The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
ITALY'S NEW SACRED MUSIC
DON LORENZO PEROSL PRIEST .yn
COMPOSER, And ms oRIToEIoS
All italy Turns to the New Musical s,o,

Successful blending OF Germpn n.S
italian Ideals In His Work-A Cntt,,iI.
Gonius's beginning md Developm,r,
ROME. Jan. 13.-Last August OH the Italian
frontier where the sunlight of the south nlends
20 exquisltcly with tho grandeur Of the north
] was chatting with some aniable Mila,eso
about the merits Of the various schools a,
music. An almlrer OF the soothing. singing
melody Of Italy. I 1 dared to express the rerre,
that the art OF music in Italy should have MI.
ways preserved n character OF sdperAciaHtv
without depth or breadth. "MascaguI and
Verdi" I said. have tried to instil into tho
southern facility.ihe dramatic force OF Wagner
but their experiments and failures have shown
how difficult the fertilization and transmuta.
ton really is"
Well" answered one Of my friends. IN,
miracle has been performed. and It is a Young
priest. n pretuCO'O who has accomplished IL
Don Lorenzo Perosi. director OF music at Saint
Marks in Venice"
Distrusting the southern patriotism and OF.
uberance. I expressed tome doubt.
You will see.' was the answer. Don 10,
renzo Perosi is a musical genius who. having
come to the dividing limo between the in1u.
ences OF two musical periods. has succeeded
wonderfully in uniting, by a powerful highep
synthesis. two characters. two schools. two
spirits the grace and enchanting melody u
the south. the power and depth OF the north.
His first productions have not gone beyond
Venice and Milan. but his oratorios have been
greeted by the masters with the best form Of
admiration. that of spontaneous enthusiasm.
that impersonal feeling which IA the most
fatterinG and exquisite kind Of rraist. Mod.
est, gentle and pious. the little ahh@ has
stunned an easy popularity. lie shuts HIM
self UP in his little room whore he is visited
BY the superhuman Muses.. AT the services in
Saint Marks he draws from the sentiment "
the life beyond and from the abyss Of the mys-
teries his Inspirations. which are at once mlro
and powerful. gentle and terrible. NeyoGthe-
less. when the increasing success Of his work
gave the maestro courage. he allowed his ora
,orio Tho Resurrection of Lazarus to 10 rer-
formed b. the brilliant company Of the Milan
La Scala. II was an Immediate trilmrl. Tho
whole audience was on It's feet, thrilled with
that fame which the southerner alone can COM
municate. applaudinR the abashei composer.
Tho first violins after playing in n wonderful
passage tie tears OF the angels. overcome Ky
the sacred fire. the pownr and penetrating
sweetness Of genius threw aside their rebel
lious Instruments and gave the artist m GA
ton that recalled the greatest triumphs " the
singer of Italian unity. Verdi"
Their enthusiasm delighted me all the mora
because IT. was TO a Catholic priest that they
ascribed their new birth. this enlar cement of
ltalian music. ! made inquiries. Since then
the triumph Of his latest ~oratorio. The Res
of Jesus Christ" in the bosilic, nj,
the Apostles. under the invisible Presidency
Of Leo MIL. has given the d %efnitive and GEM
orally acknowledged stlmp to the Young and
pure glory Of Able Perosi. Hero. IA else
where. this time. as in former days. Rome has
not created the genius. but she has brought
him to light. The city OF divine government
and OF perfect assimilation. it entwines and
rames minds and works into immortal
Wrea'ns' from 'he nate o' TINS i'onlan sane
ton ierosi becomes the successor Of Pales-
"Ciyiro Nns,ar In ha. 1880 =" n'
~" ""''er' he mas pouied INTO mo
light and the sensuality Of Italian music the
uo 4. tLo "o,o,,or" - .,om.a
ne Is y .'ea'ot anew chooi' lie" MI.
Sixtine Chapel. The Novor nf Rome IN,
rritt.r 10 hir, ,ror, .ho |.ni "'
nr,n ~ " , "'!'oi ie,'ei vi ''.
Italy hands are clappinc and hearts beatinr
in a way that recalls the oId. linn. enthnsI'
!" " VIZ VI" i''"iS '"e o'u.''ine enthuS-
hsms. Several towns. among them Tortona.
his birthplace. have named streets after
H"' i" " master vi SOUS: re N an
IN ancient ~tr'umphntor. Artistic and i'm
&c :. al" 'h.Ahaus'ioe ,ac"''y oil aom'-
aIioh' iidt Is tne secret oil great men and
If great peoples. according TO VauvenarCues
Don Lorenzo perosi was horn IN tha nro,.v
=, " n . e!os' was porn IN me pre'ty
md sunoathed city OF Tortona. in Umbria.
years ago. Son Of tn. City Mn.
icoI Uir.otor nonhon, or ,n. :.
~ ne'n" Vi hho'"er Muslr'an
VINO was Director OF the Seminary. the pre-
ucolo grew up in the sunshine OF art and rho
,tmosnbere If nietv Wet oont,a -, ~"
snis,a VI p'e.s; siusica. genius ana the
jhrlstlan spirit united in his soul like two
ilsh Springs that communicate to each other
heir light and energy. On that soil flooded in
irt ana beauty. IN that Italy, where the hE-
nan ma masferPiere attained in the, fifteenth cen
ury the limits Of perfection and OF prlllianry,
'eilglon mas always been the constant and
source OF inspiration; Religion it Is
pat starts the wings OF the Imagination on
, hslr n u ION Th nc preserves the iluldity and
the soul its bloom of exquisite freshness
us crSstai-lke resonance. Perosi Is an
lduitlohni example OF what the higher art can
piiS n Wlthah essentially religious nature.
simple ana strong piety produces, as 1t were.
'n t6e summit OF the soul a kind Of recu'iau
u onoSpne[e Iht2 whlch pure Inspirations seem
% cInie a9Tn from heaven. like the angels on
'a eo ladder
reposi was atterward subjected TO q serious
rerman musical education. At, RatisbIn.