The sun., 1902-12-27
The MESSIAH" RESTORED.
HANDEL'S ORATORIO N 4 NEW
EDITION.
Ebenezer Prsut Goes Back to the Original
Text and Wipes Out Mozart and Franz
The Oratorio Societys Rehearsal.

The annual presentation OF HandePs
Messiah" by the Oratorio Society has
in plsin truth no direct association with
the musical life OF New York. The public
rehearsal took place at Carnegie Hall yes
terday afternoon, the concert, so-called,
will be given In the "a ne auditorium to-
night These are performances Of music,
no doubt but they long ago ceased to in
terest the fastidous devotees of the tonal
art THE Messiah" is now a sort OF re-
lRious idol and 1t is worshippcd by great
mass Of persons who have no musical creed,
no artistic doctrines. no esthetic predilec-
tions. They are very good people and
they cherish the pleasing delusion that
-The Messiah" Is the greatest musical com
position ever written They are not, as
rule. acquainted with other musical works.
ard certainly never 60 to hear any other
oratorios.
To them this mast erpiece Of the Saxon is
the last word in sacred music Thew listen
to it as they would hearken to the S,rmon
on the Mount or as Indians were supposed
TO absorb the dying words Of one Of their
old men. The sotto voce delivery Of For
unto us a son is born" Ia believed to he
the most impressive musical effect ever
conceived and the 'Pae' oral Symol ony"
is accepted as the most notable instru-
ment al composition known to mortal man.
Beyond such sublimities as these there can
be only the heavenly host and the choiring
Of young-eyed seraphm.
In these conditions il makes little differ
ence how this genuinely great masterpiece
IL performed or what the scholiasts in
their desire to restore it's pristine unedited
purity may do to either it's vocal parts
or its orchest ration. Happily for he peace
Of mind Of the worshppers, neithor poor
Interpretation nor mastery revision can
rob The Messiah of its identity or modify
it in those essentials which constitute it's
greatness.
For those however, who bring into the
concert room the exercise Of critical
faculties, yesterdays rehearsal was in
teresting because a new edition OF the ora
torio was used for the first time here.
Naturally many editions OF the work have
appeared since the original. but despite the
reverence in which 1t is held by English
speaking peoples none Of them was correct
in text. Furthermore, almost all modern
performances were based on the score with
additional accomplishments written in 1880
by Mozart. This was published in 1903
and accepted as authoritative, but 1t sub
seQuently transpircd that John Adam
Hitler had made alterations and additions
TO 1t.
A new edition was therefore much needed
and this was issued last summer by the
Novelties. whose contributions to music
In England have been numerous and in
valuable. The editor was Ebenezer Prout
ho ,s - hz =
English musical scholars. Mr. Prou's
purpose was to purge the text Of all the
errors and to supply additional accompani-
ments thoroughly in keeping with the
Handelian spirit, The need Of such ac-
compartments Ia no longer a matter Of
performance Of the Messiah" from the
original score given once by Walter Dam
rosch with some minor concessions to the
modern earl could not have failed to discern
tho necessity Of bringing the inst rument-
alton up 10 date.
It was sonnet hing OF this sort which
Mozart attempted, and which Robert Franz
carried out with much greater assurance
and pretentiousness Mr.. Prout has com
pared their scores with the original in the
Kings library at Buckingham Palace and
with well,known. copies Of II. He has
yesterday leld the familiar scores in use
in recent years must have noticed many
small. yet significant departures from the
text to which they were accustomed.
Mr.. Prout used az much Of the Mozart
orcheetration AZ seemed to be in accord with
the Handelan manner. but cut out all
which was not He restored the original
trumpet parts, removed by Mozart, but
modified them somewhat TO meet the capa-
bilities OF contemporaneOus players He
wrote out an organ part in the Handelian
style. For the ,ecit1tiro secco he, of course,
abolished the harpsichord and introduced
the piano. combining it with the bass
stringed instruments OF the orchestra.
In the solo numbers he strengthened the
accompaniments by filling the holes in the
Instrumentation FOR the harpsichord part.
He insisted on the observance Of Handels
marks Of expression and wiped out Mozarts
trills. For the information Of yesterdays
audience an account OF Mr. Prout's labors
had been prepared by H +. Krehbiel 1t
is hardly likely that the purely religious
J1rity OF tie audience noticed either
the account or the changes. except when the
latter affected some long familiar cadence
at the close OF solo Phrase
The value Of MIR. Prout's new edition
lies IN its return to the original text.
The changes are indeed minor ones, and
in no single instance can they be said
70 AFFECT the general character Of any num-
ber or Of the oratorio as whole. But
when masterpiece en- Joys such popularity
assurance that they are hearing at each
performance the uncorrupted text of Han
dal. In the cultivation of oratorio music
we have much to thank England for, and
this new edition of The Messiah adds to
the debt. Mr. Prout has discharged his
task conscientiously and. so far az we are
able to Judge, ably. The unfaithful edi-
!ions OF the oratorio should all be discarded
In favor OF his
The solo singers heard in Yesterday
rehearsal and to be heard again tonight
were Sussnne Adams, soprano; Nine
kirkby Lunn, contralto; Theodore van
York;. tenor; and Herbert Witherspoon,
bass. Nine. Kirkbv Lunn, who was heard
for the first time in America. IL an Eng
lish singer of high rcpute and a member
OF Mr. Grau's opera company, There viii
be plentiful opportunities to take note Of
her met hod and style. Suffice il to say
that in the oratovio she revealed "A genuine
contralto voice--not a dragged down mezzo
soprano, Of splendid quality, of great power,
and OF noble vibrancv. II is a voice which
will command attention In whatever music
Il may he heard. The lady's singing showed
the results OF sound traini ne in the pure
ENGLISH orat orio STYLE
Suzanne Adams sang with her unfailing
perfection Of intonation, her charming
quality OF tone, and In some Of her mum.
bers with unexpected excelences OF man
ner. Mr., Witherspoon discharged his duties
admirably declaiming with significance
and singing with abundant tone. Mr.,