The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-05
NOT FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Musical Festival Just Closed
Didn't Draw Well.

The musical festival at the Audi
forum closed last night with a miseei-
laneous concert which was no better at
tended than the one the night before. /
though the music WAS just as enjoy
able
There is no criticism to be made of the
concerts from an artistic standpoint
They were excellent, with perhaps
tempered criticism as to length. and tbs
home talent end of it, the choruses,
proved that work and diligence viii &C
complish much. The Chicago Sympho-
ny orchestra was as good as when preyi-
ously heard in Topeka, the soloists as 4
Who1e We're pleasing and the pro-
gramInes were well selected But the
failure of the festival has been the at
tendance. It is safe to say that the
total attendance for the three concerts
has been In the neighbornOod of S5,0U0,
While a large part of the total was made.
up Of children at the matinee who paid
but TO cents admission. The orchestra
and the solOists were paid $1,6O0 for their
part in the festival
The children's concert Wednesday af-
ternoon was enough to shatter the
nerves Of the musicians. At a general
adm ission of ten cents boys and girls
and just plain kids" f1ocked to the
Auditorium by scores. They paid their
dime expecting to see something like a
circus. They were bound to have their
hand in the noise making. They whoop-
ed and yelled, whistled and pounded
their boot heels on the floor and gave g
complete repertoire of cat calls The
Idea of musicians, par excellence, like
those Of the Symphony orchestra hav-
ing 70 play an encore for such an un-
cultured aggregation! Jan VanOordt.
the coneertmeister, ground his teeth
and looked cross and sawed away on
his violin until he snapped a string.
The Danube Waltze," by Strauss,
was the most pleasing number of the
matinee although it would be hard to
choose between that and the overture,
William Tell" which was repeated by
request at the night concert. The over
ture is the standard by which bands
and band music in the state are COM
pared. Bands either play it, try to play
1t, or do not attempt it. If a, band has
enough self confidence NV ildam Tell
is attempted. The Banda Rosa, Innes'
and Marshalls have played it in the
Auditorium and played it well, but the
Symphony orchestra with the quartette
of double string basses, another of vio-
lin cellos and strong violin section
fanked by an Italian harp can put
sweetness and inspiration into the
strains of the overture that no brass
band on earth is able to con mand-
The only chorus to take part in the night
concert was the Topeka Choral society.
The chorus sang double number by Men
delssohn, "Oh, Great is the Depth from
St. Paul, and Cast Thy Burden" from
Elijah The nrst wa4 sung to the accom-
paniment Of the orchestra and the last
sung without. The chorus did much better
work in the double number than in ''Hia-
watha,s Wedding Feast the night before
denee and force and the swelling nassau yes
were handled with a smoothness that was
excellent. The double number was easily
the best chorus number of the festival
The chorus sang the same selection in
the Kansas City contest and were there
fore more familiar with it.
Wagner's Vorspiel to Lohengrin, the first
number. on the nights programme. by
the orchestra, was equal to anything at
tempted during the festival. The technique
was perfect The shading away of the
tones of the instruments and their stopping
one by one until Van Oordt and his violin
finished the piece alone in the faintest but
c1earest note ina ENABLE, was intensely in
ferestins and pIeasinR The Van OorCit
string qudrtette, Nine. Esurbeck, Mr.. Clark
and the four solosts in "Rigoletteo were
on the night programme.