New-York tribune., 1902-12-21

not thought it necessary. some purists demand,
10 go back to the gaunt nakedness of the original
score, or to accept all of Mozart's additions. He
KNOWS that the conditions which prevailed in Han
GERS time cannot be restored with certainty and
exactness. and believes that if they were they
would be intolerable to modern ears. accustomed
10 oif1erent instrumental tone and the altered
relations between choir and band He recog-
nizes the beauty of much that Mozart did to ad-
just the work modern taste but does not feel
bouno TO accept the alterations from sound judg-
ment disclosed by a careful study of that masters
additional accompaniments. Moreover, acting on
the discovery made thirty years ago. that
the first edition of Mozart's Messiah" arranged
in March, 1888, had been changed by Johann Adam
Hitler before its publication in 1903. he subjects
that text also to critical study. and rejects
spurious all questionable portions for which he
hnds no warrant in the other arrangements Of
Handel's compositions made by Mozart for the
Baron Won Swieten, viz: "Acis and Galatea,"
'Alexander's Feast and AN Ode for St Caecilias
Day He collates the principal editions pub
lshed since the first, issued by Randall Abell in
1867. with that edition. the autograph manuscript
preserved in the Kings music library. in
buckingham Palace. and several manuscript
copies made by HandeTs amanuensis, Chris
topher Smith, which used by Handel
when conducting performances of the work The
autograph manuscript has been open TO the world
for study ever since 1863 when 1t published
in photo-lithographc facsimile by the Sacred
Harmonic Society. 1t has been drawn for an
teresting record of Handers first conceptions in
connection with the oratorio but less authoritative
than the copy made by Smith called the Dublin
score which Handel used at the first performance
of the work and on which he noted the names OF
singers, changes of key and other interesting
memoranda indicative OF his methods of perform
ance- Similar scores belong to the city of Ham
burg and Mr. Otto Goldschmidt, who the
husband of Jenny Lind Having established what
he conceives to be the correct reading of the text
DIR. Prout rewriteS the aCcomDanrnentS marks the
expression, adds an organ part, fills out the har
monies left open by Handel and MoZart-in brief,
presents new performing edition adapted to
modern ears Whenever he comes to additions by
Mozart which have come to be regarded with
particular affection. although they fly in the face
Of Handelian tradition (the most marked instance
is the chromatc harmonies in the wood-wind part
of THE People that Walked in Darkness') he
notes and leaves the choice between the old and
the new to the conductor. He makes sparing
of the organ, reserving its large voice to
hanee the overwhelming effect OF such climaxes
Wonderful! CounselOr!' He diScards il
utterly in the accomplishments the secco recita-
two. and recommends the use of the pianoforte
in the place OF the harpsichord which used in
Handel's time; with the pianoforte he consorts d
violoncello and double bass. For those who do
not relish this device he writes out the har-
monies the string band Wherever Mozart
out Handers original trumpet parts he restores
them modifying them where necessary to meet the
capacity of the modern instrument and the capa-
bilities of the modern performers.
a great many of Dr. Prouts changes disclose
that he does not differ greatly on the whole from
many of his predecessors who have arranged Han
del's score for performance. The purists have
strained at gnats and swallowed camels and so
has he he has had TO appeal to tradition to cor
rect the plainly written page, while they have
had to make similar appeal to supply the things
which were not written, but without which there
can be no performance In the slow part of the
overture for instance he has substituted double
dots after the quarter notes throughout Handel
wrote (a):