The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-08
OPINION of A CRITIC.
A Prominent Writer Speaks of TIN
Success of the Indianapolis Festival

Prominent Writer Speaks of the
Success of the indianapolis Festival.
Mr.. Robert I. Carter, of Cincinnati, one
of the best known critics of the country,
gives the Journal the following opinion of
the festival just closed:
when the first May festival was held in
Cincinnati Mr.. Theodore Thomas announced
that it's purpose was to give the best works
in the best possible way. Since that day the
May festival has become a permanent in
stitution in large number of smaller cit
les, and to a great extent it has lost its
original purpose. 1t is only within recent
years that any American cities outside of
New York and Boston have been able to
have regular performances of the greater
orchestral and choral works The purpose
Of the festival was by a combined effort
every year or every other year to bring the
best available forces together that the musi-
cal poverty of the year might be atoned for
in some measure in one short week of mu-
sic. With the expanion of the festival idea,
however, the system of star worship in
creased to an alarming extent, and the local
forces sank into comparative insignificance.
A scratch under one conductor, a local Choir
US under another and few soloists that
could stand big type on the bill boards con-
SllIuCeQ the w eStern May FESTIVAL Indian
apohS has gradually drawn away from these
influences, and every one who has followed
the progress of the festival in this city must
feel that the tenth festival is great
step in advance. Star worship is and will
still be needed for box-oftice purposes, but
1T has been relegated in the present festival
to its proper proportions
THE chorus and orchestra, under Mr.. Van
der Stucken, have accomplished results
worthy of a high place in the record of the
years musical events in this country. These
results have been possible only because of
the fact that the forces were under one
man. INF; Van der Stucken is a hard task
master, the festival chorus may have had
MANY bitter thoughts during their long and
patient drilling, but after the brilliant re-
suits, particularly in the new Benoit ora
must have made themselves felt as well
among the singers themselves as in the au-
dience, all bitterness has been forgotten.
The best forces that can be possibly OBJ
tanned for a choral festival are got together
in Cincinnati every two years. Splendid
choral material and a magnificent orches-
ira, together with the most noted sooists
obtainable, are found at every festival, but
no such results as were obtained in Indian
apolis this year have been possible in Gin
cinnat, for the simple reason that the
chorus is trained by one man and the or
cheStra by another. Indianapolis may fair
festival in the first. truest meaning of the
word. The first step towards this was
made. two years ago, but the preparation
for the festival of 1897 was necessarily
1898 and 'Lucifer' to show what can be ac-
complished. 1t is pity that under these
circumstances unexpected influences have
served to handicap the financial success of
the enterprise If there has been loss in
money there has been an enormous gain In
art and musical prestige for indianapolis,
for no city in the West can lay claim to
have dohe so much for choral music this
season.