New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18
MUSICAL COMMENT.

~ -'iH O-' H VI LIMA -iLSO ONE ON
CRITIcIsM-Two CONCERTS OF THE
MUSICAL ART SOCIETY
sPITTAs LIFE OF
BAcH-sTEPHEN
HELLER
In the midst Of the difficulties which prsv.,. 49,.
from pursuing the even tenor Of his wav 80
any prospect of capture Mr.. Grau annou,ca. :
supplementary season OF two weeks az The Ms
politan Opera House. follow upon the heal, :.
the subscription season. Doubtless the anuoun..
ment will he received with surprise and c,,r,,-
wonderment In some circles. but II will not .v-
prise those who have some knowledge % ~
contracts which Mr.. Grau has with hts forr.s
Moreover the extra season be looked forO,-t
to with some satisfaction. since II viii probsbtv
be enllvened by the production Of one or two Vo-t
which had been promised In the regular season
but whose production was frustrated by tha A.
moralization of Mr. Grau's tenors and the Phra
de1phia arrangement. Yesterday Faust" was "a
peated in the afternoon and The Barber IN ,ha
evening. This was according 20 announcement
but the afternoon audience (hne in point Of num-
bers even II rot as numerous II has been q,
gala occasions). had to put up with ". Bars
one of Mr.. Grau's second tenors. "a the hero In
place Of Mr.. Van Dyck The announcements. e.
travagantlv displayed in every lobby emphasized
Tho fact thar Mr. Van Dyck had sent notice OF an
indIsposition at the latest moment and that "
Bars would sing the par. for the first time. "
Bars looked we'll. acted gracefully and sang wofui-
w: vet Mime. CaIve. NJ. Plancon and Signor Scotu
nut so much spirit and beauty into their work thai
a gladstone spirit prevailed in the audience room
during the performance. nevertheless A. night.
NJ course enthusiasm ran high. for Nine Sem
brich NJ de ReszlSe VI. Salignac and Signor Cam
panari in fine feather and everything went
most rnerriy. The audience IN the evening was
larp that the afternoon
-rbore uas n tone of enthusiasm in ,he brief no
,,ce Of the concert OF the Musical Art Society which
annaared in this Journal last Friday which
~ only in strong contrast with that OF the notice
which followed the first concert in December, but
NAV have appeared a little extravasant in the
eves Of that not inconsiderable portion OF the pub
lie disposed to think that criticism is not In Its real
element unless II is finding fault. That notion Is
much more prevalent among musicians. profess
sional and dilettante. than among critics Despite
the fact that their normal position Is that OF the
kernel between the upper and the neither millstone
the critical writers for the newspapers know better
than most of their critics that IL is quite "a much
their province to praise as TO fault; they know,
too that II frequently takes more courage 10
praise warmly than 10 blame In general terms. and
since most of them men of good nature (elsa
they could not endure IN their vocaton), they are
usually generously disposed when something out Of
the ordinary run of occurrences falls under Their
notice. Constrained. rule. 10 pursue an OBJ
jectve policy, they are only too happy when their
hearts are warmed and they find excuse for a bit
of subjective expression In this. moreover. they
are but the mouthpieces of the public, and. they
be gifted with a sufficiently capaciOus and healthy
musical stomach not to be made dyspeptic by the
multitude CT things they called on TO hear each
week they are likely 70 be attracted to or repealed
from musical entertainment by very much the
same causes as those which influence the pubic
1t Is probably good philosophical proposition that
a pure aesthetic Judgment must contain alloy o.
personal interest; but IL is also true that whers
musical offerings many they are in New
York. attendance any function Is bound. more
or less be contingent upon some other motive
than the mere desire 10 listen judiciousy 20 COM
position or a player. In greater or less degrees
all of our musical institutions rest upon personal
patronage. 1t would be easy condemn this STATE
of affairs as dangerous to artistic progress bur
just easy to prove that would be equally dan
gerous abolish At its best love is its founia-
tion and without love there be artistic
culture. The aim OF artist, public and critic alike
ought TO be to maintain that love unseifsh and
pure; to refine IL Of the slack of selfinterest:
turn its eyes high ideals and keep them fx.i
upon them. And it is the privilege-nay. more. II
is the duty-of any OF the three factors 10 re-
buxe effectively the others If they fall short of their
obligation for any under the sun and 10
laud warmly every instance Of a duty recognized
and properly performed So it was possible for The
Tribune TO say that the first concert the society
failed completely TO meet IT'S obligations It's
cert was one which exemplhed its real mission as
beautifully and effectively any that Il gave.
and that, taken IN Connection with the Peoples
Choral Union. which aided II this occasion there
did not exist in the world another organization 50
capable OF performing its lovely mission.
In the first instance there was dispraise amount
Ing to rude condemnation; in the second enthusi-
astic praise; yet both expressions were temperate
in view of the facts. The Musical Art Society was
founded for the purpose chiefly Of singing kind
or music that must perforce be neglected by the
ordinary choral organizations. on that under
standing and because OF its adherence that plr-
pose it won support generous that II has lived.
though its concerts are the most costly OF any
given in the city. unless 1t be some OF the opera
concerts in which Calve. Sembrich. Nordlca or
Eames takes part. 1t was therefore something
else and more than unwise to treat his mission IN
the most perfunctory manner. and then 70 Ill the
evening with music some of which would hsvs
sounded better under conditions which were Gus
tomary and practicable elsewhere, and Of
which was not entitled to such distinction as u
received. The severest expressions dispraise are
thus justified. How about the lauda ton that
seemed to border hyperbole. that followed the
second concert? 1t, too rested on a broad foun-
dation of fact. There probably small chOirs II
existence which sing better than the Musical AT
Society; there are also large singing societies ID
existence which sing better than the Peoples
Choral Union; but know of no city where q
conductor can unite in common performances Two
choirs-one of fifty professional singers and one Of
500 amateurs all of whom have been trained T
him. And this is not the end of the marvellous
thing; had il been desired the 900 occupies
by the audience might also have been filed wiz
Mr.. Frank Damrosch's chOristers. for the Peoples
Singing Glasses Were not represented IN last
Thursdays gathering. \ wonderful combination
of institutions truly. that speaks the praise o.
Mr.. Damrosch in trumpet notes, one that MS