New-York tribune., 1900-09-29
MUSIC.
END OF WORCESTER FESTIvAL-A
FINANCIAL SUCCESS-BETTER
CHORAL WORK

IsE TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBCNE.l
worcester, Mass, Sept. 8-The forty-thrd an
nual festival OF the Worcester County Musical As
sociatton came an end this evening. It has been
financial success. and though the choral work
has averaged better at other meetings. the choir
has achieved higher honors than ever before By
reason Of the greater dignity and difficulty Of the
task undertaken. To-night's affair took the place
Of what heretofore has been called artists night
when the men singers and women singers OF solos
were wont to warble their prettest operate meas
urss and supplement them with tender ballads
IN the vernacular; when also the latter their
most gorgeous gowns and most brilliant jewels and
their sisters IN the audience followed suit.
Irreverent critics from New-York and Boston
called IL Circus Night but the custom had estab-
Ished a strong hold upon the public, and was not
easily 10 be slOughed of Perhaps the wisest step
in the direction of ultimate reform was that taken
by the directors when they made Artists Night TO
fall on the last night Of the festival instead OF
Thursday, SO that there should be no interruption
OF the serious business OF choral festival by the
traditional frpperies and frvolties The next best
step 70 number OF the programme
for a short choral piece, and TO give this number
the charm Of novelty. Worcester heard tonight
Verdi's TIE Deum" for double chorus and or
chestra This IS the last Of the four sacred pieces
which make UP the last puhlica ton OF the ven
cradle Italian master. and far as I know, has
had but one American performance. and that in
Boston. This formed the closing number Of the
festival scheme.
The hold which ARTISTS Night has upon the
festival patrons was not diminished by the change
from Thursday night to Friday. The cost Of tickets
had been raised by thrifty management I00 per
cent for the morning rehearsal SO 1-3 per cent for
reserved seats and 80 per cent for general adrnIs
sion, yet Mechanics Hall Vas as crowded it
could well be. Compensation was -exacted from the
artists who willingly followed the old custom and
gave Two pieces for one. Evan Williams sang
weber's From Boyhood Trained in regular
der. and added the Welsh song. "Au Through the
~bo
Miss Blauvet sang the Mad Scene" from
Thomass Hamlet" and supplemented it with
the bolero from The sicilan vespers"; Mr
Massenet and LeoncavaIo. especially compounded
for him by sIgnor Buzzt Peccia called Gloria a
Te" and followed It with original piece, Non
Piu and Raj" from Mozart's Figaro" Nine
schumann-Heink sang Irenes dramatic scena from
Wagner's 'Rieuzi." and threw IN Lszts pictur-
esque ''Drei Zigeuner' and the drinking song from
''I-ucrezia Borgia" for good measure. Then the
four raised their combined voices in the quartet
from the last act OF "Rigoletto," and the cup Of
popular enjoyment was full 10 overfowing
In the afternoon Miss Augusta COttlow played
Tschaikowsd's Pianoforte Concerto in fat
minor She is young woman. who came out Of
the West some years ago and was paraded q
prodigy in New-Tork Since then she has been in
Germany. and for three years has studied with
Busoni-studied with excellent result too She
has not the physical strength nor the emotional
depth 10 do entire justice to Tschaikowskis Wig
orous and brilliant work, but her technical &C
complishments were admirable, and there
promise warm and roseate in the nice rhythmical
sense which marked her playing H. E K.