The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-19
MUSIC OF A GOLDEN AGB.
MUSICAL ART SOCIETY GIVES ITS
FIRST CONCERT.
compositions by the Great Masters n
the Period ~ Vocal Counterpart
-Bach's Cantata "a stronghold Sure"
Part Songs Also by Modern Musicians

Tho first concert Of the tenth season Of
the Musical Art Society took place last night
at Carnegie Hall. Founded upon an aDpre-
cation of the purest choral music, that o.
the medieval Church, and nurtured by de-
votion whose hope has been beautifully and
generously blessed, this organization early
assumed proud Position in the musical
life Of New York. Its mission was from its
inception Compounded by the inner circle
OF musical amateurs, and its labors have
been attended by a prosperity which is one
OF the mos, satisfying evidences Of the
taste Of the metropolis.
Last night Carnegie Hall was literally
surrounded by carriages and filled by a
gentle and cultivated assembly The stage
was prettiy decked with holiday greens and
the women Of the choir appeared in evening
gowns Of delicate tints and fashions only To
he described by q high pries,ess Of the
mysteries of Paqun. Away aloit in the
eyre of the topmost gallery was a chorus
from the Peoples Choral Union ready to
take its part III certain numbers Of the list.
The programme was made according to
the well-'ried plan of the conductor Frank
Damrosch. The first part consisted Of old
cdpcHd compositions by masters of the
period in which vocal counterpoint reached
its glory. There relief was afforded by the
performance of a number with orchestr raj
accompaniment, after which modern writer's
OF part songs rought the concert TO a clos'
The old masters were represented last
night by Sweelinck's six-voiced motel
Or sus, serviteur du Seigneur" built on
the theme now known to vs. al odd Hun
dred; Eccard's six-voiced motet -Pres-
entatlon Of Christ in the Temple the
fifteenth-century hymn Ala Trinita Beata:"
wondrous beautiful Gloria Patri,' by
Palestdna; Nittoria's chant for two choirs,
NPange Lingua Gloriosi," and a Benedictus
for triple chorus and Jubilate for double
chorus by Giovanni Gabriel
The central number with orchestra was
Sebastian Bach's great Reformation can
tata. Elm feste Burg list unser Go,t.' built
on Luther's celebrated hymn which Helm
rich Heine so happily christened the Mar
seillaise of the Reformation" and which
we are to hear on Monday night decked
with the furbelows of Meyerbeer and reared
by the bull-necked Marcel through the
operate story of the massacre of St. Bar
tholomew.
Then followed George Henschel's six
voiced song, TO Music" Brahms's festival
and commemorative sentences for double
chorus (eight voices. called in German
Fest und Gedenkspruche," and Charm
Me Asleep, six-voiced madrigal, by
Henry David Leslie. an English composer,
who died IN 1895, Ii was one of the most
beautiful programmes that Mr.. Damrosch
has ever made and this is saying much
Furthermore. II IL less easy to make good
programmes for the Musical Art Society
now than IL was six or eight years ago,
when SO much Of the available material
had not been used.
The performance had all the merits
familiar at these concerts. There is a
polished elegance about all the work of
the Musical Art Society's choir In balance
of tone ii Is most admirable. and its phrasing
and enunCiation are those of trained singers
carefully rehearsed by competent and
enthusiastic conductor. The quality OF
tone Ii perfect. for the sopranos are Just
trif1e thin and wiry in voice. But where
there is 80 much beauty it may perhaps
be overexacting to ask for perfection.
A pretty effect was made by singing
"Old Hundred before Sweelinck's version
Of the well-known hymn tune. The choir's
best performance was that Of ALA Trinita
Beata,' in which the dynamic gradations
were admirably conceived and exquisitely
executed. A most impressive effect was
obtained in the Pa lest rina number by using
the chorus in the gallery to sing the re-
sponseS with an echo tone. This perfor-
nance so moved the audience that its repe-
ton was compelled. Think Of old Pales-
trina, savior of the polyphonic mass, father
Of modern Catholic music. chapel master
of the Vat lean and composer Of the Sistine
Chapel, dead in 1894, getting an encore
from the well-groomed Gothamites Of the
twentieth century! Surely, genius does
not die.
Bachs cantata was marred by the poor
singing OF the soloists. None of them de-
livered themselves Of the old cantors
subtle thoughts with fuency or purity
Of style. The massive figure Of the open
ing chorus was excellently sung by the
choir, but Mr.. Dan rosch was certainly
in too much haste with the choral, No. V.
The instrumental prelude and postlude
to this number were beautifully played
The Peoples Choral Union was not alto
gether happy in its share of Vittorias
music. but this is difficult The concert
on the whole was decidedly enjoyable,
and il is always a privilege to hear Il csc
rarely exhibited jewels Of a golden age
Of music,