The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-04-29
NEWS OF THE MAY FESTIVAL
Fine Symphony Concert Programme
 Announced.

Fine Symphony Concert Programme Announced. MT. Frank Lea Short Is now hard at work with the chorus and cast that is to present operatically Mendelssohn great oratorio "Elijah' as the closing event of the May Festival, on May 6. 2 and 8.
 Two stage rehearsals were held last week and three this week with the cho- rus, while the cast is being rehearsed by MT. Short in New York from time to time, these cast rehearsals having gone on for the past month whenever the singers could be brought together.
 Few people can gain any idea of the immenslty of preparing the great orato- rio for its dramatic presentation. First MT. Short and his assistant, MT Harry lD. Wescott, president of the Yale Ora matic association, had to arrange the scenes. Then there were the big cli- maxes to be made effective and the diff ficult light and cloud effects to be reached When all this had been planned and put into practice there were even greater problems staring the stage management In the face There was the danger of over-stepping the dramatic line that might plunge even the most minute detail of the majestic Biblical story into a sacriligious atmos- prere. Above anything else this must be avoided
 Then there were the costume plates, by no means the least important of it all, and a hundred other little details, many of which at times seemed hopeless of achievement.
 However all is now accomplished and the work is sailing smoothly along with the promise of a fine production on the evening of May 8, and perhaps one of the most unique musical presen- tations New Haven has ever had.
 MT. Short had the assistance of Van Horn, of New York. on the costume plates, so it can readily be seen that every part of the production is in able hands.
 Sigpor Emilio Agramonte has changed the musical end, while those veterans, forty of the New York Philharmonic society men, will compose the archestra. The chorus is a superb one, composed as it is of eighty of the best voices 1t was possible to get together. MT. Agramonte is delighted with the quail ty of tone and with that most of cap tious conductors is not easily pleased. As for the cast, Miss Shannah Cum mings, soprano; Miss Marguerite Hall, contralto; William Rieger tenor; Fries son r. Bushnell as Elijah" this is an ideal one vocally and physically, for the management had to consider the yarl- ous singers stage presence quite as carefully for this event ac their vocal ability.
 The programme committee announces the programme for the symphony con- cert on the evening of Tuesday, May '. as follows: The orchestra is carefully selected from the New York Symphony society, and will be under the direction of Franz Kaltenborn. TO make this programme even more attractive, MT. A Victor Benham, the pianist of the festival will play the F. minor concerto of Chopin with the orchestra, although the soloist for this concert is the new singer, Miss Idalia Levy, perhaps the youngest star In the professional flrma- ment to-day. She is already we'll known among the big opera singers, and it will be interesting to watch her career, for she is bound to have one if the prophecies of such people as Madam sembric, Maurice Grau and Pol Placon are worth anything.
 THE PROGRAMME. unharanp Wahar Song-From Il Pensieroso.. Handel
 Miss Idala L. Levy. Symphony ............... .Tschaikowsky
 No P,athetique) in D. Minor No.
 "A.
 Adagio allegro non troppo.
 Allegro con grazio.
 Allegro motto vivace
 Adagio Lamentoso
 Concerto for Piano.. .Chopln
 F. Minor.
 Mir A. Victor Benham and Orchestra. Blumengehuster. ...... Franz Won Blom Deuce Caresse ..................... .Giilet Song-Shadow Dance from Dinorah..
 Meyerbeer
 Miss Levy. Symphonic Poem--Les PreludeS. .Liszt
 
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