The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-19
FIRST 0RAT0RIO CONCERT.
MENDELSSOHN'S EST. PAUL" PER.
FORMED AGAIN.
A Work Not Heard for EiEht Iears--Csuses
Of Its Lack Of Popularity -l:reat
lhOruses, hut Few Dramatic Effects.

The Oratorio Society gave the first con-
cert Of its thirteth season at Carnegie
Hall last night. The organization was
founded in 1873 by DR.. Leopold Damrosch
and after his death vas carried on for some
years by his .on Walter. II has been for
a few seasons past under the direc; orship
of Frank Dlmrosch. IL labors continually
under disadvantages arising from the
public in iherence TO one Of the most
interesting Of all forms Of music, and to
a curious religious veneration which makes
hosts Of naturally unnusi"al persons wait
20 hear The Messiah" An orato-o So
ciety cannot live by THE Messiah" alone.
nor j. il desirable tina, any one work should
have n monopoly Of attention from the
public
There ara other oratorios we'll worth
hearing and MIR Dsmrosch does not hest
tatc To perform herCuean labors Of love in
preparing them for his audiences Last
night he brought forward Mendelssohn's
-S, Paul" which some admirers Of the
gifted Felix regard - his greatest work.
Seldom indeed has this composition been
heard in New YORK. though II had it, first
performance here in 1888. Previous 20 last
evening IL had not been given since March 81.
1874. when the Oratorio Society presented
it. with Lillian Blauvclt, Mr.. Carl Alves.
Boa Davies AMI Plruket Greene a, the
colo quartet.
II IL not az an difficult f. discern the
ca,te, Of the comparative UTcpuaTity
ct st Paul" IN the first place il il over
sradowed hr "tliah" When the lyrical
mr.ia lover Thinks Of MerGe,' sohn as an
Wa,oiio oompc,er ne thinks # him Ct
"a, 20, la, ur,ri II.,. ia, III,
that Elijah" makes \ moro direct appeal
10 the hesre~ l. l.. dra ma'ic in form ard
It, IL fluerce ui IN the imagination is swift
ard sure. H. difference from Isl Parl'
h, the difference of drama from novel
Tho narrative element, which PLAYED such
an important part in the older German
style cf oratorio, de-, ended from 81 W.
through Bach-erd which. let it lie ro'ed,
proNidcd some Of the loNeliCi and most
expressive rcCitative ia all uui'- II, aboi-
tined from Elijah lmpernoLation takes
il, plac" with potent effect
In 81 Paul" the narrative feature IL
retained and We hear the voice of the stCrco-
tvped terror narrator d"clainug the action
e the story and the mtrcdGCtiois Ia
speeches The characters aIe mo- clearly
drawn. II wa. not in the raturc of tfirIs
that they s1ould e ct long aS an rrGrawa'ic
form waC employed. The most stirring
Iart Of 81 Hlul' H. the oIeii z If the first
part. which treats of the mart yrGom of
s.. stephen. Fer short time the direct
method without narration ComiI atcs and
TIE music acquires vitality.
But st. stephen IL not a portraiturc
As even the choral pries's Of BAL are in
Elijah. Both stephen ard Paul APP
pear less as pcrsoiasas'. than as as rrPTeesi,i;
ad o, an ,s co.,, rb al cnr Mora
occasionally writes something strong for
the voice rerras" ntiug the apostle and II
the singer be one Of dramatic traEiag
and warm temperament the aIiienc"
may be moved as IT was last night. Tn"
solos for soprano and coutral'o are con
s'ructed chiefly on lies laid down by the
Italian oratnrio writer's and left in cle6rest
shape by Ha0d"l They are expressions
Of The sen'ine''s appropriate 10 the in
cidents Of IN" story. They arc CONNER
iary in spirit and seldom have dramatic
potency.
The most eloquent passages in -St Paul"
are the chorus"s, and hero. II must be ad
mit'ed without h"sltancy. Mcndelssohn
wrote with firmneSs, breadth of style.
visor Of creative Imagination, n pro-
fundity Of musical conception and va
riety in tho Use Of material not TO be dis
covered in the pages of his more popular
oratoro. There is much admirable coun-
terpoint in st. Paul some of il is Han
delisn in color and Aexihitv, and there
IL the Handelian cleverness in working
Gp massive cllnaNe,. This cannot be
raid Of the Elijah" choruS"-, For the
rake OF It's fine choral numbers and its
occasional excursions into the dramatic
manner il was well worth while to revive
"i5t Paul
The performance was not all that could
~ desired. vet II was on the whole creda-
Lilo. |, was irregular II had moments Of
c'nuine and high excellence: II had some
r'Iiods of depression Tie chorus was not
Ilvavs sure IN attack nor perfect in
,lanimi;y ON the other hand, its tonal
,pmluv and its sorority were excellent,
snd il sang with splendid spirit. The
orchestra was conscientious hlck or
csnt;a'ion and did the Lest it could
OF the solo singers the men took the
lonors. Anton Van Roov Of the opera
rave the power Of his Zig voice and his
forceful defamation to the music Of the
apostle. He used the German text which
brou yht ahou, some singular transit ions
rs when the tenor sang And he said" and
the bass continued. Herr, wcr Ibis, du?"
Ellison Van Hose sang the tenor part ex-
tel!en'ly, giving due attention To the senti-
'nent and enunciatirS the text clearly.
ShannAh Cumming was The soprano. She
song in tune and made the words intelli-
gibl.. hut her pronunciation was not always
favorable to her tones Katherine Pelton
he contralto. marred her work by much
throatinos, in the low tones, The minor
narts were sung by Albert Jalponski and
Robert Hosea