Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-04-17
A GRAND SUCCESS.
s'The Creation a Notable Event in
Musical Circles-An Immense
Audience.


Monday evening the Watertown
Choral union made its initial appear.
ance in concert and a signal triumph
in every particular was achieved
Nothing but unqualified success
| marked the debut. The audience be.
gan to gather early in the evening and
when the opening strains of the or
chestral Introduction sounde ed Turner
Opera house was completely filled by
as fine and large an assem- blage as it ever
contained. The best classes of town
people were in attendance, together
with splendid delegations from Ocono-
mowoc, Columbus, Fort Atkinson
Jefferson and other neighboring
places. The receipts of the house
reached about 5000 and notwithstand-
ing the enormous expense of the pro-
duction the union reaped handsome
surplus.
The chorus of nearly 100 voices was
banked upon the stage, with the or
chestra and soloists on platform ex-
tension in front, while before all the
forces stood the conductor, Mr.. d. F.
Stillman, with baton in hand. The
performance, from beginning to end,
passed off smoothly, with scarcely a
noticeable hitch of any kind, and the
artistic success was something wonder
fu for an initial effort
To hear The Creation" brings mem
ories of great voices and magnificent
choral works to the minds of those fa-
miliar with oratoriO, and the opportu-
nifty offered on Monday night cannot
therefore be underestimated When
such works are as well done as this it is
real pleasure to listen. The chorus
showed careful training and was kept
well in hand by Mr.. Stillman. Some
criticism might be offered that it was
not perfectly balanced-the soprano
being little too strong-but on the
whole the effect was excellent and the
grand choruses we'll given. Especially
was this true of the immortal "The
with splendid volume and with inspir-
alton. Awake the Harp" and 1.-The
| Lord is Great"-the three soloists car
rying the theme in the latter-were
other gems, while the beautiful and
difficult "Achieved is the Glorious
| Work" showed the four portions with
pleasing effect. Universal praise was
| bestowed upon the chorus singers for
their work, which climaxed the sue
| cess of the evening.
Most beautifully performed was the
SOLO work. The three singers rendered
| their mum bers with an appropriate
reverence that showed rightful con-
ception. Mrs. ]. A. B1gelow, the So
prano, at once gained triumph and
won her way into the hearts of her
| bearers. She had come almost unher-
aided and was indeed a joyful surprise.
She possesses a pleasing presence, and
sang with sweetness, clearness and
frmness of tone that made her num-
| bers more than acceptable. The two
great arias for soprano, with Verdure
| Clad" and con Mighty Pens" could
not have been more artistically rem
dered. No one has ever given the
first-named any better in this city,
and it was a real pleasure to hear
her in the extraordinary descrip-
tive features of the latter number,
the genuine brilliancy and exactness
Of her voice showing rare schooling.
She took the runs and trills with re-
markable ease and perfection Mrs.
Bigelow will always be welcomed here
and it is hoped she may be often
heard. Mr. Herman Kurtztisch, the
bass, showed an excellent education
as an oratorio singer and excelJed IN
the recitatives, which were given in
the approved declamatory style. His
voice has wide range, and his enun-
citation is perfect, although t1nged with
a foreign accent unpleasant to some
The bass aria, "Rolling in Foaming
Billows," has fine descriptive parts
and it was in this that Mr.. Kurtztisch
showed his excellent tone coloring and
delicacy ofvoice. His duets with the
soprano were also harmonious and
exact, and his high D and E were
taken without tremor. The only
criticism the audience offered was that
his volume might have been more.
Aside from the grand aria, 'tIn Native
Worth" the tenor soloist has not
much work. A few short rec1tatives
are allotted him, but the main solo
work is performed by the soprano and
bass. Mr.. Charles 6. Wilson, although
laboring under the disadvantages of a
cold, made an excellent impression.
He sang with much feeling and ex-
preston and his rendition of the aria
named took first rank among the gems
of the concert.
1t is needless to say that the orches.
tration by Bach's Symphony orchestra
| left hardly a thinu IN ha 6acirod T,