Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-27

The oratorios of Handel are therefore es-
sentially dramatic. Written for the concert
room. and not for any religious edifice, the
subjects should be treated with all the rev.
erence and at the same time with the feel
ing that a musician would naturally treat
dramatic subject-wiih all the intensity
which the extremely human qualities
brought out by the choruses especially de-
mand The composition OF Israel In
Egypt occupied Handel twenty-seven days.
The Messiah was composed in twenty
four days. There is nothing of vague mys-
ticism in the music Of THE Messiah" Ii
is eninently human. suffus,d with revSr-
ence. yet permeated with the healthy vigor
of strong. impuisive nature. which docs
not hesitate to give bold. even picturesque
utterance to its feelings. The general plan
of The Messiah" was Handlers own. In
| compiling the text he had the assistance OF
| Charles Jennens. literar. amateur.
The first public performance of The Mes
siah' took place under the composers di-
| recton at Dublin on April II. 1142. In the
/ Music Hall. Fishamble street for the bene-
| fit of three charities. Handel agreed to
give the charities of Dublin the benefit of
| the first production of this his now
est oratorio In return for the
sistance rendered him by the Charitable
| Musical Society at a series of concerts OF
| his own music, to which he had been in
vited by the lord lieutenant of Ireland. and
| which had been most literally patronlzed.
On account of the widespread interest eX-
cited by this event request was inserted
| in the newspaper that ladies would be
pleased to come without hoops and gcntle-
men without swords. The seating capac-
| ity of the hall was thereby increased from
| coo to 700 persons. The success of the
| work was extraordinary. the consensus OF
| opinion, according to Fanlkner's Journal.
| being that The Messiah was allowed by
| the greatest judges To be the finest compO-
| sition of music that was ever heard >
| The chorus which Handel had at his dis
fourteen men and six boys. AS to the size
| of the orchestra no relia BILE data can be OBJ
| tanned. Dubourg, an eminent violinist and
a great admirer of Handel was the leader.
and the state band of which he was mas
| ter, in all probability formed the NUCLEUS
| of the instrumentalsts. who were augment
| ed by an amateur orchestra to which MEM
| berS of the highest nobility belonged. All
| these forces had been brought to high
| state of efficiency by Handel himself in the
| course of the five months preceding the per-
| Torrance. The soloists were Signora Avo-
Ito. Mrs. Cibber, who afterward became IA
| nous for her singing of He was despised.
| and Messrs. Church and Ralph Rosingrave.
until year after it was written 1t was
| on this occasion that at the words For the
| Lord God omnipotent reigneth." in the
| "Hallelujah' chorus King George Ill rose.
| and with him the entire audience. and re-
| manned standing to the end. After the year
| 1850 1.-The Messiah" was performed at least
| once annually during Handels lifetime, an
der his own direction. In the chapel of the
| Founding Hospital for the benefit of that
institution, to which he bequeathed a set OF
| orchestral parts. Handel himself conduct
| ed 1.-THE Messiah" thirty-four times. At
| the last performance at which he was an
| nounced to appear, on May 3. i!os, and
| which was given notwithstanding MS death,
| which occurred on April IA, the orchestra
| consisted Of twelve first and second vio!ins,
| three violas, three 'cellos, two double
BASES, four oboes. four bassoons. two
| horns, two trumpets, kettle-drums, clavi-
| chord and organ, while the chorus num-
| bered five principals 1.-TWO women and three
mem, six boys and twelve adult chortsters
| This body Handel had considered sufficient
| for producing the required effects in a hall
| capable of seating about thousand per-
| sons This disposition of the instruments
Of the orchestra represents the then Gus
| tomary proportions between the strings and
| the oboes and bassoons, by which they
| were reinforced In the full passages There
was one oboe to three violins. one bassoon
| to each cello and one to each double bass
| The manner in which the reinforcements
were to be employed was infinitely indi-
| Gated by Handel in the score and parts;
Such was the popularity Of THE Messiah.
| for many years the only oratorio it was
customary to give complete, that II opened
| a new era in choral culture in England and
| called into life the Handel cult, which mas
not died out to the present day.
| Mile. Zelie de Lussan, who is celebrated
| in two continents as an opera star OF the
high rank will follow the example OF Nine.
| Nordica and devote this season to song re-
citals. Mile. de Lussan represents type
at once unique and irresistible, combina.
| ton of Spanish subtlety. French chic and
American vivacity. In addition to her bril-
| liantly beautiful mezzo-soprano voice,
lends itself as readily to dramatic as to
| coloratura music, Mile. de Lussan has no
| table personal attraction-beauty OK face
and figure, grace and dignity, and an r.
resistible magnetic charm. Her program
will be made up Of selections from her long
| list Of operate roles, and songs by French,
English and Italian composers, or which
oh hos lar repertoire,
Mr. Angelo Fronani. the young pianist.
who will accompany Mile. de Lussan, IS
| well known in this city. and will no doubt
receive q royal welcome from his many
friends on this occasion. Mile. de Lussan
will be heard In this city at the Columbia
Theater on Wednesday afternoon, January
T. at 4:15. Tickets are now on sale at T.
Arthur Smiths In Sanders and Stayman.
Mr.. Grau has had a trying time with his
song birds. Nine. Sembrich, Nine. Nordica.
Bridewell have all been under the weather.
and many changes in operas announced
have had to be made. Perhaps the greatest
disappointment has been the postponement
of ..Trstan and Isolde" on account of Nor
dica's illness. 1t has been announced twice
and each time another opera has had to
be substituted.
An unusual incident occurred at st. Steph-
ems Episcopal Church at Concord. 5. L.,
Christmas day. The choir sang Cruick-
shank's mass effectively, and at the close
of the morning service the rector wished
ach member a merry Christmas, and then
informed them that their services were no
longer required. 1t seems that when the
choir was rehearsing Christmas eve the
minister entered the church and directed
that there be interjected into the mass
hymn 319. The choir said there not
time to rehearse the music. but the min
lister insisted the hymn be sung. With one
exception the choir refused to sing il.
The Christmas service went smoothly I'M
til the rector announced the singing OF hymn
319. Miss Hunter played the prelude. but
the choir remained seated, all except Arthur
l.. Hall, who sang as soloist. When Miss
Hunter. the organist, found but one voice to
accompany her music she faltered. but
quickly adjusted herself to the circum-
stances. and. although nervous. she accom-
panied Mr.. Hall through the hymn.
The board Of managers of the Choral So
cety at the last rehearsal announced
new plan to interest it's active members
and secure more regular attendance at
rehearsals. During January the regular re-
hearsals on Monday evenings at Carroll In
stitute Hall will be followed by some brief
form of entertainment of a musical nature.
One evening there viii be half hour Of
songs by the Leavitt Quartet; after another
rehearsal there will be an informal dance,