New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-23
cyyCINNATT'S MAY FESTIVAL.
oprAr MUSICAL INSTITUTION REACHES
ITS MAJORITY.
,,,vrvru BIENNIAL SEASON OPENED WITH
PERFORMANCE OF "ELIJAH'-EVERY-
THING BRILLIANT But THE SING
,~c or THE CHORUS
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE J


.,,,atl. May with the eleventh affair OF
Cinc's ,yhch opened this evening at the Music
the M CINCINNATI May Music Festivals attain
Han 4,r,,v II is lust twenty-one years since
the" =, ,belr beginning. and their artistic char
tne' - the social features which are inseparaDle
sce' ,bem and add much to their enjoyaoleness
i'O" .ooroe fixed and apparently unalterao'e' mat
nav nav be a little too much of this likeness 10
ins', h,od laws of the Modes and Persans is
ue N, which to-nghts opening concert brough'
nouss Nendessohn's Elijah" was performed
70 w." come at once and unpleasanty TO Hecuba
aha reformed in a way that did not reflect
s' W. IN the local contingent of the festival
nOVD.,nental forces were more than capable;
Ins -. brilliant Much of the solo singing, too
%" highly satisfactory character. But the
s~,r ~ the chorus was perfunctory ana unm-
s"s uaN 4 dozen choral societies In the couh-
s" IN the habit periodically of singing the
Wy a, hotter This is, of course. harsh com
ora'o'~ ,he Festival Association. for, if wisdom
me- . asvo,Ion TO artistic principles had marked us
anu tho mast the choral features ought now
steps hosa IN which the chief glories Of the festi-
70 ~,,,a lie These features are the only ones
' Ss - the city. All the rest are Imported. Inc
hAu'. &c Mr. Thomas's Chicago Band aug
oV" econ, New-York and Cincinnati The 500
"'' ara those who sang three weeks ago at
s"s ,,.,,val of the Hampton County Musical AS
"V .,or springheld. Mass, and little later at
s'V' ,...,,a1 In indianapolis SO far as they are
NV .a-nsd therefore. there is practically no dnter-
eo"'' Tween this Cincinnati Festival, with all
tncs - circumstance of announcement and
Us P traditions and the festivals given annu-
Us p0 uor,as,er Springfield and other NewEng-
ally al NorVes''''
land towns. , $3.50 .,, a.,
y, n not agreeable to those who have watched the
,'.,. tron, the beginning in 1873 till now to set
's'' Soun az the result of twenty-one years OF
- h,, the truth must be told ana IN thls case
" t. summed up in the statement that choraliy the
rrcinnat festivals ceased TO sho" progress Ioui
,,aors ago and in other respects they have
"e" unchanged for even a longer time. When
'..', horor they were the biennial elimination OF
wv .,,.s lovely musical activities in all directions.
- ,hov are 4 feast after a two years fast. BE-
.~,.n them. from a choral point OF view, there is
.,,v the abomnation Of desolation In this respect
~ have sunk to the line OF the worcester testl-
calls which. however are Of annual occurrence.
Tho financial success Of the eleventh IestlNal Is
ossurad Energetic canvassng for the advance sale
- season tickets and unyieldng enforcement of the
notion that It IS the equivalent of religious duty
., UNFOLD the festival as established feature OF
,Sa r,v's history accomplished that The sale has
,n.ohsd nearly. II not quite. $4,000, and the d.
ssc,ors can therefore look with something Ike
aouanimitv even upon the possibility OF contihu-
snce OF the present dreadful weather For days IL
has been raining dsmaNy anu tne ar mas Hdu d
rauness about Il that suggests pneumonia. AS
something almost inevitable this element LETT us
;mnression upon the first concert AS rule the
Cincinnati festival audiences are wonderiully gay
and engaging In appearance. Light Tors predoIIll-
nate IN the gowns Of the ladies, In impairment de
nance Of the ravages of smoke and SCOT. Tonight
the audience looked unusually demure Consldera-
lions Of health seemed TO be responsible Tor me
change II was new thing in the history or the
festivals 10 have weather so cold that wraps were
erudeinzly laid aside. Yet there were fully S.Vo
personq In the hail and brave effort was made 10
Emulate the old spirit OF gayety.
The festivals are the creation Of Theodore Thomas.
and ne conducted the OraiOri0 as he has conducted
every one Of the festival concerts for twenty-one
wears The principal solo singers were Emma Eames-
Story Miss Ida NJ. Smith. local conraito; Ben
Davies. the Welsh tenor and Watkln Ml!ls, the
English basso Mrs. Carr Alves. of New York, SANG
in the double quartet, oblgingly taking the place OF
one Of the local singers who had been taken Ill. or
all the concerted music the singing of this double
quartet was the most delightful feature. The voices
Blended nicely, the singers sang with precision ana
taste, and the music which they uttered had
vitality erievousiy wanting in the work OF the choir
What there Of dramatic life in the performance
came from the orchestra, which Is amazingly Drll-
liant In quality OF tone.
Mrs Eames-Story's essay In the field Of Oratorio
was not altogether happy She sang the scene be-
tween the Prophet and the Widow without ferVOT
and her enunciation very indistnct In this par
ucular she was under great disadvantage com
pared with her British colleagues. Mr.. NILS es-
pecially. whose every syllable heard and under
stood In every corner Of the vast hall. II. L. X