New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-06
MUSICAL COMMENT.
CONCERT OF THE ORAToR1o SOCIETY,"
GOUNOD's "REDEMPTION"-A NEW
BRAHMS STORY-sUNDAY NIGHT
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.


CONCERTS-NISCELLAN
The reverent spirit in which numerous audience
listened 10 Go incds Redemption at the concert
Of the Oratorio Society last Saturday night sug-
gested the reflection that with diligent cultiva-
ton, that work might be made to take a position .
In our social activities somewhat like that occupied
by THE Messiah" Its place however. Is In the
social not to say religious. activities not the
artistic 1t has been noticeable In past seasons that
at performances Of Bach's passion According to
st. Matthew" the de-away effect with which Mr..
Damrosch ended all the chorales (Which In their
native state full Of strong bone and healthy
blood wonderfully stimulative Of emotional
exatation. Nevertheless. efforts to make Bach's
Passion" be to the Lente1 and Easter tide what
Handles oratorio Is to the happy Christmas season
have failed because, fear, the musical apprc-
citation OF the patrons Of our choral concerts has
not reached the plane on which Bach's music
moves Perhaps this Is partly due to the fact that
our performances have never been quite adequate
We have robbed Bachs work Of Its original mpres.
siveness a religious ceremonial by taking II out
Of the church. and we have not added the para
phernalla which might make good some OF the loss
IN the concert-room. This to be frank, would
mean In the last instance dramatic treatment
which would bark back to the representations out
Of which the ceremonial fer which Bach provided
the music grew. It IL a cheering and ennobling
hope that some day may prove that we are
worthy OF a correct performance OF Bach by ar
ranging one. but meanwhile we deem II much more
likely that II the effort were to be made with
little show Of energy Gounod's Redemption"
might be made to ill so large place in the minds
of the sentmentally pious who musical that
they would hail an annual performance with pleas
ure.
Yet II was a contamination most devoutiy to b
deplored by every lover Of good music To those
who knew Bach. and forced to recognise that
THE Redemption Is an effort to At the function
which Bach exalted to the skies to the sentimental
"religlosity" OF the Frenchmen and Engishmen OF
to-day. II II difficult TO speak with patience Of the
composition which Gounod designated as the work
Of his life. It's prettiness Is Its greatest condem.
nation It's music Is pretty with the prettiness OF
one Of Gounod's operatic love scenes with all the
passion left out It Is a characteristic monument
to the religious nature Of Gounod. Hearing IT, one
will not need TO question the sincerity OF his &C.
clesiastical bent any more than he will be moved
to speculate as TO the depth and character OF his
religious convictions He meant II in all honesty.
but meant only that which the always tender.
always pretty music says. He did not know that
religious conviction and a sense OF duty flowing
from II might be a tremendous passion, ana 30 no
could not sympathize with the portentously dra-
matte individualisms OF Bach. II he had had the
genius he would have written church music ike
Pedestrians. Palestrina did not seek 10 iiustrate
or proclaim In his music the sentiments OF the
tests which he set. Such proceeding would nave
led him to individual interpreta tion-something
wholly foreign TO the habits OF churchmen IN tne
old conception which resolved the individual IN the
organization. He aimed to exalt the mystery OF
the service not to bring II down to popular COM
prehension and make 1t personal utterance For
such n design In music must walt until AFTER
the Reformation, when the ancient mysticism began
70 fall back before the demands OF reason "hen
the idea OF the sole and sufficient mediation OF tns
Church lost some Of Its power IN the race OF ths
growing conviction OF intimate personal relation
ship between man and his Creator Now ideaiism
had 20 Weld some OF It's dominion to realism. ana
A more rugged art grew up In the place OF that
which had been wonderfully suoHmateo U!
mysticism Pedestrians art is Roman; the sp'rit
OF restfulness OF celestial calm, OF supernatural
revelation and supernal beauty broods over IT.
Bach's IS Gothic-rugged, massive upstirrihs.
human In Pedestrians music the voice thas
speaks Is the voice OF angels In Bachs II Is the
voice OF men--even OF the individual.
Gounod would have liked to write like Palestrina
had be been able. He shows bent that way, even
In The Redemption" II is wise In art not to put
faith In the things one cannot door. at least not
so much faith as TO attempt them. Gounod could
not be Gothic and therefore wisely refraned from
trying. We WISH Also that he had wisely re-
Trained from putting his individual Interpretation
upon the mystery OF The Redemption and max
ing II such a sentimental affair. He knew better.
o, de,aying powers. From our point OF view his
ut.erances not long before his death IN letter on
church music to a Venetian Journal were admira-
BILE. Art" said he. 'is not the slave OF formula.
and II Is the greatest triumph OF the masters OK
genius that they accomplished It's emancipation I
say formula, not form, which is different thing.
Formula Is form without life; II Is routine; 1t Is
corpse Art Is word The province and duty OF
word are sincerity OF expression This SAID ana
agreed upon recognize and assert that the Church
has and ought TO have a language OF Its own. DIS
tinguished from all other languages In being im-
personal That Is to say. II should anord express
sion not to the prayer OF each. but the prayer OF ALL
7, "a no, a solo but a unison No matter how pro-
found sincere ardent and potent be the expression
OF n work stamped with individuality, sucn Work
cannot become the language OF all. The moment
that the Church opens Its doors TO agencies other
than the voice and the organ. TO things that be-
long without, like the orchestra, II recognizes ana
,roclaims the right OF individual expression" Per-
han. this expression does not Il, the case OF the
Redemption" which written not FOR the
church. but for English festival; out We WISH
sincerely that Gounod had been great enough
Wrist 10 make II ht or great enough dranlats' 10
adop. the opposite course. Being neither one thlns
nor the other he ought TO share the rate promseo'
by the Seer OF Patmos TO the church that was
neither hot nor cold Wherefore hope that
."rhs Redemption will never take the place In our
musical life which We believe and apprehend IL
might be made to take.
Under the circumstances. much need not Be said
about the performance Of the work On the whoe.
the singing Of the choir averaged WELL and caused
some swelling OF the heart In the climax Unfold.
Yet Portals" with its trumpet fanfares. so sugses-
tive OF the finale OF Gounod's Faust" The solos.
too were In excellent hands. though better concert
work was heard from Fraulen Gadski at the Wor.
cester festival in September. Most finished was the
singing OF Mr.. Bispham. though II would be unfair
10 praise II In order to withhold guerdon from
Mr. Rieger Mr.. Bushnell. Miss H0rlocker and Miss
Fielding Roselle.
The Low German poet Claus Groth. was an in