New-York tribune., 1903-05-24

t ,,s snit+a something bearing directly this
point 1t was that In these accompaninents flsch-
er followed the harmonic course OF the ihoFe ~
with short chords in the right hand while he played
+ba hass Iegato and with considerable power bach
himself frequently arpeggioed the chord ABOVE the
bass What now is the lesson of the written page
and tradition? Plainly that the means AT mana
must be adapted to the end. 1t is also written
that the stop generally used by Bach in playing
the continue was the Gedackt, whose pipes were
covered the top and had fute-tone A snort
chord. especially if played arpeggio would not be
disturbing least, though excessive staccato play
Ing on the organ offensive to the taste of to-day
When Mr. Thomas first performed the "st Mat
thew Passion at a Cincinnati festival in 1SeZ, ne
used a pianoforte in the recitative secco; when he
repeated IT in 1856 he wrote out the harmones for
four violoncellos and used them. When Mr.. Wolfe
gave 1t two years ago ne played chords on piano.
forte; last Thursday week organ tone alternate
ly thick and muddy loud and snarling, was
heard. Plainly there is freedom of choice here IN
respect of both method and media, but method ana
media should be consistent and harmonious. On
Friday the figured bass harmones were played on
the organ and sustained; and the effect was ao-
mirable
AS for the rest, find in a letter written IN isos
by Moritz Hauptmann of Bach's successors
cantor of the Thomas School in Leipsic ana
president the Bach kgesellschaft, discussion OF
so many points which came up in the criticisms
on the Bethlehem festival that l content myself
with translating a portion of 1t and letting the
argument go that Hauptmann is answering
correspondent who had asked for advice touching
the performance of Bach work evidently lhe
christmas Oratorio." He writes:
The fourth question relates to the ritardandos at
the closes There is little likelihood that one
should ever feel tempted retard at close OF bee
thoven's. Here there is sufficient preparation 20
prevent the arrival of the unexpected IN me case
of old music ii is the rule to slow up lttle pc
fore the last chord but only at the nna close, lhe
end of the piece Retardations at other closes
occurring in the progress of the piece are lntoier
able to me; If there is 10 oe continuation there
at the end, however there can be no talk OF a re-
tardation of several measures. Ihe eIo OF the
measure before the last will sufce TO prepare LOT
the close Preparation greater than this gives me
the impression Of putting the brakes on faiIWdy
train: at any rate very unmuSlcal one III the
case of choruses followed by postlude tnefe nuSI
be no retard, and the postlude must be retaroeu
shortly before the close and only so much as
proper feeling of conclusion prompts AT the close
Of arias il may that something presents IL
self In the nature of hold without being deSlg-
mated by the usual sign (corona); in such cases
IL seems to best 10 bring the postlude 10 an emo
without the slowing up. In no case should there
That there can be but little effect Of a slow
diving away. morendo and calando, In such mod
crate ritardandos, follows a matter of course;
the effect indeed is contrary to the nature OF the
case In general also the effects of creScendo and
iiminuendo are also to be used with great modera-
n number of voices have different things to sing
at the same time. IT would be an unnatural de-
mand to ask them to agree to common increase
or decrease of tone Each voice naturally desires
10 he directed in its defamation by the progress
OF its melody and this will produce just the effect