New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-25

-, successful writer's. thinkers and artists. whose
ss,ta,nments have placed Them In the van OF pro,
ie s in Svcrv Instance stand alone. but as
Mnnyesen,inc either university, college. school
les TIC victims power Q. Ins @fsOT I Sto" -,
Ne delegated rover nIS' Hn0u,u 40 Az ~ 80
ta.nmcnt in every own "nn Sr, airiaio seIf
90 y .ribnnal beyond whose Judgment there could
q GO .,Nrcs, and as medium most directly IN
touch With institutional ana oIher educa r,,
!, should WELD an influence so strong that II would
receive recognition and co-o2eratlon ION ne D,ot
should no, r'i{ Tor every branch 90 musica effort
locate anu VDr,istic attainment may be presented
examples o. a. sbonld comprehend only such
Lns,eo, ard literary efforts would meet the I'M
n uSiFal Salpprova OF the mos, cultured Such
tS" cheers National association Tho musical
nrofesson OF this country is excopton2ly powerful
PIN "a numbers and intelligence The intimate
re,otlon % music 10 every phase OF clyiHed exist
snce rhosorc upon this association that il he
oon,nose5 o. capable and distinguished men and
W. ,,"e s,rerior TO all individual considerations
--,e musical features Of the SanCerfest which is
,o,6inr in Philadelphia his week ended with the
..,ord mass concert ON Wednesday, evening. at
-.toh ,ho NeU-York Ar.on gave an exhibition OF
-. a,,ou,v The rest % the week Is TO be given
g. - ,nArr,rnert II is fact which viii strike
g strange note in the minds OF the many that
though the festival has been most pronounced
success AS Sangerfests 20. the question whether or
~, the custom Of having triennia meeting is
hi,- warmly discussed by tho singers themselves
:. ;s t.lt IN the nature Of things that they mus,
soo,a- ~ later die ont. The first federation Of
German singing societies was formed IN the Vest
4, rs4S " gave many great singing festivals which
a,5 much 10 stimulate interest in the ART. and in
directly created the music festivals which have
features Of the German meetings and the growth
% destination which naturally kept pace with each
her worked the ruin Of the institution. For
while a noble effort made 10 keep the festivals
alive by changing the chorus from male choir
10 one Of mixed voices The result in 1877 in Louis
vile ana IN 1879 in Cincinnati was artistCally
most gratifying but decay Of what the Germans
call Gemuthlichkeit was an inevitable consequence.
and he North American Sangerbund fell into des-
uetude The same fate threatens the Northeastern
Sangerbund. The old men who brought love for
with them from the Fatherland
are dying out. Immigration longer keeps the
ranks OF the societies full. The children OF the old
singers lack the enthusiasm Of their fathers The
old-fashioned Sangerfest is rapidly becoming
anomaly Its most faithful votaries are found in
the smaller societies OF the smaller towns. II is
10 encourage these that the need of the meetings
IS still urged in some quarters. Those who argue
thus have something on their side in the achieve
ment at Philadelphia. There were no less than
;hirtysix societies. numbering thrty-fve voices
an average. who took part in the competition as
members Of the third class. and their singing
showed marked Improvement on the competitive
singing Of three years ago when the seventeenth
50 gerfest held In New-York. This result. II
VIII be argued with some show of correctness, was
due 10 the stimulus given by the Sangerfest But
the interest OF the large societies is steadily grow
ing less. and the voices OF their conductors. who
are musicians OF higher class than the ordinary
Nereinsdirigent. are with scarcely exception.
gainst the old-fashiored festivals Il VIII be IN
teresting 10 observe the effect Of the Philadelphia
on the question.