New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-05-12
MUSICAL NOTES.

PLAYERS THE LATE SIR
JOHN sTAINER DvoRAKs
NEW OPERA.
From the enterprisng town OF Bethlehem. now
miracle % loneliness. with fits splendid trees. its
thick. lush grass in the square surrounding the
MOravian church and congregational houses and
its cemetery, at once grove and temple. come more
tdngs concerning the three days festival Of Bachs
music. which is take place the 23d. oath and
c5th days OF this month. Mr.. J. Fred Wolfe announces
the singers who have been engaged 10 sing the
solo parts in the three monumental works whleh
20 be given. These the names: In the CHRIST
mas Oratorio." the first day. Mrs Mary Hissem
DE Moss soprano. Miss Gertrude May STEIN con-
tralto; Evan Williams. tenor. and Joseph IA
Baernstein bass: for the Passion According 10 81
Matthew" Mrs Marie Kunkel Zimmerman So
prano; Miss Lucy Brickenstein, Soprano MISS stem
contraltO. Ellison Van Hoose, tenor. and henri IT,
Scott bass: for the Mass in minor. Miss Sara
Anderson. soprano: Miss Stein contralto Nicolas
Douty tenor and Arthur BeresfOrd, bass. Also
that for the Christmas Oratorio" and the mass
the original orchestraton will be used except that
the trumpet parts viii be rewritten TO make them
effective for the modern instrument and the ooso-
lete oboi da caccia will be replaced by English
horns In the the oboi damOre provided by
Mr. Frank Damrosch for the performance by the
Oratorio Society last year Will be used through
Mr. Damroschs courtesy The dry recitatives will
DE accompanied by Mr.. Wolfe the pianoforte.
The sale Of tickets has been large and Bethlehem,
IN Pennsylvania. will Gull holiday and give
itself up 10 the solemn enjoyment OF Bach for
three days. In dignity, beauty and seriousness Of
purpose and in devotion 10 lofty ideal the project
is without a fellow IN the history Of music in this
country
10 remind the studenl OF antiquities OF 'Yom ter
uah." the memorial OF blowing OF trunpets, a holy
convocauon by Israers lawgiver well as OF the
climax OF the Gothic period in modern music. A
Ra,a er4s,~f Of
the concerts with solemn blasts from the befry OF
the stately old church in which the festival is 10
be held. What the call Of the Muezzin is 10
Eious Mahometan in the Orient, that is the tone
OF the trombone 10 the member OF the Moravian
Unity in Bethlehem. II greets the sun al Easter,
buoys up the solemn canticle in the house OF wor-
ship proclaims the death OF members OF the COM
rnunity and accompanies them 10 their graves The
use OF a trombone choir is one OF the few surviving
institutions established by the earliest Moravian
settlers In America. Bethlehem was founded in
17q The approaching Bach festival is not Mo
ravian affair. 1t is difficult TO conceive how IL
would ever have entered the mind Of musician
20 attempt Il had ~ not been for Morayian ira
ditions. The first corners from Germany brought
an enthusiastic love for music with them. They
had the example OF the bohemian founders OF their
Church as an inspiration. The Hussite hymns
pointed out 10 Luther the way TO acquire one Of
his most effective agencies OF religious reform
They were the prototypes OF the Lutheran chorale.
first settlement was made, hut already in I7i4
French horns and trumpets accompanied the sing
ing OF the congregation and cheered the laborers in
the fields In I7s5 came the first quartet OF from
bones and since then every festal day has been
for the Moravians Yom teruah. "a memorial OF
blowing OF trumpets. a holy convocation." They
were played on the anniversary OF the birth OF
King George II October 80. 1854, and 10 com
memorate the death Of the first President OF the
United States in December, 1888
There are two thousand members OF the Moravian
Church IN Bethlehem and visitor can stay in
the town for more than day or two without
hearing the trombones employed IN the perform
ance OF their most beautiful and solemn function
the announcement OF a death in the congregation.
Their solemn tones are marVellously adapted 20
this purpose Mendelssohn said that they are too
sacred Osten''-meaning this hint 10
young composers. In proclaiming death a rule is
observed which enables the initiated 20 tell
whether the dead person is a married brother.
married sister. widower widow, single brother.
single sister, YOUTH maiden. little boy or little
girl. The congregation is divided into classes
indicated. and each class has hymn tune associ-
ated with IL. When death occurs the members
OF the trombone choir are informed. Dropping
their work they Immediately repair 20 the church.
ascend 20 the belfry and play the solemn strains
prescribed by the Churchs rules Three stanzas
played the first and last OF which is uniformly
the Passion Choral" known throughout all Prot
estantdom, and the old German choral. 20. Haupt
vol But und Wunden," which Hans Leo Hassler
turned into hymn in 1901. This is followed by the
following chorales in the cases specified: Married
brethren, Jesus meine Zuversicht" Johann
Crueger, 1858; married sisters. Nun ruben ALE
Walder' old German love song which entered
into the service Of religion prior the middle OF
tho seventeenth century; widowers Allen Gott in
der Hob sci chr from the Leipsic hymn book OF
1888; widows. "Mache dich mein Geist bereit.' by
Johann ROsenmuller. 1855; single brethren, Herr
und Aeltester dener Kreutzgemeine." a folk melody
used IN I74O and amended by the Moravian Bishop
Gregor; single sisters 'Das wahre Christenthum,"
from HYMN book OF l755 youths. 'Schmtcke dich.
o meme Seele.'' Johann Crueger. 1919: maidens.
Nun sich der Tag Gundet hat" Adam Krieger
1861; little boys. Itch ruhme mich einzig.'' old
Morevian hymn. CT which the words We're written
between 1924 and 1917; girls We'll die worte
Wahrhet sind" Grimm's chorale book HES
Many good stories told about Moravian from
bones and trOmbonsts but one OF the best we hnd
in a monograph written by the Rev. William O.
Reiche in 1879 In 1889 the chief musician of Naz-
areth decided that the junior class OF theological
students should learn 10 play upon the instrument
They were given the needed instruction, ana IN
the course OF time proved competent perform in
public Whether not the older trombonists mo-
nopoized what might be called the litureical duties
or the community, or the good Moravians were SO
healthy as 10 have death rate 10 speak Of does
not appear, but II seems that the band OF young
s'efs FOUND themselves out OF practice when once
upon a time they learned that the death OF one OF
the single sisters imminent To them would
fan The duty OF prOclaiming the death in the Gus
tomary manner by solemn performance of three
choIales from the housetop. More jealous than
discreet. they began rehearsing the music in their
room In Nazareth Hall. But il being summer as
10 The season OF the year, wrote Professor Reiche