New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-10

where. There is no meretricious glamour about the
festival: no appeal fad fashion, no bait for the
tourist: allurement TO the mere pleasure seeker
no promise to the simply curious. Bach's music is
the serious lover of the art alone, and he must
not only devotee but trained in appreciation of
style Of composition foreign to the ordinary taste
OF the period. ''Bachs musical speech. wrote
Wagner in his essay on Judaism in Music" was
formed at a period of our history when music's
universal tongue still striving for the faculty
Of mere individual unequivocal expression.
Pure Journalism and pedantry still chung so strongly
her that il first through the gigantic force
OF Bach's ge4ius that her purely human &C
cents forced vent. The speech OF Bach stands
toward that Of Mozart and finally that Of Beethoven
relation OF the Egyptian sphinx to the Greek
statue OF a man; the human visage of the
sphinx is in the act OF struggling out Of the
animal body so Bach's noble head is seen striving
out from under the periwig.''
M Wolfe and his faithful band of choristers have
made themselves little musical world OF Their
own They have put aside ordinary twentieth
1uEy considerations. There be monetary
compensation for them, for financial is
be thought of. Theirs must be the reward which
comes from the consciousness Of noble d uobIy
done. Their success viii rebound to the fame of the
community in which they reside, TO the glory of the
church with which the majority Of them
GATED and the glory Of music; but it will not
bring them either riches fame individually But
the visitors the festival whose tastes and affec
tons tuned Alright viii enjoy experience.
]
period The grass in the square surrounding the
Noravian church, built Just a century ago. is long,
deep green and lush; the trees in the cemetery
magnificent Tie grove is another temple, another
house of worship Gentieness. peace and piety seem
pervade the atmosphere during festival week and
the cares and pettfnesses of the work-a-day world
slip away and are forgotten 1t is season for
communion with the things that make for mental
and moral refreshment. There is happiness without
hlarity, artistic service without ostentation. devo
za-~r. cTafior 1ofe Oh Of
voices; an orchestra Of sixty members; solo singers
chosen for the work which they do, not for the
noise which has been made with their names an
auditorium which commands reverential attention;
g manner Of performance which and anon
makes PARTICIPANTS of all the listeners. Thus
artistic function becomes pious service Finally
conductor whose attitude toward his work is truly
sacerdotal and list Of works which TO all listeners
will be liberal education in Bach's musc-such an
education, indeed. one could have acquired
had he attended all the performances of Bach's
works that have taken place il America from the
establishment OF the first singing society till now.
At the first festival March q. 1900 the mass in
minor alone given At the second, in May,
1901. three days were devoted TO unabridged per
formances of the Christmas Oratorio, the Pas
sion According ST. Matthew" and the minor
mass This week there viii be concerts every day
from Monday Saturday inclusixe-one on Mon
DAY, two Tuesday. "Wednesday, two on
Thursday one On Friday and two on Saturday, nine
meetings in all The three large works which were
given years ago viii be repeated, and in add
ton there viii be church cantatas, the second
OF the Brandenburg concertos Cfor orchestral and
the -Magufhcat'' fn d. This work, which ranks
among the finest OF Bachs compositions, has been
Performed but once in the United States II was at
tie second MAY Festival in Cincinnati in 1876. under
the direction of Theodore Thomas. The concerto is
she beautiful played by the Boston Orchestra at
One OF its concerts here in the just ended.
One OF the most interesting features OF the fesc-
walls at Bethlehem for strangers is the playing OF
the frornbones In the belfry Of the church The
custom comes from Germany. where il stin sur
wives though it is no longer so general az 1t used
10 be- What the call Of the muezzn is 10 the pious
Mahometan N the Orient. that IS the tone OF the
trombone TO the member Of the Moravian UNITY III
Bethlehem, ]. rreets the sun at Easter, buoys UP
the solemn cantlcle in the house OF worship. pro