The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-12
A NOTABLE SUCCESS
The Philharmonic Win High Com
mendation for Their Presentation
of Samson and Delilah.'
Solists, Chorus and Orchestra Rem.
dered the Difficult Work With
Fine Artistic Finish.

1t was a most ambitious undertaking
for the Philharmonics to give Saint,
Saens' wonderful work Samson anu
Delilah," and it is positive JOY to chron-
icle such soul-sat isfying performance
as that Of last night at the Swedish TAB
ernacle. The work is monumental IN
character, and being heard for the nrst
time in Minneapolis, was listened TO WIN
intense interest by the immense audience
which filed the vast auditorium COM
pletely.
In this work Saint-Saens' music is IN
tensely modern and wonderfully descrlp-
tive. He has largely followed the hApl'
cal narrative, and the OrcheSta anu
chorus are called upon with equal 1ree-
DOM to illustrate it, indeed the orches-
tration Is something marvellous. From the
first wailing note taken up and repeated
with mournful iteration by instrument
after instrument, to the last maelstrom CT
destruction when the Philistine hosts are
crushed beneath the walls, the orchestra
is constantly in evidence.
The entire work. while consecutive
musical narrative, is divided into three
'.parts" each part being again subd1vided
into a number of scenes. Part one opens
with mournful chorus expressive OF
grief a the hard lot of the Jews and self
reproa ches for their subsection to the
Philistines. Samson's appearance and eX-
hortation to renew confidence in God, fol-
low. The mockery and death Of Ablme-
lech at SamSOn'S hand form the second
scene, while the imprecations of the high
priest are heard in the third scene. Scene
four opens with quaint chant OF thanks
giving by the Jewish men for Samson
victory over their enemies. The last
scene is one Of SURPRISING musical bear-
ty. 1t portrays the awakening of spring
by Delilah and her maidens The Phtlls-
tine sorceress casts her spell over the
Hebrew warrior and seeks to ent1ce him
to "Soreck the fairest of Valleys" he be-
ing warned by an aged rabbi Of his
danger.
The first two scenes Of the second part
are entirely given up to the Vaccinations OF
Delilah and the High Priest of Dagon,
while the third contains the famous love
duo between Samson and Delilah COM
1nencing My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice
and closes with the expression Of Delilah's
scathing scorn at Samson's distrust. Mu-
sically this is one Of the most dramatic
scenes in the whole range of composition
Part third is devoted to the closing scenes
in the life of Samson and the destruction
of the temple. Chorus and orchestra vie
with each other in expressing the gaiety
and abandon of the Phiistine festival and
the second scene closes with an orchestra
tone picture of the wanton rejoicing that
is wonderfully brilliant The denouement
crash Of the falling temple is depicted with
tragic force and power.
The Performance.
Generous praise is due the Philharmonic
club and its splendid leader, Herr Emf
Oberhoffer To undertake the rendition
Of such a work requires much OF self
sacrifice and effort, painstaking drilling o.
the most laborious sort and faithful study
on the part of the chorus. Large technica
vuit f1a
and great musical insight and sympathy
are necessary on the part OF the director
while the highest skill is required from the
members Of the orchestra. Every one con-
icerned in the production fulfilled these re-
quirements and the results were glorious
While there were occasional evidences o
imperfection both in the chorus and or
.chestral work, the success achieved as
whole was remarkable and gratifying.
Never in the history Of the Philharmonic
has the balance Of the parts been so even
ly maintained and never has the qualit.
of tone been more satisfactory. The ar
rangement for the seating Of the choru
in the Swedish tabernacle is admirable
and doubtless contributed in some meas
ure to this result. Herr Oberhoffers di
recting Of the chorus, although sometime
difficult to follow, was immensely eff
fcient. The orchestra with Frank Dam
as concert -meister, is also entitled t.
praise for its fine work. There were times
notably in the difficult orchestration o
the accompaniment of the love duo II
part two, where it took a little while TO
the players to catch the swing Of tn
rhythm, but in the second scene of tn
third act where the instruments heighte
the effect Of the chorus by wonderfu
orchestral tone picture the effect was S
fine that Herr Oberhoffer and Mr.. Dan
were obliged to acknowledge the appre
citation of the audience.
OF the soloists Nine. Josephine Jacob,
won perhaps the heartiest recognition
Possessed of a magnificent physique, an,
q dark regal beauty, she seemed the in
carnation of Delilah and sang the roll
with an abandon and verve that wa
thrilling. Her duet with Samson wa
wonderfully fine and won the only encor
given during the evening. She has
contralto voice Of great compass and Q
a. rich and sensuous quality. It's lowe
register is especially good. Nine. Jacob
is instinctively and intensely dramati
and music calling for dramatic expires
sion receives fine Interpretation at he
hands. Such was the climax in the sec
ond part where, at the conclusion of tn
love song, Deliah. enraged at Samson
hesitation, mingles her hatred and disap
pointment in the word coward" attacke
in alt and slurred to the lower regste
in the second syllable. The effect, If nc
musical. was tragic in the extreme.
George Hamlin, who sang the tenor ro]
OIL Samson mas me lyric tenor an
sang with great intelligence giving
good rendition Of the part. Mr. Hamli
is, however, not well fitted tempera
mentally to sing with Nine. Jacoby an
suffered somewhat from the comparison
William A. Wilett has a good barytor
voice but gave a somewhat uneven int,
probation Of the role of the High Prize
of Dagon." Alfred r. Wiley basso, s
the Rabbi and John Ravenscroft +
Abimelech were each acceptable in the
roles, and won deserved applause
-Boardman.
A Brilliant Audience.
The splendid audience, the members
which attended the concert in their fine
array, made other decora lions unnece
sary to brilliant and imposing effec
Nearly the whole of the great auditoriu
was filed this being possible on accou,
of the excellence of all Of the seats. TT
large semicircular choir gallery filling ii
center of the front was occupied by II
chorus. The women were all gowned We
simply in white and the effect of Il
~massing Of the white costumes was We
fine. Masses of palms f1anked the sid
Sof the choir gallery.
The church makes an auditorium sa tt
factory In every particular and the cl,
is regarded as having been very fortuna
In securing it. 1t seemed especially fl
ting for an oratorio, giving it the Apr