New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-26
RUBINSTEIN'S "MOSES' GIyPS
AN UNSATISFACTORY NOVELTY AT tn,
CINCINNATI FESTIVAL.
DIFFICULT CHoRUsEs AND GRorEsor,r nm
sCRIPTIvE MUsrc-THE FESTIVAL
FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Cnr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.


rBI TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUyEl
Cincinnati. May 25.-The weather has 90. &.
bright, dry and warm, and an overwhelming anan-
cial success IL assured for the Music Festive,
Yesterdays two audiences numbered over 4OOO ssch
At the fifth concert tonight the attendance was .
few hundred smaller. but tomorrow the LAST To-
concerts will test the capacity OF the great han
The promise Of four brass bands, In addition IN n,
large orchestra. is an attraction not to be with
stood
The incidents Of to-nights concert were the pe,.,
forrnances of Brahmss beautiful Song of ps.
tiny" and two fragments from Rdbinsten,.
Moses" In the former composition the choir da
work which might ordinarily have been voted faI,
but which deserves the predicate brilliant vbsn
compared with the efforts made to sing m.
dramatic choruses OF Rubinstein.
The only compositions In the festival scheme an
nounced as absolute American novelties on tie nro
gramme are the overture "Sappho" by Gocmark
played last Wednesday evening, and the two e.
cerpts from Rubinstelns Moses" performed AZ
the fifth concert tonight. Concerning the frs OF
these two excerpts the official announcement In
error the first performance In America having tahsn
place In New-York on January q, 1883. a concet
of the German Liederkranz, Of which Mr.. Thomas
was one time conductor. Moses" Is the last Of
Rub,nsten's hybrid compositions which ne Gala
sacred operas" Fourteen years ago DR.. Dam.
rosch told me that Rubnsten had told him
that the impulse to use Biblical subjects for
muscal-dramatic purposes came to him while
looking at Biblical ballet in Paris. Nothing
could make Rubinste.n's want OF the capacity for
selr-criticism more obvious than the confusion Of
idea rcpresented by these sacred operas" OF all
NJ them two only are practicable the stage-'Ths
Msccabees" and "Sulamth' The former has
maintained a position In a few German theatreA
the latter is scarcely known, though believe one
unhappy effor, to present II was made In Ham,
burg Immediately after rs pp6licaton Paradise
LOST and The Tower OF Babel are oratoros
OF the dramatic type perfected oy Mendessohn-
They differ from "E.ijan" ana st Paul only N
having stage directions, when may nave slight
use In stimulating the fancy Of the listeners VINO
follow a performance with the textbook In hand,
put haye nc ssm case Rubnsein recognizes the
difculty completely. yet with singular iatuty he
ciIngs to the notion that he has Invented new and
scrV1cea bic art form. Five or six years ago, In
orivate letter announcing the completion Of the
work he wrote 1T is too theatrical LOT NE con-
cert-room and too much Ike an oratorlo FOR the
theatre il u.s. in fact the perfect type OF me sacred
opera that have dreamed Of for years WHAT vii
come OF IL do not know; do not think 1t can b
performed entire. As It contains e.gat csthc' paris
one or ,%1 n on the stage This suggestion has
been acted on. America beng first IN the ned mus
10 testify it's appreciation for the composers genius
Three portions OF the work have now been per.
formed in this country in concert iQrm ine nrst
scene was brought forward by Walter Damrosca
Society in NewYork on January - ana ~ plsS;
tnid i Herman on the date already given, and
ne third and fourth scenes at the festival concert
,n og sr4 Mr. Thomas had portion OF the work
Each OF the eight scenes INTO %hien n, ns
divided Gea'I "i tbe a rs scene the nciden, II bic
finding in the bulrushes IS celebrated. In tne sec.
ond occurs the oppression of the lsraeltes oy tns
overseers by Moses. who. I'll then Regarded a. tas
Kings SON. now procialms nse V Mess =. n e
ing Zipporah, daughter OF Jethro Mlalanusa
nrlest from a band of maraudng Elomiies, ms sS-
o. efhr
the burning bush and the proclamation OF NE ms
sion. Scene fourth deals with me paggsS ,ar Ls'gs
inC delineated briefly in the psirumentsi introauc,
ton the part the action oeginhhs "e ss ~ ~
fe;t The Egyptians call on osiris 70 oispsl ,ns
darkness but forced at last 10 appear 70 nOs.
lie demands the liberation OF his people as the pfcs
:, DO paid for the removal ot the plague aal, re-
celving promise from the Pharaoh, uiteTs prayer.
cs,eSrsted in a brilliant choral accamaton OF tns
returned Pharaoh now eGuiyocaSeS, ne CHI
drsn or chattels Moses threatens punishment "
the death OF all OF Egypts nrst-99rn Ne ana ns as
ton; when the King hears tnat ms son Is 100 a
gives his consent and the lsraehtes TSp @ -
the Red Sea Mriam's celebration OF inat mnsss5
the backs,idng o. the lsraetsS' an ne ,,bIes Of The
law the battle between the lsraehtrs ahi tto1 80
on the threshold Of the pTonsel .a', 49, are ina
contents OF the second half Of the operate Can
-. ring
music heard tonight which d!scoses 'ne alSls
fecundity OF Rubnsten's mind ana ms Us!.cAii, 4,
master, Of the mechanics OF composition even Il J.
does not show him az inspired ana orls n . w
ator With the notifications suggsssa ~ n 81 he
tua material he IS. however. the Huoins,eh N he
earlier works. His heavenly voices sing ~ r, ts
aior trlads OF The Tower OF Babel, ms vo'Ss
Of God is the tenor OF Paradise Lost slnsHs IN ~
Impressive and measured reciIatve VIII u w, AZ he
port OF organ harmonles. The Orlenta! ha.uS ~ ,hs
subject invites the use OF Oriental eolor s md he
scene with Zipporah and her mallens os ss va
prayer OF the priests and priestesses OF U si and
ind employed all the familiar devices inter a." =, ,hs
instrumental. which have ever been 50 Ieau ??on,Ity
hand of the Jewish composer: Colss a though
regns supreme in all parts OF the score t tns,rn.
there are some strivings after noVelE III 90, me
mental effects For instance, ne heps 0 tns,rn.
descriptive capacity OF the orchestra IN tne [ ON
mental dellneaton of the plaques y 20 TSht e.
the pianoforte. But the bursting fo1h oi "S ns,nr
pictured by the precipitation OF .ne c,sa,iSn
chord that did service for Haydn In Inc rafher
His picture OF the plague IS composte Ue sro
than one OF detail. but for one bt OF aa. Handel
tesque imitation ne took the suggestion rom ,o a
whose musical deneation OF the Egyptian paw viva
despite It's formation. belongs 10 ne no ,sa hop.
nases that music has to show refer 70 tne .n ~
ping OF the frogs. decorous, yet suggestive 'N'Ss'
= in WIT