New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
MUSIC.
THE ORATORIO SOCIETY.

Ideality is always demanded Of choral societies
IN the United States by the people df the critics
TO be believed ideal strivings noticeable
wherever one turns 10 study their activities. and
yet nothing Is utterly discouraging as the
efforts made by them 10 meet the supposed popular
requirements. By ideal strlvings W. mean. q
course efforts to keep choral culture up to date"
"a the popular phrase has II. TO get out OF the
beaten path Of Messiah" and Elijah" and give
the lovers Of chorus music unconventional things.
But there can be- nothing IN musical culture 50
discouraging as the efforts that have been made.
are made and I'm all probability will continue TO be
made. by our singing societies along the line Of
the supposed popular demand. our Oratorio So
cety has displayed monumental unselhshuess IN
this regard for years. and has had to bless the
memory ~ Handel that the Christmastide spirit
sti turns with sufficient forcefulness to "T'he
Messiah" to provide It with sufficient funds to give
the first and last concerts OF the and re-
main alive And the experience Of the Oratorio
Society is the experience Of the majority OF the
choral societies in the United States
Last night the society gave concert which had
been planned to close its twenty-sxth season brill
iantly II did 50 from artistic point OF view
but met little better than the usual fate for its
reward. BerllOz's Mass for the Dead was the work
selected. The mass occupies a sensational place in
musical history, and it fairly to be hoped that
Its performances at the great festival OF 1851. when
II had IFS first performance in America and the
repetiions by the Oratorio Society in November
1852. and November. lss5. would have awakened a
sufficient curiosity to make performance so long
after popularity attractive. But the audience while
respectable In numbers stood in no rela ton worth
discussing To the significance and Importance OF the
affair, and the chronicler ot musical dolngs IS
again obliged 10 record that the things which
told the people want DO not seem to he the
things that the people desire.
one thing only remains for Mr.. Damrosch and
the society-the satisfaction OF having done an
artistic thing arsticay. For its impressveness
Berliozs Requiem" depends much upon outward
effects. but these all provided for. II puts
an unusual tax upon the tenors Of the choir, and
Mr. DamrOsch enlisted squad Of tenOrs OF most
admirable pulssance II exacts extraordinary things
from the instrumental forces and these were also
provided and disposed with ingenuity which
made the antiphonal effects in the famous Tube
mirum" portion. OF the composition stupendousiy
thrilling Besides all this Mr. DamrOsch had
trained his choir TO unusual degree OF efficiency,
and had secured a solo tenor for the "Sanctus
who surprised all who had formed their opinion Of
the quantity and quality OF his voice from his per-
formances I'm opera at the Metropolitan. He did not
quite find tho ocstatic tones which the beautiful
number demands Ghere was r little too much eX-
hlbition OF main strength in his singing. but his
voice was fine and manly in quality. and rang out
supcrbly Altogether it was performance which
must be reckoned large the credit side OF the ac-
count between the Oratorio Society and the art OF