New-York tribune., 1900-05-13
MUSIC.
CLOSING OF THE CINCINNATI MUSICAL
FESTIVAL.

FESTIVAL.
tFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBuNEI
Cincinnati May 12.-The fourteenth biennial May
MUSICAL Festival of Cincinnati ended to-day In
spirit of gadsomeness which recalled of the
earliest meetings. though the affair had local
significance compared with the meetings of a score
or so Of years ago. The policy of the association
being fixed, however, this will trouble TO
the directors, who all the week have been
teinpiating the prospect of exchequer full
enough 70 pay all expenses-as usual in the neigh
borhood of sac 0o0-and leave a handsome nest egg
for the fifteenth festival The financial result
sured and an unusual degree of artistic success
achieved could be churish enough to be-
grudge the good Cincinnatians the satisfaction
which they feel tonight at the close of the fes
tival
The last two audiences extremely nuner-
Gus, and dispeled the last bit of doubt touching
the financial outcome but after all this does not
concern the music lovers of the East very much.
Neither from a strictly artistic point of view did
the concerts, for they almost exclusively ex-
ploitatons of solo singers. whose doings more
than twice told tale In New-York. and or
chestTa which could call for extended attention
Only if one disposed to institute a comparison
between its merits and those of our Eastern bands
and in that direction lies happiness. One
large thought. however may have occupied the
minds of the students of musical development who
attended the two concerts The principal orchestral
number of the afternoon Richard Strauss's
symphonic poem. entitled "Heldenleben, the Life
of a Hero.
The evening given up originally to excerpts
from Wagner's works, but the peanut and pink
lemonade music which ends Berlioz's "Te Deum''
was thought TO have made a deep enough impress
sion Friday evening to attract many who had
not intended TO come, and so that music was
stitched onto the end of the Wagner programme
for the sake of final jamboree. Needless to say.
IL served its purpose The Festival had what Mr..
Conkling described "halcyon and vocif-
erous' end. That satisfied the Festival enthusiast,
who had been ndulging in riotous living, artis-
tically speaking, for a week. But upon the caimer
and more judicous listener Mr.. Thomas forced the
observation that the composer, who was so much
of a revolutionary that scarcely any of his music
could be admitted to the Festival programmes in
their infancy become straitlaced, slow
paced conservative
The excerpts from Wagner in the evening had
classic simplicity directness and lucdity, compared
with the composition of Richard Strauss played In
the afternoon. The orchestral organizations of
Boston and New-York cannot be accused, as a rule
of excessive tism Down to Don Quxote'
and ''Heldenleben.' the music of the bedlamite of
Munich heard with becoming courtesy
and seriousness: but his last creations have given
our conductors pause. Don Quixote" was on the
Philharmonic prospectus two years ago, but it was
performed-why, L cannot say, but l do not
think wholly because the theatrical appa-
ratus for producing wndstorms, called for by the
score. available.
Our theatres be realistic as any others IN
the production of stage storms. Our audiences
have been in the hospital and charnel house ana
heard the dying gasps of the hero of Tod und
Verklarung' and have labored zealously as any
others follow the pranks Of Till Eulenspiegel
and the movement when they came to an end
on the gallows. They have tried over and
over again read the philosophy OF Zoroaster, ac-
cording Wietszche, into the wonderful tonaI
phantasma goria which preceded Elm Heldenleben'
but for some reason. which I shall not even specu-
late about their musical leaders have hesitated to
put them to the supreme test. They have been will
ing to ask their listeners believe. have said
before in these columns that possibly music might
be written to describe the feelings of an English
man had gone into foreign countries, forgotten
his umbrella and changed his religion, but they
seem to have been staggered by Herr Strauss's
last demands upon popular credulity. Seriously,
do not see how music continue the lines
of Herr Strauss's last work without ceasing to be
music. With all its evidences OF technical mastery
his last work seems be music gone mad.
Il was a refreshuent for the soul this afternoon
Workers. have heard from her often the Dream
Just Ended" and ''Voce di Primavera," " and reha-
biliated the Of Strauss. albeit it was that OF
the dance king of Vienna, in the musical world.
II was also a refreshment to hear Tschaikowsky's
italian caprccio, with it's crisp rhythms and pretty
tunes. II Richard Strauss represents German re-
fnement in art and Tschakowsky Muscovite bar
barism then God bless the barbarian,
H Elk.