The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-05
INSTITUTIONS AT CINCINNATI AND
INDIANAPOLIS COMPARED.
Richard Lieber's Views Upon the Ac-
complishments of Our Festival
and It's Mission.


cert, but on Saturday again matinee and
grand finale.
programme book of about two hundred
pages dispensed information concerning the
musical works produced during this feast.
1t was, on the whole, similar to our pro-
gramme book, except that it was much more
elaborate and gave more space to the eluci-
dation of the WORKS themselves than to
putting up of the solo artists whose pictures
and Biographies were very wisely not con-
sidered necessary to the public's edification.
The seven concerts given contained such q
wealth of important and significant works
that whole season might have been well
filed by the performance of such roper
toire. The composition of the programme
was remarkable in it's exceJlence-abstractly
considered from the point of programme
making-but for the general public to hear,
appreciate and digest such a concentration
OF tremendous masterpieces of the tonal art
in one week was, seriously and obviously,
impossible. Even the experienced musician
and the omniverous critic found the festival
in its entirety nearly insuperable exer-
ton.
The first evening fell fat BerlioZ's great
work. "Damnation of Faust" which had
already been heard in Cincinnati is a COM
position which, on account of its intense
subjectivity and utter dramatic truthful
ness, could never appeal to the general
public unless rendition was given entirely
adequate to the extremely romantic and
sWell-nigh lurid spirit of the composer. Mr..
Thomas gave, on the other hand, an ex-
tremely conservative. almost pedantic, in
depreciation, and the highest significance of
the work was not brought forth The tenor.
Ben Davies, was hardly equal to his task, al
though he essayed it with conscientiousness
and zeal. Miss Mcintyre. the much-herald-
ca soprano from London, invited exclusively
Tor the cincinnati festival proved an utter
nasco. She fiatted and did not know her
part. Bispham was the only one who at
tanned anything like true fire and exalta-
ton. Everything else was gray and sodden
The chorus sang with deadly certainty, but
without much coloring or expression. The
y whple ~, performance can be characterized
OF the Wednesday matinee, with the ex-
ceptlon Of Strauss overwhelming tone
poem Thus Spake Zarathustra," / confess
That | retained only confused impressions.
The programme was of such tremendous
length and depth--a Mozart symphony, a
BeetnoVen overture, Strausss work above
mentioned, another tone poem by a French
composer, Weber's Invitation to the
Dance" and various solo numbers
TO stimulate the hearers fantasy.
IN the evening came the Grieg cantata,
-CIaI IrySVaSSon, in which naturally
was concentrated the interest of Indianap-
oils visitors for purposes of comparison
with the performance here In the matter
or certainty of attack and general technical
pollsn there is no question that the Cincin-
natl chorus far surpasses our own, but even
IN this connection it is not to be forgotten
that the Cincinnati singers have had two
Wnole years for preparation. Our chorus
Is, on the other hand, much superior in the
vocal material it contains, and besides is
stiii more noticeably superior in beauty of
nh citacr ON.
chorus was not always certain in the at
tack, but once started it rose to richness
OF OF tone Eie ana inspiring abandon unknown to
the Cincinnati chorus, at least in the per-
Torrance Of this work The quartet in the
Temple Dance"-which went to pieces
here by reason of Juch's blundering-was
there done by the chorus; q wise provision,
since Miss May Stein could not possibly
have done her part satisfactorily. One only
needs to hear Miss Stein, who is universally
recognized as an excellent singer, to appre-
ciate by the contrast what a marvellous
voice Nine; Jacoby possesses. Miss. Stein
was all life and fire.
Any comparison between the two festival
orchestras aside from a consideration OF the
personality of the conductors and their re-
spective temperaments would not improve
the matter, especially since one is a festival
orchestra and the other one being numeri-
cally too weak can hardly be considered
such, anG since in this connection some very
plain facts would have to be stated that
would not help to better things in any way
If l conclude my observations with the
statement that the last Cincinnati festival
again proved financial success NAV turn
to our local festival and its artistic task.
So far we have had ten festivals in an
equal number of consecutive years with
varying artistic and financial success. We
started with the desire ire to stimulate the ex
life, we argued, needs fitting trilimphal
close of a season and the May festival was
designed to be the climax of the seasons
: attn actions.
We have radically failed in this regard.
but, nevertheless, l do not mean to infer
the appropriateness of the May festival
per sc. We enjoy the bountiful delights of
such feast but as a method, design to
attain the aforementioned climax it's abso-
have a May. festival but hardly any art
life and surely no connection between the
two. Following this line of thought the
idea suggests itself. to abolish the fes-
tival in order to revive the pickering
spark OF art activity in our city Let
US concede that the May festival has even
proved to be an impeachment of local art.
For we must not forget that the single week
of the festival requires a financial backing
and an out-and-out expenditure that would
suffice to support a rich and continuous
musical life throughout the season by the
fostering of local possibilities. But the en-
tire adjustment of the festival, the future
of which is now the topic of such lively
discussion, would also be a decided misfor-
tune. The problem is how to make the fes-
tival what it should be- the climax and in
spiration of continuous local musical inter
est and activty-the browning head of a
vigorous and well nOuriShed body, rather
than an octopus which nourishes itself at
the cost of all other musical enterprise by
local forces.
Let us, in this connection, consider for a
moment the heterogeneity of our festival.
Here we have trained a chorus with the
greatest care and devotion on the part of the
directors and the members themselves
What this chorus has acquired is gained fol-
art, development of appreciative art senti-
ment, and the outlay in money is judicious-
ly expended. All the balance of the Nav
FESTIVAL is a circus i'll town, if you want to
give ii point blank, of which nothing is miss
ing except the street parade. circus Is
not intended to promote the interests of the
town in which 1t appears 1t gets its money
and carries it away.
All the illegitimate in the festival had to
be tolerated-nay to some extent was neceS-
eliminated as soon as the festival ceases
TO be a body without a mind. l am far
from the belief THAI our May festivals which
have brought us such wealth of great
and beautiful music could be conducted in
more well-meaning, devoted manner than
that pursued by our board of directors, but
even in the most inside circles it IS the
conviction that there is something rotten
in the state of Denmark and that too in
spite Of a great artistic success. Leave
out the choruS-WhoSe Importance because
it is local has always been underrated-and
you get your festival in which YOU should
dried and ready for use from the East; we
press the button and they do the rest
OF what value can such Il performance be
TO the growth OF art? Who will take a
deep interest in u bower of roses which we
have not cultivated with daily care whose