of more less
fashionabe dsspatSn WITH a. WHICH s serious % 'b 9nes
is ii-performed and for that reason. or another IS
Ssyoa Of hf the asenG at any
no pleasure. What form does Pubhs expires, res
OF two fragments from Rubnsteins Moses
last the prSTafs STss and spoass
men was tha. Of the Hindoo before his he
knew that It was qgl but ie fnss i % was h rea
in proportion to It's want OF beauty and its In
SsHb oi ssTs ana in ias 70 Sns' Se M
to leave the hall.
Such are the unpleasant reflections prompted by
a study Of Cincinnati's musical life. manifest at a
festival There others Of very different char
acter. 1t is evident that there is stirring Of the
bones that long ago dried up by the hot wind
of the later tendency. Recognition OF the need of
permanent orchestra has found loud expression,
and the Ladies' Musical Club is working 10 nll the
want. Ii Is also that no healthful progress
IS be had II the choral activities OF the city are
TO be summed up in biennial festival two
years famine cannot be atoned for by one
weeks feast. 1t seems probable that the promoters
Of the permanent orchestra scheme VIII succeed at
least IN a measure. Even II they do no more than
10 secure fixed number OF carefully prepared
symphony concerts by local musicians II will bc
something. They have attcsted the soundness OF
their judgment and the sincerity OF their aim 10
raise the local standard by refusing to divert their
movement from its original purpose and make
Cincinnati an arpanage OF Chicago by helping the
latter city support Mr.. Thomass orchestra. which
has lost the Arm financial foundation given 10 II
BY the three years subscription which has Just
expired II the agitations for orchestrs and
for such a chance In the organzation of the festi-