New-York tribune., 1899-02-09
MUSIC.
MME. BLANCHE MARcHEsrs Rrc,r.,

NINE. BLANCHE MA3CHEsPs RErrr..
There is much that ought to be said abo,, n
Blanche Marchesrs second song recital; mora ,h."
the exigencies OF space In daily Journal a, -.
worlds doings alicw; yet before discuss,nx 80
manner In which the singer did her work a nro,.
appreciation Of the list Of pieces which shs s -
demands a few words OF comment. To find L,ss
order Of intelligence and taste In the connos,.,,
Of her programmes cannot be surprising TO An, w
who has observed the fine intellectually ana ~.
sympathy with all phases OF feeling which 49,,
Nine. Marchesis singing; but the scope o, 49,.
knowledge OF the song literature Of civilized peon..
Is nevertheless thing worthy Of special wons.,
With all due respect 10 the musical profes.,..
be II said that II Is more likely to be sorrx
in musical historian than In a mus,c,.r
There Is department OF music 80 rich a.
the song department and also none in vb,rs
fashion and routine dominant. ou, -
the hundreds OF the lyric settings OF schubs,,
scarcely more than heard in our con-
cert-rooms The rest II known by singers az az
are kept. Goudimel said his harmonzed psalm,
ought to be- for the enjoyment Of God al hom..
The same proportion obtains IN the case OF N.
songs OF Schumann. Franz and Brahms How "a,
Nine Marchesi IA outside Of this conventional svav
was illustrated by yesterdays scheme. First thar.
came a canzone. Non taccosar ALI urna" ~
Schubert the first Of five italian can't which
though dating from the best period ot the com
poser's creative activity remained unknown 10 m.
world until 1871, when they were publshed-neary
haf-century after his death. Next came dainty
old secular song, whilst du dein Herr mir Schenk.
en-" which has been attributed 70 Johann Sebastian
Bach because it found in one OF the manu-.
script books Of music which he gave to HIS SEE.
ond wife but which the evidence adduced by sp.ua
shows plainly to be the composition OF Italian
COMPOSER named Giovannini. The second grouD NJ
peces were all Of the eighteenth century the a.s,
an air from the opera "Orfeo." which Haydn began
in London but did not fnlsh the second a dainty
canzonetta. lie Vioette.' by scaratt. the third
a last-century mnuet Of most insinuating charm
beginning "Cet etang qui s'entend dams Ia plaine"
Three German lieder followed Uiszts 'Lorelei"
Cornelus's "Ein Ton" and Brahms's SAND.
mannchen'C. and after group OF four modern
French pieces the programme ended with schu.
mann's ballad, Die L0wenbraut
In the case OF an artist who has opened Up %
many. so varied and such wide avenues Of pleasure
as has been done by Nine Marchesi it would be IN.
vdious 10 select any one OF the groups as that IN
which her genius had amplest play. but because o.
their unfamiarity to the public at large and the
unique power displayed in Nine. Marchesls singing
Of them the group Of French songs must hsw
special consideration. Two Of them were based
one less the other mOre-on religious motifs the
first Charpentier's Complaints" the second
Faure's EN- Prere." The mawkish French re.
Iglous love song 1--WE would say sentimental ballad
II we were sure of being understood by all as using
the term in the popular sense) is known the Eng.
ush world over-the Green Hill' that Is far
away" but can never be removed 10 a sufficient
distance; the Palm Branches which would long
ago have withered had musical taste been as sound
and sweet as religious and musical sentimentaliiy
Is pervasive: the "Crucfxes," Charities" "Noes'
and the multitude OF their kind. When think
OF Bach and Beethoven (Gellerts sacred songs)
these things seem natural enough Gallo express
str. ofa
with the new proclamations which viriie and
vital notwithstanding they inspired by the
decadent poets. But a singer Ike Marches is
needed for their proper Interpretation, one as pro-
foundly conscious OF the methods OF the poet and az
responsive to the suggestions NJ the composer as
she Also an audience intimately familiar with
the language.
Here let 1t be said that listeners who can enter
as completely. heart and soul into the enjoymena
which Nine Marchesi provides thereby give .
lovely testimony 70 their own culture and tass
as they do 10 those Of the singer and the creator
Of the works she has chosen for interpretation
Such singing is not merely qualification OF ne
senses Cime. Marchesi asks the participation OF
eyes well ears; It is delectatlon Tor all ths
higher faculties-the intellect the fancy the mag
nation and the emotions. Her work exenpines
what the earliest master OF dramatic singing char
acterized as noble contempt for einsias' mean-
ing thereby 10 stigmatize as II deserved all vocal
ization which aimed at being sufficient unto itses:
beauty OF voice for the sake OF beauty OF voice;
tone production for the sake of tone production
and nothing else; perfect mechanism for the SAKE
Of the satisfaction which perfect mechanism gives
a satisfaction not 10 be despised but not 10 be ex
alted over the nobler pleasures which come from
observing mechanism utilized in the service OF e.
preston for expression must he the aim OF vocal
music IL the sister art OF poetry IS not 70 be de-
graded into a stalking horse for the carrying
OF pretty compasses OF tones. Hence the value OF
such marvellously raised and eloquent decama-
ton as that Of Nine Marchesi-a defamation oom
musical and rhetorical which brings ABOUT an
angelic marriage OF words and melody How BEAU
tifully the potencies OF such union were HUE
trated yesterday in the singular creation OF O"'
nelius's I'm which the musical uttersnce was
monotone but in which the note allotted 10 tns
voice was colored and moduated 50 as 20 be part
all the time OF the rhapsodic wonderings OF ths
instrumental accompaniment and AZ the same ume
to provide a lucid commentary upon those mysuc
outpourings But there were many other tnihgs
to admire In her singing. things worthy OF admHs'
ton from the point of view OF absolute music ann
which suffered IN quantity, not quality OF app'e
ciation because there less sensuous beauty u
tone in Nine Marchesrs voice than the puoUe u
accustomed 10 expect.