The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-15
RACH FESTIVAL IMPROVES.
,,r ST. MATTHEW PASSION SUNG
IMPRESSIVELY.
rendering OF the Great Work Shows .
Reycrential Spirit That Can Be Sc
cured In No Place SO Well rs In the
old M0ra,ian Town OF bethlehem.


BETHLEHEM. Pa, May 1.-THE fourth
div of the Bach Festival was devoted to
The presentation OF the st. Matthew Passion.
Although the work is the most familiar Of
those offered at the series OF services in
The old Moravian Church the audiences
we're larger than at any previous perform
ances. Incoming trains brought consid-
cradle numbers Of strangers, Philadelphia
furnishing the majority. The work was
given at two sessions. as they are called.
one beginning at 4 o'clock in the afternoon
and the other at at night. The Passion
a divided conveniently into two parts and
The dinner hour afforded the needed in
,erval for rest and refreshment.
The soloists and chorus were attired ap-
nropriately in black. according to a custom
ling honored at music festivals, but pecu-
liarIv suitable to the surroundings here
The soloists were Mrs Mary Hissen de Moss,
soprano; Gertrude May Stein. contralto;
Nicolas Douty, tenor, and Julian Walker
and Herbert Nitherspoon, bases. Mr.
poutv was not scheduled originally for
The tenor part but William H. Rieger,
who was engaged, was taken i'll and Mr..
Douty prepared the part at short notice.
The undertaking was formidable, for like
all o Bachs tenor parts, this one is full
If trials and fluctuations.
l. would be an easy thing to write much
about the ST. Matthew Passion, but 1t seems
unnecessary The work is we'll known to
the inner circle Of music lovers, but owing
TO its immense difficulty and its complete
want Of all those elements which attract
The general public it is seldom heard. 1t
can hardly be heard elsew here in the in
fuential conditions which surround 1t here,
|, was sung on the second day Of the festival
Of 1901, and heard in the restful seclusion
Of the Moravian Church. With the silent
and apparently worshipping congregation
as listeners it took on an aspect entirely
different from that Of the st. Matthew
Passion which is performed before APP
plauding assemblages Of spectators in
concert halls.
The work. which deals with the final
hours Of the life OF Christ, is, of course, an
ora,orio, but in a special form, which.
after long development, came to climax
in the several settings OF Bach. Since his
time no one has accomplished anything on
this sublime subject.
Il is easy to perceive the allurements
il offers to the modern composer, with
the resources of the contemporaneous
orchestra and the powers Of present vocal
,tvle and dramatic recitative, yet, in the
presence OF Bach, his successors remain
voiceless. Handel, with his experience in
The operatic field and his rich inheritance
# the traditions Of Italian oratorio, created
by a long line of composers trained equally
IN the schools Of the Church and the theatre,
treated the story Of the Messiah in musical
style which still commands the enthusiasm
Of thousands to whom all other artlstc
music ia unknown.
Handel dwelt continually in the presence
of the public and wrote for 1t. He knew
it's heart and was master OF the methodaof
inspiring it.. But Bach lived in the at
public for his sacred music, He never
discovered the sweet appetite for thu glad
plaudits Of delighted hearers; His was
The spirit Of the e. sianGtnaIy ne wrote IN
and out of the fulness of deep religious
nature. He communed with himself and
through his own soul with God. but took
no thought Of the hearer further than silently
TO invite his companionshlP on hoiS grouna,
poser introduced into his masterpiece 80
many Of the old chorales, so familiar to
he worshippers of Leipsic. In spite OF
The disagree ment Of the authorities on the
question, whether the congregation joined
seems certain that they did, Bach was
no spectacular musician. and he would
never have introduced the chorale 20,
Haupt voll Blut und Wunden' with four
different denominations simply to pro-
vide hearers with a musical treat, With
cut doubt the congregation Joined in the
singing, but did not attempt anything
more than the tune. leaving the harmonic
support to the choir and the organ.
When he came to the treatment OF the
- Il hn O
free rein to his genius, which exercised
itself in the creation OF numbers SO lntl-
mate in their exposition OF the significance
of the text, so retrospective in their nature
and so utterly elevated above all popu-
lqr,y of style that they. are to be- ,appre-
ciated only by those who are willing to
follow the master into the very shrine OF
his musical conception OF the Scriptures
With these facts in view 1t is not difficult to
see how much more eloquent a performance
than in city concert hall. The Moravians
in the congregation are saturated with
the spirit of Lutheran music. The chorale
is their priceless heritage from generation
unto generation. 1t makes bachs mas
atars and their firesides. And when the
stranger within their gates goes INTO the
temple to hear the performance, he ls IN
sensibly drawn into perfect sympathy
with their feelings. ~,
Inc very dlT ITO OIcdblco .puiSs'
the battle chants Of the Lutheran reyoiu-
ton, and as he drinks them in he finds him
self inspired with a new understanding
Of each. Doubtless 1t is this which draws
the visitor to the presentation OF the Pas-
sion when he will not come TO that OF
beautiful cantata or the Christmas ora
toio. The sessions Of to-day were the most
Impressive of the festival up to this time,
and Of the two that Of the afternoon was
the more satisfying.
Somehow in that sweet vesper hour when
the goldfish lights are fainting IN the west
and the purple shadows are lengthening
in the east, when the mystery and misery
Of another round Of the great clock OF eA-
istence are slowly vanishing INTO that
iathomless void in which all mysteries are
lost, all mseries are ended. and before
which the sunset of eternal silence sits upon
the portal OF departure, the heart OF man
10 touched by the chrism OF unseen hanos
and Yields itself in worship and pious nope
In this old Moravian church. with t he
Mastering sunlight falling through tne
windows and the drowsy hum OF closing
day family echoing from WITHOUT, the
spirit Of old Bach was present. Inc ras-
sion story was told up to the moment when Ne :
the multitude went out to meet Jesus WIN
swords and slaves. 1t was told faithiuiiy,
,erderly and touchingly. The few slips
in the presentation Of the music were haraly
noticed because that feeling. for when
pilgrims come to this unique festival "as