New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-15
BACH'S PASSION" MUSIC
GIVEN At BETHLEHEM.
Praise for Soloists-FGults Mar
Performance.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BuNE.l


According 70 ST Matthew was given. not in its
absolute integrity. but with trffing and incense
ouential excisions. The oratorio and the mass
which is 70 be performed Saturday are the at
ractive OF the festival in popular estira
na Visitors began pouring into the town early IN
the morning, among them q number Of organists
and cleTgymen- In the New-York contingent were
Frank L, sealy. Walter Henry Hall L Archer Glib
son and Victor Regel. From Albany came Frank
Rogers. Sidney c burst. Of Cincinnati who is also
sccompznist for the festival choir has been here
since Monday. Doubtless there were many other
musicians who escaped notice in the audience that
completely filed the Moravian church both after
noon End evening On Saturday the accommodations
viii be insufficient Many Will be turned away
Lest they be forgotten IN the hurried story OF
the day, the solo singers must be mentioned
though the lesser share % the brilliant honors
which were won went to them This was in the
nature OF the case There are arias OF exalted
beauty in the Passion music. but they are few
compared with the choral numbers When all
fetch worship is eradicated from the festivals.
when the letter shall be permitted 10 wait upon
the spirit and convention on beauty some OF these
a-las, well many more in the Christmas
Oratorio." VIII be put away in the limbo Of things
that have oUtlived their usefulness. the listen
viii be spared much WEAKNESS Of the flesh and
vexzrion OF spirit.
The solo singers were Mrs. Mary Hissen De
Moss. who gave the finest example Of purity OF
style that the festival has produced in her singing
Of the aria, In Love Ny Saviour Right worthy
Of discriminating commentator were her asso-
cistes Mrs. Gertrude May Stein. Julian Walker,
Nicholas Douty (who took the place OF ". H.
Rieger. kept away by flness) and Herbert wither-
spoon. To each there would belong q
preston OF praise dlo time allow the peculiar
circumstances Of the case require il Mr.. Douty
strove manfuIly and successfully with his cruel
task recter OF the Scriptural narrative. though
called 10 Il days notice Mr.. Walker sang
II finished manner and disclosed fine apprecia-
tiOn Of the distinctive character Of the music to
which Bach has set the words Of Jesus. The
ches--a was capable. and even M Schalsha, the
principal whose solo work has been little less than
voful al the week. put credtable achievement
&c his credit in the obgato 10 the alto aria, 20
Pardon Ne" a choir OF fifty boys sang the chorale
IN the opening number and united their voices
with the sopranos in the last number Of the first
part
TIE choir was letter perfect and. less hanPered
hy the text than on Monday night, il sang fire.
ouently with expression. and not always b. main
strength. Nothing exquisite IN every respect
than It's part IN the tenor solo and chorus. In
Love Ny Saviour Now Is Dying, could he In
agined and II rose 70 the dramatic climaXes mar
veIously. The spirit Of Bach brooded over the
performance. To the mere musicians the afec-
Tomato intimacy existing between performers and
Listeners heightened the effectiveness OF the music
and opened their minds and hearts TO its beauties
in the same degree that the religious feeling
which found vent in the swelling chorales sung by
the congregation C-aUdience" seems out Of place
here cid the emotions o. the merely pous attend
ants Il was 3 memorable experience for ali, even
II It left dregs Of regret IN the minds Of the
critically minded.
DESPITE the tender and beautiful ministrations Of
the day. there was much accumulative and de-
rlorable proof in the performance that one fond
hope and budding promise held out by the festival
OF TWO years ago must be abandoned. The
conviction is written down with keen regret that
Bethlehem cannot rise 10 its lovely mission
Scores OF incidents were heape6 upon other scores
to-day. TIL the evidence became obvious TO the
sncerest well wishers Of the enterprise Il seemed
long ego those who sit in the seats Of the scorn-
ful that no lessons could be learned concerning
the proper reading OF Bachs works beyond the
conductors monentary notions. and what he
chooses 70 conceive 10 be the letter Of the text
There has been no evidence on the part Of Mr.
Wolfe. his singers. his orchestral musicians or his
'caorlsters Of that study of contemporary records
anc traditions which is essential 10 truly artistic
and historically correct performance OF the music
Of Bach and his period. In works Of this chaTac-
Ter the printed page is not a sufficient guide In
deed, It's not q complete guide in any music. even
the most modern. A conductor as well as q per-
former must be creator his is the task OF giving
vital and beautiful utterance 10 the sounds repre-
scented by The symbols written or printed upon the
paper. Special and painsrakng study is required
in the case OF Old works because Of the paucity
IN them OF expression marks and the fact that
many Of the old scores mere skeletons. This
fact compels q study OF the old manner Of per
formance. Tradition and the laws Of beauty must
be consulted. and q decision having been reached
touching the left in the scores. It is
readings clearly and consistently.
On only g few points does Mr.. Wolfe seem to
have come 70 understanding with himself and
II each case his judgment is open TO question II
the Bethlehem festivals remain only devo
tioraI functions helpful TO those who derive spir-
irua1 edfcation from the performances Of the
Passion music they viii have TO be classed with
the performances Of The Messiah" in New-York
and other cities. where the annual Christmastide
concerts Of HandsTs work have become a custom.
Il the festival become fetch 10 be accepted
as trnpeccable, matter how Il oferds the canons
OF good taste and the ascertainable doctrines OF
proprety and right Il will lose all interest,
far musicians and music lovers-to whom Bach's
music is neither novelty 1T subject for sensa
tOnzl explotstion-sre concerned II is the duty
os criticism, which aims not TO caviI. belittle or
destroy 20 say these things. for the purpose is
kindly and constructive.
Mr.. woues infatuation for interrupting the
1ow the music at every cadence or half-cadence
is harmful 10 enjoyment II has authority fl
Bach's pages. IL is disturbing 10 the musical sens
q results in ragged and frayed measures, which
fatal that sense Of repose which is one OF
the Hottest and most essential attributes Of beauty:
& IS in defiance Of the dictum OF no less an
authority than Moritz Hauptmann, one OF the
founders with AfendeIssohn, who certainly knew
owed Bach ana who rescued the 'St Matthew
Passion oblivion. OF the famous conservatory
in the very city 20 which Bach gave the last dec
s6es Of his life and where the oratorio was called
into existence. It is z blot the Bethlehem
festivals Inside OF the first half hour Of yester-
days performance there were twenty-six Of these
-itsrdandos, nearly a minute. in the hgursted
cnOrale the end Of the first part That is one
feature which must make the fudicious grieve.
Another is the treatment OF the continue. the fig
ured bass part This frequently ignored to-
night, leaving bass stalking gauntly and markedly
alongside single melody voice. The filling out OF
the hsrnonies IN the pieces which Bach, in ac-