Evening journal., 1897-05-12
MUSICAL MATTERS.
A CRITICISM OF THE CHOLMELEY
JONES CONCERT.

JONES CONCERT.
Philadelphia, May 12-Mr. e. Cholm-
eley Jones, a man whose musical fame
Is of more or less distinguished and !
international character, recently gavei
his annual concert at the Philadelphia
Musical Fund Hall before a fashion |
able and, perhaps no less critical au-
dience. These concerts are given for \
the very laudable purpose of develop |
ing latent and meritorious amateur !
talent, and If. at times, the manage |
ment is foolishly persuaded to permit ,
the young lady or young gentleman
who can't sing but will' to face the
footlights, then the error OF judgment
Is one emanating rather from the heart
than the head.
Mr.. Jones himself, with a commend
able unobtrusiveness, started the solo
part Of the program by singing an odd
verse of MacLean's when Love Is
Done"-Mr. Jones just treating his au-
dience to a taste of the quality OF his
fine bass voice The voice and some
what engaging personality of Mr.. Kari
Drechse must alike come in for their
due need. This gentleman is the pos
SCISSOR of n baritone of unusual melo-
diousness and fexiblity. He gave an
adequate rendering of Robaudi's ALA
Stella Conhdente," imparting to it
light and shade and emphasizing the
swells and lulls of a song difficult to
adequately render and one which, if
not rendered with a superlative ex-
preston, must inevitably fall fiat upon
| the ear of the listener. We have dis
| tinot remembrance of having heard
that sublime Handelian solo, Sound
i An Alarm" sung more indifferently
than Mr. Harry NJ. Elliott rendered it
but we cannot remember exactly
when and where. Mr. Elliott is not,
unfortunately, the possessor OF suffi-
ciently hercuean voice, his tenor being
somewhat attenuated and savOring or
an alto, to do justice to this number.
And Ggain, this gentleman blurred and
\ failed to tip clearly the notes OF the
various runs incidental to this solo,
one of Handel's masterpieces. We feel
confident that Mr. Charles f. zeiss has
never heard Sims Reeves interpret
Blumenthal's exquisite composition,
"The Message" else he, Mr.. Zeiss
would not have had the temerity to
} graphic with. and to maltreat, this al
! most classic and evergreen solo.
Mr. Henry r. Alburger, who made
e his second appearance at these con-
< certs. and who is vocally equipped with
4 baritone of more than average quail
. ity and timbre, sang 20, Du Meir
o Holder Abendstern," a song Of re-
e bust character and breathing forth the
T true Wagnerian spirit, a spirit which
by the way, is not the most entrancini
r. or inspiring. Mr.. Alburger's voice ha'
o gained in compass since his prior ap
pearance. evinces evidence of caretu
musical tutelage and bids fair to be
come a more or less valuable acquisl
lion TO the amateur world of music
r The name of Mr.. Slower, who SAM
3, Bohms still is the Night" must no
e be omitted from the category Of honor
able mention. Mr.. Slower may not b
3 the greatest of amateur bassOs, yet h
n did invest this charming ballad witt
Is an eloquence, a pathos and world o
3 expressiOn-gift so rare and which
u when employed, compensate for tn
d lack of quality. What was 1t that eve
. lent an inexpressible charm Z
the singing of Sims Reeves
j. even when the voice OF ina
s. greatast of all tenors had lapsed int
le the mere wreck or shadow of its for
"a mer self? What was it, in the singin
y of Reeves, that touched, as with a
angels wing, the sympathetic chord G
the listener, causing the tear to well j
the eve and the lump to rise in tn
- throat? 1t was simply because Sim
- Reeves was never mechanical in hi
7, work: for when, at times, his voice wa
- not at the top notch of excellence h
=. would still rivet the attention of hi
y audience by a soulful expression an
by the fine delicate, filigree embroit
cry of his phrasing. Further than a
this, Reeves was never more loudly al
to plauded. never more artistically sue
h. cessful than when he warbled fort
the old, yet unclassic, songs-song
te which the aspiring vocal amateur {
10 to-day scCrns, with feelings of aifecte
v superiority. to interpret
ce Now, il does not necessarily follow
rv because the average audience incline
to that which is popular or melodior
to in music. that the musical taste of thi
n audience is "caviare to the general
lg or. in other words. that that taste is
the least vitiated or degenerate. An
this assertion is rendered doubly trJ
when the rendition of classic airs is a
. tempted by those whose vocal qualific;
IN tiOns are mediocrity itself. For il
stance, at the concert now under di
&C cussion, that most divine CT all thinl
musical, 20 Rest in the Lord" frol
a. Mendelssohn's Elijah" was most mi
!, erably interpreted. The tempo was NJ
IL only too rapid. reminding one as +
nj did, Of the celerity with which the pa
sr- ter song of a Gilbert end Sullivan
i. opera is taken, but it, was sung in
r. lachTymcse and /noncomprehensi'
spirit. II in the words Of a once pop
" lar song there are moments when OF
wishes to be clone" then the renditic
II. shan be ne~,aies, r.ss t,,o sols 'ca,,se