New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-19
MUSIC.
THE oRAToR1o SOCIETY.

After an interval Of nearly nine years Mendels-
sohns st Paul" had performance by the ora
torio Society at the first concert Of its thirteth
season last night The performance was re-
markedly fine one. and it must have been cause
OF regret to all lovers of choral music that the
audience was not more numerous. When Mendels-
SOM was still subject Of discussion there used to
De many a pretty argument over the question
whether st. Paul. or Elijah" the finer work
The former still has its stout champions in Ger
many. but II England and the United States
the people, caring nothing for the opinion Of
critics and analysts have decided to give
thelr devotion TO Elijah and treat its predecessor
with neglect It Is not difficult 10 discern the
reason The story of the prophet taken out Of the
Ola Dispensation has picturesque and dramatic
elements which the story Of the Apostle lacks
and this is a theatrical age Elijah has therefore
performed his miracles before every few years
While we have had wait twenty years to see the
conversion Of Saul and hear the preaching OF
Paul The circumstance has its compensations
however. The quasi-dramatic music Of Elijah
Is become hackneyed, while that Of st. Paul re-
mains fresh and inspirting. At any rate, so II
sounded last night. The choir sang with fine
spirit. lovely quality and splendid precision
giving performance indeed. which, could it be
equalled by the most ambitious festival choirs OF
the country would be thought worthy by the fes-
tlVaI committees OF celebration far and wide POS
sbly the fact that the society did not study the
music 'perfunctorily and with anguid interest had
something to do with the excellence of its work;
Il So the rest during the proveroal Horatlan
period brought its reward It would be pleasant
TO record that the public had also shown its ap-
probation by appropriate financial recompense
Mr.. Damrosch who conducted wisely and sym
pathetcally, met with a gratifying response
from all his forces The orchestra, which
might have been larger with good effect,
WED with the choir in wedoing and there
a peculiarly satisfactory company OF solo
singers Mrs. Shannah Cummings has never been
guilty OF slipshod work here but her voice has sell
dom sounded resonant and euphonious as it did
last night. nor recall from her good an
example Of true oratorio style she put to her
credit In the Jerusalem air. Miss Pelton, the
contralto, has a true and equable voice which
promised well at the outset OF her Arioso in the
first part; unfortunately she marred its effective
ness by forcing its quality and by falling into that
sluggishness OF movement which is the fault OF
so many contraltos The principal Mr..
Van Hoose and Mr.. Van Rooy. with whom. as the
false Witnesses were associated Mr. Janpolski
and Mr. Hosea Mr.. Van Hoses splendid voice
rang out true and gratifying all evening. while Mr..
Van Rooy read his music with fine dramatic effect
and won great applause. which would doubtless
have been many times more generous If he had
sung in English. But Mendelssohn wrote the music
10 German words and better good German for the
sake of the music than bad English.